[Picture Book] The Coexistence of Kindness and Sadness. The Heartbreaking 'Chirin no Suzu'

A magazine that had been secretly propped up on the picture book shelf at the library.

It was published 10 years ago in 2016, but it contained 500 masterpiece picture books for adults!
Masterpieces are works that never go out of style, right?
And since it had the title Books Adults Want to Read on it, I borrowed it.
It was packed with picture books I had read before and ones I had wanted to read. I've added many more to my 'to-read' list (laughs).

First, here is one I had been wanting to read.

I recently participated in a picture book reading session at a community center.
I sat among about 10 groups of young parents and children, and the skill of the reading volunteers was incredible!

Two veteran volunteers, a man and a woman, took turns reading picture books,
played a mini glockenspiel to perform a Hinamatsuri song appropriate for the season,
and sang hand-play songs with us.
The program was fun, and their communication with the children was perfect.
The children gradually got into the groove! (And this middle-aged lady joined in the singing too, haha).

What was especially amazing was the paper-theater (kamishibai) story the female volunteer read.
'Anpanman and Kabi-runrun' (She was so good! It was practically a professional performance).
It had been a while since I experienced the world of Anpanman and Takashi Yanase.
Ah, love, courage, and world peace.

I picked up this picture book following that experience, but...

It's in the same series as another masterpiece picture book by Takashi Yanase I read before,
'Yasashii Lion' (The Kind Lion), which depicts the bond between parent and child.
'Chirin no Suzu' also depicts a bond, but... it's heartbreaking.

Chirin, who was a lamb, lost his mother,
and while harboring hidden anger and hatred, he became an apprentice to the wolf who was his enemy.
He endured and became strong, and even though he finally took his revenge...

The severity of the daily training
helped distract him from the loneliness of being all alone,
and it fostered Chirin's strength and growth, didn't it?
Love that you realize only later.

When I go back to the beginning of the picture book again,
the poem written on the title page resonates even more heartbreakingly.

The mother sheep's maternal love for Chirin.
The master-disciple bond that could also be seen as the fatherly love of the wolf, Woe.
And the bond that had sprouted in Chirin.

I feel that kindness and love
are built upon sadness and loneliness.

It's usually the case that 'by the time you realize it, it's too late!'
isn't it?

But we still have to go on living.
Strongly, brightly, and resiliently.

It really is all about love and courage—the world of Takashi Yanase.

However, this time it was a very heartbreaking picture book~ (´；ω；`) uuu.