There is nourishment you can only get from this work | Creative Awards Impressions

I read the picture book "Tom the Candle Keeper," a collaboration between Kazuki Nami and Kyotano. It is a heartwarming story, but it is more than just a tale. It is a story that heals the heart more than I imagined.

If this were published as a book, I would definitely buy it. It gently permeates the hearts of tired adults, and children will surely feel something from it too. There is nourishment that can only be obtained from this work. I wonder if there is any way it could be published. Seriously, I mean it. Both the story and the illustrations are wonderful.

It was a story that touched my heart so deeply that any impressions I share would likely just be a string of clichés. The gentle colors and touch of the illustrations fit perfectly, making my already warm heart feel even warmer.

Even adults can lose their confidence. My own confidence has run away from home and hasn't returned. For people like that, this story should resonate. It reminds us that various forms of "I did it" are actually inside our hearts. Those "I did it" moments pile up to make us who we are.

The fact that confidence takes the form of a "candle" is also a great point. Confidence isn't something you can hold onto forever. The way it sometimes goes out overlaps with the flame of a candle. The fact that the flame lights up again when confidence returns is also something that makes me groan in admiration. Plus, the way they keep the burnt-out candles is so kind.

I wonder what kind of child my candle keeper is.

I want to keep it as a physical book so I can reread it when my heart feels broken. Above all, I wanted to let my children read it. My children, like me, struggle to have confidence. Even when I praise them for doing something wonderful, they humbly say, "It wasn't just my own strength."

So, I set my sights on my eldest son, who is in his second year of junior high.

I handed him my smartphone and had him read it right away.

Oh, he's rubbing his eyes. Even a child can get teary-eyed from this. He's nodding at something.

After finishing it, my eldest son returned the smartphone and said with a gentle smile,

"That was a very good story. The person who wrote this must have a big heart."

Did you hear that, Nami-san and Kyotano-san?

It is a work that resonates not only with the hearts of adults but also with the hearts of children. Therefore, for those who have children, I really want you to let them read it. Of course, it is also a work I want wounded adults to read. I am sure it will light a flame in your heart.

Here is the link for the co-author, Kyotano-san.