The Gifts of the Animals

Greetings! I am the author of nearly two dozen picture books, early readers and chapter books. I have also worked as a high school and middle school English teacher, an adjunct professor of journalism at Ohio State, a marketing director, editor of a company magazine, a member of creative teams at an ad agency and a hospital, a contributing editor to a computer magazine, and – finally! – as a freelance writer of hundreds of elementary textbooks, magazine articles, speeches, annual reports, and patient education materials.

Yumi Shimokawara was born in Tokyo. She took an illustration correspondence course with Kodansha Famous Schools in 2001 and later learned wildlife drawing at a KFS school. In 2013, she won the school’s 7th KFS Picture Book Grand Prix. She made her debut into writing and illustrating with Hoshi o sagashi ni (Star Hunting). She has since published Potsu potsu potsu daijobu? (Plip-plop Plip-plop, Are You All Right?) and Osuwari dozo (Have a Seat). She loves animals and currently lives with a white java sparrow in Chiba, Japan.