Mitsumasa Anno

Records in drawings the author's journey through northern Europe and his impressions of the land, the people at work and play, and their art, architecture, folklore, and fairy tales.

Picture puzzles, games, and simple activities introduce the mathematical concepts of multiplication, sequence and ordinal numbering, measurement, and direction.

Each letter of the alphabet accompanies a full-page picture puzzle of an object whose name begins with that letter: anvil, bicycle, etc.

Brief text and illustrations by ten internationally well-known artists reveal a day in the lives of children in eight different countries showing the similarities and differences and emphasizing the commonality of humankind.

"Allow Anno to be your guide to China. Through delightfully detailed watercolors, readers will explore this vast and varied land where calligraphers bestow good fortune, birds fish for men, and dragons dance. Stand with Anno on the Great Wall, visit bustling villages where the streets are waterways and everyone, even horses and bulls, travel by boat. Learn how flocks of ducks are herded on rivers and witness the discovery of thousands of clay soldiers...