The Power of Picture Books: Sharing ONE's Story An Invitation from ONE for Children, to the World Beyond Containers

Where did that container come from? What is it carrying, and to whom will it be delivered? If a child happens to see a container in the city, we hope it sparks even a small amount of curiosity and imagination. With this simple wish, ONE is currently working on creating a picture book. What can be conveyed about container shipping through the unique medium of a picture book? Let’s explore the story behind ONE and this picture book project by talking to three key persons involved.

How to Explain Your Job to a Child? The Solution: A Picture Book

―Today, we're talking with picture book author Nadya Kirillova, Masahiro Honda, an art director at “DENTSU”, a major marketing and advertising agency in Japan, and Taku Hirasawa, an editor at Bunkyosha, the publishing company. Could each of you please introduce yourselves?

Nadya: I work as a creative director and copywriter at “DENTSU”, while also working as a picture book author. My first picture book, published in 2018, was based on my own experiences living in various countries and compiled the educational situations in each country. I started creating picture books after encountering the world of picture books during research for a different project while traveling abroad. I’ve published 5 picture books so far, and for this project, I’m in charge of overall direction, plot composition, and the initial character designs.

Honda: I also work at “DENTSU”, the same advertising agency as her, and usually work as a designer on advertisements. I’m also involved in promoting active learning to support children's proactive learning and collaborating with community medical care through design. I knew Nadya through an in-house organization called 'Experiential Education Lab.' However, this time, an illustration I drew, related to the sea, coincidentally caught her eye, which led to my participation as an illustrator.

Hirasawa: I joined the publishing industry after graduating from university and have been working as an editor on various books ever since. I've handled books of various genres, but recently I’ve also been helping with the overseas promotion of books published in Japan. Nadya has published 3 picture books through Bunkyosha, but this is my first time collaborating with her. I'm participating in ONE's picture book project as an editor, but this is the first time I’ve been involved from the planning stage.

―This is actually the first time you’ve all met together since the picture book project started.

Hirasawa: We’ve had individual relationships through previous works, but it can be said that this is a group that came together because of ONE’s project.

―The reason we wanted to create a picture book is because our business is "B to B" business.  We want more people to know about container shipping as an infrastructure that supports daily life and society. However, it's quite difficult to explain what container shipping is in an easy-to-understand way. We feel the need to devise creative ways to communicate it to different audiences, such as children, students, and businesspeople.

Nadya: Many things around us are actually transported by containers. It's probably like air, essential but hard to explain. However, the surprise when you become aware of it is truly significant.

―So, when considering how to communicate more broadly to society, we thought our first target should be the families of ONE employees. We believe many employees have struggled to explain their work to their children at home. But we want children to be our first fans of ONE. When we considered the best channel for that, the idea of a picture book came up.

Main character is a Cacao Bean, Embarking on a World Journey with Friends

―Could you tell us about the current status of the picture book production?

Hirasawa: We're getting into the final stages. We're aiming for completion by the end of the year, and it might be available in bookstores in Japan around February next year.

―The title is "Jean-Pierre Travels the Seven Seas." Here, we can see a glimpse of a cute illustration…

Nadya: Yes, this is Jean-Pierre, a cacao bean from Madagascar (laughs). It’s an adventure story about him having a dream, getting on a container, traveling the world, making friends, and aiming for his destination.

―There are already several picture books with the theme of containers. I imagine you considered various stories and settings. What led to this final direction?

Nadya: In preparation for this picture book, we collected and examined as many container-themed picture books as possible, both domestic and international. There were many wonderful picture books with various directions and approaches, but I noticed that there weren’t many books focused on what container transports. From my perspective, containers are very mysterious characters(laughs). They all have a similar shape, but what they transport are incredibly diverse. Each item comes from somewhere in the world and is delivered to someone, creating a small moment of happiness. By focusing on what is being transported and telling that story, I thought we could charmingly convey the importance of containers and the appeal of the shipping industry that continues to create that happiness.

Hirasawa: Honda san's detailed illustrations are a perfect match for this direction. The story follows Jean-Pierre visiting various ports around the world, and not only the characters but also the backgrounds are detailed and reflect the characteristics of each country. The expressions and clothing of the vessel's crew also have variations, incorporating diversity and change.

―The characters are truly adorable. Jean-Pierre is even wearing shoes.

Honda: When Nadya asked me to work on this project, the character designs were already quite well-defined. Based on these original designs, I considered how to make these characters feel alive and give them a sense of everyday life. As the title suggests, this story depicts the journey of Jean-Pierre and his friends across the seven seas, working together to create something. It’s also a story of growth about meeting like-minded companions and working towards a common goal. I imagined them experiencing surprises and setbacks along the way, and as I did, ideas for their expressions flowed, and they became characters I could truly become attached to.

―Nadya san visited a container terminal last year to get inspiration for this project.

Nadya: That was truly impactful. The large number of containers lined up looked all the same at first glance, but behind the scenes, they were all different, each with a different destination. I had seen containers loaded on vessels and transported by trucks, but I had never seen the junction point. The terminal visit connected everything for me, and I realized that containers are transported by many people. My image of container transport changed from a mere system to something full of humanity. The fact that ports appear frequently in this picture book is due to that impactful experience.

The Power of Picture Books: Nurturing Imagination

―Regarding picture books themselves, what is the current situation surrounding them?

Hirasawa: From a publisher's perspective, picture books are a growing genre, and the lineup is becoming more diverse.

Nadya: There are many excellent picture books in Japan, especially those that teach children a lesson or are purely entertaining, and the illustrations tend to be in soft tones. On the other hand, I learned this when I participated in the Bologna Children's Book Fair, but picture books often deal with social issues overseas. For example, picture books for 5-year-olds address LGBTQ issues or plastic waste problems. They condense complex social themes and have a quality that adults can also appreciate. They offer children a chance to think about themes that don't necessarily have clear answers. When I saw this, I felt that by using this method of communication, we might be able to convey new themes that we haven’t dealt with before.

Hirasawa: Nowadays, there are many ways for children to receive information. Video media is quite popular, and there are concerns that 'picture books will disappear.' However, this is what the manager of a picture book specialty store told me: 'The value of a picture book lies between pages A and B.' When you turn a page of a picture book, the story continues, but a completely different picture appears. But there should actually be countless scenes in between. With video, you can see all of that as a continuous picture. But with picture books, children fill in the gap between pages A and B with their own imagination. That inconvenience is actually important, and as long as picture books have the role of nurturing children’s imagination, the role of picture books will live on.

Honda: While the approach is different from picture books, I'm focusing on promoting community medical care through the power of design. Healthcare can be intimidating and feel distant. However, by incorporating healthcare concepts into design, we aim to create community healthcare that is accessible and widely accepted by the local community. Many children facing various difficulties visit this clinic, and we conduct workshops and activities that incorporate active learning for them. These children might still be considered a minority in society, but there's a growing mindset that 'it's okay to be a minority, let's embrace and value it as a characteristic or individuality.' There are different interpretations of 'minority,' and container shipping, which is not well-known to the public, is similar in a sense. Its role and value are often not understood or recognized. But I believe picture books are a suitable medium for conveying the message that there are people who do see it and understand it.

Hirasawa: In the sense that it can convey a world that is not yet known to many people using a medium with various interpretations and possibilities, container shipping might be a theme that is well-suited for picture books.

Dreaming of the Day Jean-Pierre Comes to Life in Children's Minds

―I read various picture books while raising my children, but I may have been unaware of the power they have. I hope "Jean-Pierre Travels the Seven Seas" will become a gateway to a new world for children.

Hirasawa: Many of the things around us are actually transported from overseas by containers. Once you realize this, a world of imagination opens up, but there's a hurdle to getting there. I hope this book will be the trigger.

Nadya: Containers have a unique charm. They travel from somewhere in the world and play a role we don’t know about. However, unless you actively imagine, that world remains hidden. That's what makes it interesting and appealing. The reason I focused on the “things being transported” in this picture book was because I wanted to bridge that gap.

Honda: I would be happy if people who read this book think of Jean-Pierre and his friends when they pick up something and think, 'You’ve come a long way' (laughs).

Nadya: In reality, there are as many stories as there are containers. Next to Jean-Pierre, there might be Mr. Banana or Ms. Tire, each with their own story, and our world is supported by them. There are millions of stories around the world, and countless people supporting them. I believe that if children realize this through the picture book, Jean-Pierre and his friends will come to life in their minds. I hope this book provides a small opportunity for children to expand their imagination at home or at school.