What’s the book about?
The story takes place in Antarctica.
All covered in ice, it’s the coldest place on Earth.
Meet little Penguin.
He’s feeble, and his head is in the clouds, so everyone keeps teasing him all the time.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have been born at all,” he thinks to himself.
But then…
“Don’t say that, little fellow.”
The Moon’s gentle voice and shining light comfort Penguin, who was crying by himself.
What does little Penguin discover through his encounter with the Moon?
Find a copy
Message from the Author
This book began from the color “yellow.” Some years ago, I took part in a group exhibition. We decided that each one of us will pick a color and make a story based on that theme. I chose yellow.
Then one day, out of nowhere, an image of a penguin, glowing in the yellow light of the moon and flying through the sky, came to me. Somehow, the penguin became my double ― just as I was taking a step towards my dream of becoming a picture book author, the penguin was also born and came alive in the world of this story.
They say “life is a journey.” Maybe it’s the same with picture books, too. From the moment you open the book to the moment you close it, it takes you on a journey. I hope that through reading this book, every one of you will be carried away into a journey of your own.
Eika Sugiura
Born in Tokyo in 1986, Eika learned about picture books in the Faculty of Human Sciences and Design, Department of Child Studies at Japan Women’s University.In 2015, she began creating her own picture books. She participated in the “Yū Yū Picture Book Workshop” led by the author Yūichi Kimura. In 2016, she was selected for the “Everyday Wonders” (Anata no tonari ni aru fushigi) series, hosted by the Japan Children’s Literature Society.In 2019, she published her first picture book, Gift for One-Time Use (Ichidokiri no okurimono).Her first solo exhibition was held in 2020. She adores rabbits, and she loves penguins, too.
Read-aloud in English
Gift for One-Time Use (Ichidokiri no okurimono) comes with an English translation alongside the Japanese text.
Please enjoy the differences in sound between the Japanese and English readings.
English reading by Aya Tagawa Twitter
Merchandise
Are you a penguin lover? You can find all kinds of merch for this picture book on BASE and Etsy.
Come on in and check them out! (If you live outside Japan, please visit my Etsy shop.)
There are also original artworks, postcards, accessories, and many more in the shop.
Hope you’ll find something you love!
Gift for One-Time Use (Ichidokiri no okurimono)
Original Artworks Exhibition
Photos from the exhibition, held from February 23rd to 29th, 2020.
