Osaru no mainichi

On a tiny island far to the south, a group of monkeys spend each day the same way. “When the sun rises in the morning, they wake up, go pee, and then eat their breakfast. Then comes grooming, followed by tree-climbing, frog-throwing, and swimming. When night falls, they go to sleep.” Once or twice a year, something different happens: an old sea turtle visits the island and tells the monkeys what he has seen traveling around the world. One day, the monkeys spot the sea turtle on the far horizon. After the initial excitement, they wait for him in a row on the beach. This time, however, when the sea turtle finally makes it to the sand, he is so exhausted that he falls asleep. The monkeys wait, careful not to wake him.

    When the old sea turtle wakes up, he tells the monkeys about being so distracted by an enormous ship that he hit his head on its hull. The monkeys gasp, imagining how big the ship must have been.

    With the daily lives we used to take for granted being taken from us all over the world, these island monkeys appear all the more precious for the way they value the everyday routines of their easygoing lives. Also appealing are their readiness to “wait” instead of hurrying people to act, and their wild imaginings when the sea turtle speaks. This picture book is filled with fun illustrations, and is a reminder of things we have forgotten today in our constant pursuit of novelty, profit, and change. (SY)