Chirri & Chirra, Under the Sea

On their sixth adventure, Chirri and Chirra bicycle beneath the waves, discovering the beauty of coral and the deliciousness of marine edibles.

Chirri and Chirra are pedalling along when they find a cave. At the end of the tunnel, they see a light. Oh! They are under the sea! They pedal through a maze of colour and pass through an opening in the seaweed, into a scene of seashells of all colours and shapes. Naturally, they come upon sea treats, such as parfait à la conch and marine soda jelly topped with pearl cream. This is the happy, lovely world of Chirri and Chirra, where they stumble on the most wonderful surprises.

Born in Tokyo, Japan, Kaya Doi graduated with a degree in design from Tokyo Zokei University. She got her start in picture books by attending the Atosaki Juku Workshop, held at a Tokyo bookshop specialising in children’s books. Since then, she has created many picture books featuring her delicate colour-pencil drawings. She lives in Chiba Prefecture and maintains a strong interest in environmental and animal welfare issues. Since the earthquake of 2011, she has been active in recovery and shelter efforts for abandoned pets.

David Boyd is Assistant Professor of Japanese at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. His translations have appeared in Monkey Business International, Granta, and Words Without Borders, among other publications.