Miroslav Sasek (ミロスラフ・サセック)

{images from This is M. Sasek, the most comprehensive website on Miroslav Sasek.}

Recently I have been collecting books for my 9-month-old niece. I have a particular fondness for children's books, especially the works by Miroslav Sasek (ミロスラフ・サセック).

A Czech author and illustrator, Miroslav is most well known for his This Is… series: a collection of city guides for children. Each book takes the reader on an amusing tour throughout the city, and highlights both the landmarks and uniqueness of each location. It's fascinating to see each city from a 1960s perspective. It's the illustrations that get to me most of the time. They tend to be executed beautifully with very little words involved. They speak to you visually and keep you animated until you're left wanting more....

In the past few years, more than half of the This Is... series has been reissued. There are 18 books in the This Is... series, four of these books were adapted into movies. What a shame that there isn't This is Japan, This is Tokyo, nor This is Kyoto. It would be interesting to see my country from his eyes at 1960s perspective. If you get a chance to check out these beautiful illustrated books, please do!

ミロスラフ・サセック

絵本作家。1916年、チェコスロヴァキア、プラハ生まれ。若き日にプラハで建築を、パリで芸術を学ぶ。その後、一時期は出版社に勤務。のちに、ドイツのミュンヘンに移住する。「ジス・イズ」シリーズを描きはじめる前の1951年から57年の間、サセックはラジオ・フリー・ヨーロッパに勤務。そして世界の都市を旅しながら描いた「ジス・イズ」シリーズで、世界中の子どものみならず大人からも人気を集める。1980年ミュンヘンにて享年63歳。