All in a Day was one of my most treasured books in my former school library. It features art by the best children's book illustrators from around the world including Ron Brooks from Australia and Akiko Hayashi from Japan. In this book we follow eight children over the course of one day beginning with Oliver in Chicago where the time is 6pm on 31st December; Aki in Japan where it is midnight; and meanwhile for Ben in Australia it is 11am the next day January 1st. Mitsumasa Anno devised the idea for this book. "This is a book I made with picture book authors from eight different countries." "We have made this book with the wish that by the time you grow up the earth will be a better place for you to live in, a place where everyone can always be happy and friendly." These final words were written in 1986. I'm not sure the wishes expressed by the creators of this splendid book have been fulfilled.
Mitsumasa Anno is a Japanese children’s book author and illustrator who is famous for telling stories in books that contain little to no text. Instead, they rely on visually arresting artwork to portray not only his characters’ stories, but also higher-level math and science concepts, jokes, optical illusions, and the author’s appreciation for travel and discovering foreign cultures. He’s created more than 35 popular children’s books, including Upside Downers, Anno’s Journey, Anno’s Counting House, Anno's Magic Seeds, and more.
Anno’s densely detailed illustrations are most often pen and ink and watercolour, but they sometimes feature woodcuts and collage, too. Because his work can include visual tricks, illusions, jokes, and math references, he is regularly and rightly compared to M.C. Escher. In 1984, he received the Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest lifetime achievement honour in his field, in recognition of his “unique [gift] for communicating to both East and West” and his important, lasting contributions to children's illustration and literature." Skill Share.blog 15 Iconic Children's Book illustrators.
You can read more about Mitsumasa Anno:
Books and Boots - reflections on books and art "Anno’s Journey: The World of Anno"
I think one of the earliest picture books I ever collected for myself was Anno's Mysterious Multiplying Jar. It is a terrific visual way to explain multiplication. Anno's Hat Tricks shows how probability and logic work. Mitsumasa Anno taught maths in Japanese elementary schools prior to becoming an illustrator. Anno's Magic Seeds is another of his books to explore for your maths lessons. Here are some ideas for using other titles by Anno.
If you can find a copy of The King's Flower it would be good to compare this with The King who Banned the dark.
High School art students would enjoy exploring The Unique World of Mitsumasa Anno Selected Illustrations 1968-1977.
If you are exploring Escher with a class try to find this one:
Mitsumasa Anno is one of several Japanese illustrators whose work I adore:
Allen Say Tree of Cranes
Akiko Miyakoshi The Piano Recital
Yutaka Kobayashi The Most Beautiful Village in the world
Satoshi Kitamura Ned and the Joybaloo by Hiawyn Oram; Millie's marvellous Hat.
Kazuo Niizaka Clouds by Peggy Blakeley
Shinsuke Yoshitake It might be an Apple
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