Eiko Kadono facts for kids

Eiko Kadono (角野 栄子, Kadono Eiko), whose real name is Eiko Watanabe (渡辺英子, Watanabe Eiko), was born on January 1, 1935. She is a famous Japanese author. She writes many kinds of books for children, including picture books, non-fiction, and essays.

Eiko Kadono is best known for her book Kiki's Delivery Service. This book came out in 1985. It was later made into a popular animated movie by Hayao Miyazaki. The story of Kiki also continued in many other books. In 2018, Eiko Kadono won the important Hans Christian Andersen Award for her writing. Today, she is a guest professor at the Nihon Fukushi University in Aichi Prefecture.

About Eiko Kadono

Eiko Kadono was born in Tokyo, Japan. When she was a child, World War II was happening. Because of the war, she had to move to northern Japan for safety. After the war, she went to Waseda University. She studied English literature there and earned her degree.

Her Time in Brazil

After finishing college in 1960, when she was 25, Eiko Kadono moved to Brazil. She lived there for two years. Her experiences in Brazil inspired her to write a non-fiction story. It was called Brazil and My Friend Luizinho. This book was about a Brazilian boy who loved to dance samba. Brazil was published in 1970. Eiko Kadono has said that living through World War II made her want to be independent. It also greatly changed how she saw the world.

Her Books and Kiki's Delivery Service

Eiko Kadono has written almost 200 books. Most of these are for children. They include colorful picture books and longer stories for older kids. She also writes collections of essays. Her first successful children's book was Ôdorabô Bula Bula shi, which means The Robber Bla-Bla. It was published in 1981.

In 1985, she released her famous children's novel, Majo no Takkyūbin (魔女の宅急便). This story is about a young witch who is still learning her magic. She starts a delivery service in a lovely seaside town called Koriko. The book won several awards. These include the Noma Prize for Children's Literature and the Shogakukan Children's Publication Culture Award.

The book became very popular. In 1989, it was made into an animated film by Hayao Miyazaki. This movie became one of his most loved films. Later, in 2014, Kiki's Delivery Service was also made into a live-action movie. It was directed by Takashi Shimizu. Eiko Kadono has written eight more books that continue or tell earlier stories about Kiki.

Awards and Recognition

Eiko Kadono won the 2018 Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing. This is a very important award for children's authors. The judges who gave her the award said her books have a special charm and kindness. They also praised her female characters. They said these characters are strong and make their own choices.

See also

In Spanish: Eiko Kadono para niños