Michio Mado facts for kids
Michio Mado (まど・みちお, Mado Michio, 16 November 1909 – 28 February 2014) was a famous Japanese poet. He is best known for his wonderful poems for children. In 1994, he won the international Hans Christian Andersen Award, which is like the Nobel Prize for children's books. This award recognized his "lasting contribution to children's literature" around the world.
Michio Mado's Life Story
Michio Mado was born as Michio Ishida in a place called Tokuyama, in Yamaguchi prefecture, Japan. When he was a child, his parents moved to Taiwan for work. So, Michio spent his early years living with his grandfather.
Later, he joined his family in Taiwan. He went to the School of Industrial Instruction in Taipei. After finishing school, he worked for the office of the Governor-General of Taiwan. Michio Mado lived a very long life, passing away on February 28, 2014, when he was 104 years old.
Royal Interest in Mado's Poems
Empress Michiko of Japan was very interested in Michio Mado's poems. She has always loved poetry. In fact, she enjoyed his work so much that she decided to translate some of his poems into English.
In June 2013, two collections of Mado's poetry that the Empress had translated were published. These books were called Rainbow: Niji and Eraser: Keshigomu. She had started translating these poems in the early Heisei era. With these new books, almost all of the poems by Michio Mado that Empress Michiko translated are now available. These are the same poems that helped him win the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1994.
Awards and Recognition
Michio Mado received many important awards for his amazing poetry. These awards showed how much his work was loved and respected.
- Noma Children's Literature Award (1968): He won this award for his collection of poems called Tempura Piripiri.
- Japanese Children's Literature Scholars Association Award (1976): This award was given to him for his book Shokubutsu no uta.
- Iwaya Sazanami Literature Award (1981): Michio Mado also received this special literature award.
- Hans Christian Andersen Award (1994): This is one of the biggest honors a writer or illustrator of children's books can receive. It is given out every two years by the International Board on Books for Young People. Michio Mado won the writing award in 1994, which is a huge achievement in children's literature.
