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Fumiyo Kono is a critically acclaimed manga artist from Hiroshima, Japan, known for her gentle art style and emotionally powerful storytelling. Born in 1968, she began drawing manga in junior high and made her professional debut in 1995. Her most notable works include Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms and In This Corner of the World, both of which explore the everyday lives of people affected by the Hiroshima atomic bombing. These stories have earned multiple prestigious awards and cemented her reputation for humanistic, historically grounded narratives. In addition to her narrative manga, Kono demonstrated her versatility with Giga Town: The Guide to Manga Iconography, a humorous and educational work that explains common visual tropes in manga using anthropomorphic animals. The book draws inspiration from Japan’s oldest manga, Choju-jinbutsu-giga, blending tradition with modern manga literacy. In 2025, she released a new short story collection and held her largest exhibition to date, showcasing the depth and range of her artistry. Kono’s work continues to resonate for its warmth, humanity, and cultural insight.
""The use of animals is not only a clever nod to the rich visual history of Japan, it makes the subject matter easily digestible for even younger readers who are exploring manga. The book also includes a helpful guide to panel reading and word-balloon order at the end, making it an ultimate introductory tool for new manga readers. Accessible to upper elementary-schoolers and pertinent to any burgeoning manga fan, this has appeal for a wide range of ages. An essential reference text for any visual literacy class, deserving of space next to Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics."" - Booklist (STARRED) ""The use of animals is not only a clever nod to the rich visual history of Japan, it makes the subject matter easily digestible for even younger readers who are exploring manga. The book also includes a helpful guide to panel reading and word-balloon order at the end, making it an ultimate introductory tool for new manga readers. Accessible to upper elementary-schoolers and pertinent to any burgeoning manga fan, this has appeal for a wide range of ages. An essential reference text for any visual literacy class, deserving of space next to Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics."" - Booklist (STARRED) ""A fresh and intriguing manual of tremendous use for English-language manga fans."" - Kirkus ""A fresh and intriguing manual of tremendous use for English-language manga fans."" - Kirkus ""All the gags throughout are charming snippets of slice-of-life that don’t overshadow the book’s main purpose. For aspiring manga creators, or those just intrigued by iconography, these images and the short descriptions make a practical reference guide."" - School Library Journal ""All the gags throughout are charming snippets of slice-of-life that don’t overshadow the book’s main purpose. For aspiring manga creators, or those just intrigued by iconography, these images and the short descriptions make a practical reference guide."" - School Library Journal “a great guide/short comic collection to introduce the genre.” - YA Book Central “a great guide/short comic collection to introduce the genre.” - YA Book Central
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