Innocence that freely crosses between reality and fantasy

On the first snowy day, a mole on his way home encounters a small, white snowball.
“Hello?” He greets us by gently nuzzling us. That cute sight is so fitting for our protagonist, and we fall for the mole’s charm once again.
The mole tries to talk to the snowball.
Snowball just quietly listens to the mole as he pours out his heart.
Does Snowball like his friend? Mole waits for the bus to go home with his friend.
Mole and Snowball become friends so naturally.
And at that moment, the children reading this book also break down the boundaries between reality and fantasy and naturally find themselves in the world of the moles that have just seen their first snowfall.
A world where anyone can be friends with a snowball.
Mr. Bear, who drives the bus, says this to the mole who says that he is friends with Snowball.
“An eye is just an eye.”
“It will eventually disappear.” Hearing that, the mole touches the snowball in various ways to make it look like a bear.
It's not just a trick, it's the mole's way of letting them know that the snowball is his real friend.
Even Mr. Fox looks at the bear-shaped snowball and says again, “Bear? You mean that big snowball?” But the mole just thinks it’s too big and just reduces its size.

At the heart of this entire narrative lies the mole's belief, from beginning to end, that the snowball is his friend.
And that belief is in line with the imagination of children, who freely move between reality and fantasy.
The words of Mr. Bear and Mr. Fox, which sound like the voices of real adults, rather than causing disappointment, seem to highlight the pure heart of the mole and convey that heart to the reader.
As you turn the pages of the book one by one, you may find yourself completely immersed in the world of moles.


The adult gaze that firmly protects children's world

Before we knew it, it was night.
As I was feeling sad for the mole and his friend still standing in the snow waiting for the bus, a bus came.
Will Mole and his friend miss the bus ride this time? The bus driver, Mr. Deer, sees them and immediately exclaims, "Oh no, you're frozen solid!" He's worried and tells them to hurry up and get on.
In this story, Mr. Deer plays the role of acknowledging the world of moles as it is.
You could see it as an adult existence that protects that world.
Perhaps the mole felt happy and secure with the deer man.
There is another adult who acknowledges the mole like this.
This is the grandmother who welcomes the mole back home with warm embrace.
As always, Grandma listens quietly to the mole's story.
Just like a snowball would do.

The narrative in this picture book is completed by the stable gaze of adults who protect the mole's world.
In fact, children's imaginations become richer when adults participate in their imagination.
This is because it adds to the reassurance that an adult has acknowledged one's world.
Somehow, I feel like cheering on the friendship between the young moles from an adult's perspective, like Mr. Deer.