A mom in Japan has found a way to document her daughter’s dreams.
When baby Nuno sleeps, her mom builds a fun scene around her, using everyday objects such as clothing, hangers and vegetables. Then she lovingly photographs the quirky artwork.
Mami Koise, a cartoonist, says the pictures are what she thinks her baby is dreaming about.
She started doing the artwork to send it to her husband, who often worked late at the bar he owns. She wanted him to see his daughter even when he wasn’t around.
The father, Katsunori Sunami, said the photos remind him of what’s important in life. They make him laugh.
Koise has taken about 200 photos, enough to put together into a book—which is exactly what she did. The book became a best seller on Amazon in Japan.
Baby Nuno is getting older now and not sleeping as long as she used to, so Koise will likely stop doing the scenes, she says.
She hopes that when Nuno grows up, she will be happy with the photos.
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS
By Kathleen Tilly
Writing/Discussion Prompt
What do you dream about? Do you remember your dreams?
Draw a picture of what happened in a dream that you remember. If you are feeling creative, try to recreate your dream in the same style as Mami Koise. First take a photo of yourself or draw a picture of yourself and put it on blank paper. Then draw your dream on the surrounding space. Show the picture to a friend and have them guess what you were dreaming.
Reading Prompt: Extending Understanding
Koise hopes her daughter will like the photographs and the book. Do you think she will appreciate them? Why or why not?
Would you want photos of you like this? Would you like the photos if you were Nuno?
Primary
Extend understanding of texts by connecting the ideas in them to their own knowledge and experience, to other familiar texts, and to the world around them (OME, Reading: 1.6).
Junior
Extend understanding of texts by connecting the ideas in them to their own knowledge, experience, and insights, to other familiar texts, and to the world around them (OME, Reading: 1.6).
Grammar Feature: Adjectives
The article describes the art as quirky and creative. What other adjectives (describing words) would you use to explain these photographs?
