Japanese Children's Book Author Nakagawa Dies at 89

Tokyo, Oct. 17 (Jiji Press)--Rieko Nakagawa, Japanese author of children's books, notably the "Guri and Gura" picture book series, died of old age at a Tokyo hospital Monday. She was 89.

A native of Sapporo, Hokkaido, northern Japan, Nakagawa started her career as a children's literature writer while working at a nursery school.

Her first work, released in 1962, is "Iyaiyaen," a story about a nursery school boy, which won her the health, labor and welfare minister's award and the Sankei Children's Book Award.

The "Guri and Gura" series, featuring twin field mice that love cooking and eating, has become a massive hit, selling over 20 million copies in Japan alone.

Other than various children's picture books, Nakagawa's "Kujiragumo," a story based on her experiences during World War II, was first featured in a Japanese textbook in 1971.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]