As a result, it was released in those two countries in 1970. However, as Anno recalled in a 2004 interview with Japanese Children's Books: 'Since it made the publisher's listings, it happened to catch the eye of editors in the U.S. The book achieved mild recognition in Japan. His efforts resulted in Fushigi na E (1968 Topsy-Turvies: Pictures to Stretch the Imagination), a playful, Escher-inspired collection of little men framed in unlikely and mind-bending positions. Upon his retirement from teaching, he was encouraged by editor Tadashi Matsui at Fukuinkan Shoten publishers to try his hand at children's literature. After moving to Tokyo, he became known as an animated teacher, full of humorous anecdotes and spirit, popular with his students at the primary schools where he taught from 1947 to 1961. Anno survived the war relatively unscathed and returned to school where he completed his teaching degree in 1948.

World War II interrupted his plans, however, and he was drafted into the Japanese military. A talented student in the arts at a young age, Anno nonetheless decided to become a teacher and attended the Yamaguchi Teacher Training College. BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATIONĪnno, the son of Yojiro and Shikano Anno, was born on March 20, 1926, in the western mountains of Japan in the isolated community of Tsuwano in Shimane Prefecture. He has received numerous awards, including the Kate Greenaway Award and the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Medal for illustration, the latter awarded every two years for the most outstanding accomplishment in international illustration. Addressing readers of various levels of sophistication, Anno's books appeal to both children and adults, and his universal approach has made him popular around the world. Many of Anno's books contain hidden jokes and pranks which are intended to amuse and lead readers into imaginative thinking about numbers, counting, the alphabet, or more complex concepts involving time and space. Escher, abound with visual trickery and illusions, and also display the artist's playful sense of humor. His drawings, which have been compared to those of Dutch graphic artist M.

Using pen-and-ink and watercolor, as well as collage and woodcuts, Anno is known for creating highly detailed illustrations that display his love of mathematics and science, as well as his interest and appreciation for foreign cultures. INTRODUCTIONĪnno has been praised as one of the most original and accomplished picture book authors and illustrators in the field of children's literature.

For further information on his life and career, see CLR, Volumes 2 and 14.

The following entry presents an overview of Anno's career through 2006. Japanese author and illustrator of picture books.

Anno's Counting House by Mitsumasa Anno