Thumbelina, Born in a Flower

This illustration depicts a scene from the picture book Thumbelina, based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andresen. Beginning in 1953, Chihiro created illustrations for Thumbelina on at least seven occasions, including a collection of children’s stories, picture books and a calendar. About Andersen’s fairy tales Chihiro once wrote, “How many times have I drawn various queens and witches, creating their image, and gradually developing them? No matter how many times I draw them, I still enjoy creating new ideas for his stories.”