The Girl Drawing on the Windowpane

This illustration is from Staying Home on a Rainy Day, the first picture book for which Chihiro created not only the artwork but also the text. In the text that accompanies this illustration, the girl murmurs, “I have written my wish on the window glass.” The various delicate emotions experienced by the little girl, who finds herself alone at home for the first time, is portrayed in the rainy scenery, effectively rendered through the blurring characteristics of the watercolors. Doing away with descriptive visual elements, it is a book that conveys a strong sense of feeling.