Our Thursday series features must-read books from each branch of art bookshop NADiff. This week's pick is "Apples and Kendama," a new picture book by artist Suzuki Yasuhiro. It's introduced by NADiff Apartment, the flagship store in Ebisu, Tokyo (1F NADiff a/p/a/r/t, 1-18-4 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo).



■ "Apples and Kendama" by Suzuki Yasuhiro

The long-awaited new picture book, "Apples and Kendama," follows "My Cat," and is a must-read for any fan of the series. This book depicts the world of "Apple Kendama," a masterpiece by Yasuhiro Suzuki, an artist known for his prolific work that reinterprets familiar objects with a fresh perspective. The red Kendama ball looks just like a bright red apple. This picture book explores the fascinating world of metaphor, detaching objects from their original role and meaning and viewing them as something different. The story even touches on Newton's discovery of gravity, making you wonder if the Kendama ball was actually originally an apple. Yasuhiro Suzuki's soft, drawn illustrations are sure to captivate the hearts of adults as well as children. After reading this picture book, you can expand the conversation with your child, asking, "What does this look like?", and together you'll discover new things from familiar objects.

In addition, to commemorate the publication of "Apples and Kendama," NADiff a/p/a/r/t will be exhibiting the new picture book "Apples and Kendama" (Bronze Shinsha), the original product "Apple Kendama" (more trees), and the art book "Komorebi no Notebook" (Fukunaga Shiko) in-store, as well as holding a talk event with Suzuki Yasuhiro. In addition, store staff will be posting their "images" on Twitter and Instagram at all NADiff affiliated stores. If you purchase related products, you can receive a special badge by liking or retweeting the post, so be sure to check out this fair along with the picture book.