For little ones who get flustered when things go wrong.
For grown-ups who keep saying "Hurry up!"
Bugs made of screws and tools set off to fix the troubles of their forest. Short, simple sentences make these books easy to read aloud with children ages 3 to 7.
"Don't rush. Stop and look closely."
The wind has vanished from the forest of gears. The windmills stand still, and not a single leaf moves. So Nejihachi sets off for the Valley of the Wind. On the way, he meets Denko, a calm stag beetle made of wires, whose eyes light up dark paths.
In the middle of the valley, a giant fan is pulling in all the wind. Pushing with all his might only makes things worse. What will Nejihachi do? Every time he turns a screw, it goes "Twist, twist, click!"
Three pages from the first half of the story.
Each book ends with a mini guide and coloring pages.
"Twist, twist, click!" appears three or four times in each book. When you read aloud, try saying it together with your child.
Each book is a complete story. Three more stories are on the way.
One summer morning, the fountain in the middle of the forest runs dry. Nejihachi, Dorio, and Denko set off for the old pump on the mountain, and speedy Banetta jumps in to help.
Coming soonEach one is a mix of a tool and a bug.
The hero · screw × honeybee
He loves to help, one small step at a time. But when he gets in a hurry, he uses too much force.
wire × stag beetle
His eyes are lights. He stays calm and stops Nejihachi from rushing.
drill × rhinoceros beetle
Very strong. Not so good at stopping.
spring × grasshopper
Speedy, and always wants to be first.
compass × butterfly
A brave girl who leads the flock.
clock × snail
The oldest in the forest. Very, very slow.
Nejihachi fails when he uses force, and succeeds when he turns the screw slowly. When your child gets flustered, try saying "Twist, twist, click!" out loud together.
After the mini guide, some children want to find real screws. Small parts can be swallowed by accident, so please stay close and keep them out of reach afterward.
In our busy days, with both parents working, I kept hurrying my child along.
"I wish I had taken things more slowly with my child."
Now, in the age of generative AI, everything keeps getting faster.
That is exactly why I believe slow time matters.
This picture book grew out of those feelings.
Story and characters by EMKO. Illustrations by EMKO, created with AI image generation.
Follow Nejihachi on X and Instagram.
Nejihachi goods are sold at SUZURI, a shop in Japan (Japanese only).