Picture book of onomatopoeia, supervised by a speech-language pathologist, to encourage children to speak words, is now available

Magazine House Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo, President and CEO: Shuichi Tetsuo) is pleased to announce the release of "Onigiri Pakkun: An Onomatopoeia Encyclopedia Created with Language Experts" on Thursday, July 2nd, available at bookstores nationwide and online.

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100 onomatopoeic words related to food help language grow rapidly

"Gutsugutsu" (simmering), "Torori" (dripping), "Purupuru" (wobbly), "Churuchuru" (slurping).

Around food, there are many fascinating and mysterious sounds and states. A new picture book has been completed where stories unfold with these fun onomatopoeic words.

Welcome to the exciting world of communication!

Written and illustrated by the very popular creator Akio Kashiwabara, who has produced many baby picture books. The cute and gentle touch is combined with clear, bold colors to capture the attention of young children. The text layout is also designed for easy read-aloud.

Supervised by Shiho Ishigami, a speech-language pathologist. She is a language specialist who has worked in speech-language therapy in the pediatrics department of a general hospital and in special support classrooms.

Click here for a video explanation of "Onigiri Pakkun" by speech-language pathologist Ishigami!

Includes 11 stories, each "grouped in threes"

This substantial book, containing 11 stories across 80 pages, is structured around a basic format of three screens: story pages and encyclopedia pages. The first one to two screens unfold like a picture book, designed to deeply engage the child's emotions and spark parent-child conversation. The third screen is an encyclopedia page that clearly introduces related foods.

Story Page

Encyclopedia Page

The encyclopedia page features the names of objects (in this case, egg dishes). Reading them in conjunction with onomatopoeia makes it easier to remember the names of things.

Enhances sensory and cognitive abilities!

As children gradually use onomatopoeia, their conversations expand, and their general vocabulary naturally increases. Furthermore, it fosters sensory perception, thinking skills, and cognitive abilities, leading to broader communication and even more enjoyable conversations.

Start your child's communication journey with easy-to-hear and easy-to-imitate onomatopoeia. This picture book is perfect for gently and joyfully drawing out their first words.

Recommended for:

For your first communication with your child

For bonding time with children aged 0-3

As a baby shower gift, birthday present, or souvenir

Ideal for learning food names

【Author Profile】

Akio Kashiwabara

Loves new things. Loves excitement. A magma of ideas, constantly erupting. Actively involved in a wide range of activities including picture book creation, character development, design work, and product planning. Excels at developing designs from his own illustrations to create a unified worldview. Representative works include the "Raising Smart Kids Petit" series (Shufunotomo Co., Ltd.), the "Let's Play Together" series including "Shima Shima Guruguru" (Gakken), and the "Cassie's Pokemon Picture Book" series (Shogakukan).

〈On the Occasion of the Release〉

As a child, I often used onomatopoeia.

I remember that using onomatopoeia, rather than speaking normally,

allowed me to convey subtle nuances and feelings, and made conversations more lively.

I created this encyclopedia hoping that children who read it will increase their repertoire of exciting words (onomatopoeia) and enjoy talking even more.

Shiho Ishigami

Speech-language pathologist. After gaining experience in communication support for children and adults at early childhood development support facilities and community welfare centers, she currently works in speech-language therapy at the pediatrics department of a metropolitan general hospital and at local clinics. Author and supervisor of numerous picture books and cards planned and supervised according to the mechanisms of speech production, including "Kotoba o Sodateru Ehon Aiue Onomatopoeia" (Kawade Shobo Shinsha). Utilizing her life experience with her son who has Down syndrome, she continues to explore ways to foster language skills in daily life.

〈On the Occasion of the Release〉

Onomatopoeia are cherished words that help understand things, convey feelings and situations, and can also be a trigger for vocalization.

Through this picture book, I hope many fun, easy-to-understand, and imitable words, onomatopoeia, reach children's ears!

【Book Information】

Title: Onigiri Pakkun: An Onomatopoeia Encyclopedia Created with Language Experts

Author: Akio Kashiwabara (Text and Illustrations)

Supervisor: Shiho Ishigami [Speech-Language Pathologist]

Release Date: July 2, 2026

Price: 1,650 yen (tax included)

Specifications: B5 variant, hardcover, 80 pages

ISBN: 978-4-8387-3387-3

URL: https://magazineworld.jp/books/paper/3387/