TOKYO -- A picture book has been created by a children's book author and a designer who were pained by the story that black dogs are unpopular and difficult to find owners for.

       Through the encounters of the main character, a black dog with friends of various colors, the book conveys the irreplaceability of each color dogs are born with, and its message is "to be loved no matter what color you are."

       Titled "Tomodachi no Iro," or the colors of friends, it was published by Tokyo-based Komine Shoten. Its main character Kuro-chan is visited by a stream of friends including a green frog, a red bird, and a blue lizard who each ask them: "What color do you like, Kuro-chan?" The loveable character then answers each of them.

       Chiki Kikuchi, right, and Hideyuki Saito are seen in Suginami Ward, Tokyo, on Oct. 1, 2021. Saito holds a black toy poodle, the model for Kuro-chan. (Mainichi/Haruka Udagawa)

       The black dog was painted with "bokuju" ink, while the other characters were rendered with vivid watercolors. The pictures convey Kuro-chan's fluffy touch. The dog stares, leaps, or curls up with its head on its legs, and the drawings are filled with dynamism and love.

       It was written and illustrated by Chiki Kikuchi, 46, who has twice won awards at the Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava, a world-renowned picture book original drawing competition, and the book was designed by Hideyuki Saito, 51.

       The model for Kuro-chan is a black toy poodle owned by Saito, who has worked with Kikuchi on a number of picture books. Saito adopted his dog three years ago from a person sheltering dogs whose owners could not be found.

       "When I adopted my dog, I heard that just because they are black, they are not 'Instagrammable' and they are hard to find owners for," said Saito.

       Large black dogs can also easily give the impression of being scary, and the tendency for black dogs to be shunned is known as "Black Dog Syndrome" in the United States. It is said that there is even a day called "National Black Dog Day" where people hope to find a home for black shelter dogs.

       Kikuchi, Saito, and Mikako Kobayashi, an editor at Komine Shoten, discussed the creation of the latest picture book, and they decided on the concept of a book that would "convey the cuteness of black dogs so that they would be loved," and "expand the idea of the color from 'black' and talk about the connection with colors."

       After that, however, Kikuchi couldn't decide on the storyline and spent several months struggling with it. It was during this time that a black dog happened to come into his home. His son, 8, who had wanted a dog, chose a black, medium-sized mixed breed from a shelter.

       Toward the end of the story, Kuro-chan meets another black dog, and they rejoice over each other's colors. The other dog is modeled on one Kikuchi started keeping. "As soon as I placed the dog who came to our house in the story, the narrative made sense and was completed as if I were being guided by it. I feel that the two 'Kuro-chans' wove the story for me," Kikuchi recalled.

       The text is short and can be enjoyed by even young children. Kobayashi said, "I hope that not only adults but also young readers will feel something (from this book) while enjoying the rhythm of repetition." It costs 1,760 yen (about $15) including tax.

       (Japanese original by Haruka Udagawa, Digital News Center)

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