MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO

   I believe I have seen most of Hayao Miyazaki's animated movies. He is a Japanese film director, producer and co-founder of Studio Ghibli, a film and animation studio. He directed multiple films with Ghibli, including Castle in the Sky in 1986, My Neighbor Totoro in 1988, Kiki's Delivery Service in 1989, and Porco Rosso in 1992. The films were met with commercial and critical success in Japan. Miyazaki's film Princess Mononoke was the first animated film that won the Japan Academy Prize for Picture of the Year. His 2001 film Spirited Away became the highest-grossing film in Japanese history and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Miyazaki's later films, Howl's Moving Castle, Ponyo, and The Wind Rises, also enjoyed critical and commercial success. 

   There is something special and magical about Miyazaki's films which made me watch some of them even several times. The main characters are usually children or teenagers who through amazing adventures shape their personalities. Haru from The Cat Returns who's uncertainty almost led her to a marriage with a cat, learns how to be assertive. Sophie from Howl's moving castle, who was transformed into an old lady by the Witch of the Waste, founds strength in herself to break the spell and change her life. Chihiro from Spirited Away through hard work in the bathhouse for spirits saves her parents who had been transformed into pigs by the witch Yubaba. 

   One of my favourite films by Miyazaki is My Neighbor Totoro. The film is about two little girls, Satsuki and her younger sister Mei, who move with their father into an old house in the countryside to be closer to the hospital where the girls' mother is recovering from a long-term illness. Satsuki and Mei find that the house is inhabited by tiny creatures called susuwatari - small, dark, dust-like house spirits seen when moving from light to dark places. When the girls become comfortable in their new house, the soot spirits leave it to look for a more quiet place.

   One day, Mei sees a white, rabbit-like creature in the grass and follows it under the house. There she discovers another small spirit. They lead her into the hollow of a large camphor tree. She meets and befriends a larger version of the same kind of spirit, which identifies itself by a series of roars that she interprets as "Totoro".

   Satsuki and Mai meet Totoro and the two little spirits a few more times. Totoro helps to grow seeds that he gave them in return for an umbrella that Satsuki gave him during the rain. Another day the girls find out that a planned visit by their mother has to be postponed because of a setback in her treatment. Satsuki, disappointed and worried, tells Mei the bad news, which Mei does not take well. The little girl decides to walk to the hospital but loses her way. Satsuki returns in desperation to the camphor tree and pleads for Totoro's help. Delighted to be of assistance, he summons the Catbus, which carries her directly to Mei.

Kiki's Delivery Service

Spirited Away

My Neighbor Totoro

My Neighbor Totoro

My Neighbor Totoro

THE GRANDMA IN THE APPLE TREE

   I do not remember much about my grandparents because they passed away when I was a little girl. I have some photos of them but they seem to be strange people to me as I did not have much contact with them, but I do remember my best friend from elementary school's grandmother. She lived with her family. When you think about an old lady with a wrinkled face looking at you with goodness and wisdom in her eyes - that's the picture I have about that woman. She was always very kind to me. I remember her walking with us from school and telling us different stories from her life. And probably that's kind of a grandmother Andi from "The grandma in the apple tree" is missing in his life.
   The book was written by Mira Lobe, the Austrian writer of more than 100 children's books. "Die Omama im Apfelbaum" was released in 1965 and the Polish first translation was published three years later.
   The main character, Andi, is a little boy who despite having a loving family, including two older siblings, feels lonely and miserable as he has no grandma. In fact he had never met any of his grandmothers. His heart is bleeding each time he hears stories from his schoolmates, who even have two grandmothers, how they went with their grandmas to the funfair or what amazing presents they received.

   One day Andi, inspired by his mother, who showed him a funny photo of his grandmother, decides to change his lonely days and brings his grandma to life in his imagination. His grandma is not a usual old lady. She likes to sit on a branch of a large apple tree growing near Andi's house. She drives a blue car with fancy features like serving sandwiches or cold lemonade. Andi's grandmother loves adventures. They go to the funfair, catch wild horses or sail in a ship trying to avoid pirates.

   One sunny morning the extraordinary adventures of Andi and his grandma had been spoiled by an old lady who was moving in next door. She asked Andi to help her bring her luggage to the upper apartment. From that moment Andi becomes a regular guest in the old lady's house. He helps her with housework and shopping. He spends so much time with his new neighbor that he starts to forget about his fictional grandma...

"The grandma in the apple tree" by Mira Lobe

"The grandma in the apple tree" by Mira Lobe

FEATHER CONTEST

   I have heard about the "Piórko" (Feather) contest for the first time when the second edition had just been finished. The literature contest organized by Biedronka discount supermarket consists of two phases. In the first phase the best story is chosen from all applications. In the second part the jury selects illustrations that most fit the story. Winners of both phases receive a prize of 100 000 pln. It is not surprising then that several thousand participants take part in each phase.
   The first book, from the "Piórko" contest, I read was "Córka bajarza" (Eng. The daughter of the storyteller) written by Monika Radzikowska and illustrated by Monika Biała. The story is about Weronka, a little girl, who was tricked by a witch. The old woman agreed to give Weronka a cure for her sick father in exchange for the most valuable treasure they have. Weronka accepted the price but she didn't know that the witch will take the possibility of telling stories from her father. The desperate girl went into the world in search of the King of storytellers to ask him for a help. She had many adventures on her way and at the end discovered that the answer to her troubles was closer than she thought.

   The second book I read was "Szary domek" (Eng. Gray house) written by Katarzyna Szestak and illustrated by Natalia Jabłońska. This book was no longer available in Biedronka at the time I wanted to buy it. It took me some time to find it on the Internet and the price was twice as expensive as the original one. But the book turned out to be fully worth the effort and money I spent to get it. I fell in love with the little grey house from the first sentence in the book. 

   One day a little grey house just appeared on the Windy street in Tea city. It just grew up like a mushroom after the rain. He became a friend of the Wind, who lived in the Windy street. Wind taught Grey house sounds, smells, words and stories from the whole world. One day Grey house realized that his life is empty as he does not have his own occupant. Wind offered his help and invited a few candidates: Night, Grey wolf and Witch but none of them fit Grey House. Eventually Grey house found his unusual occupant in the most unexpected place.
   "Nieustraszony strach na wróble" (Eng. Fearless scarecrow) written by Grzegorz Majchrowski and illustrated by Maria Giemza is the winner of the third edition of the contest. I was waiting impatiently for the book to be available in Biedronka. Then came the long awaited day. I went to Biedronka, maybe not early in the morning, but just after I finished work. And there it was, on the shelf, but... instead of joy I felt disappointment. I know that I should not judge a book by its cover but in this case it was almost impossible to resist. The scarecrow that is looking at you (or maybe in some other direction - it's really hard to say) doesn't encourage you to buy this book. And when you read about the polish village in the middle of summer, golden grain fields and little creatures that live among weeds you do not expect a few faded lines illustrating such a lively image. 
   The story is about a scarecrow made by a father and his son to guard a field against birds. The scarecrow did an excellent job but after the harvest he was put aside. He felt lonely so he became friends with a sparrow and invited him to live in a hole in his hat. One day a swallow fell from the sky and broke its wing. The scarecrow offered his help and carried the little bird to its nest. During the journey the scarecrow began to dream that one day he would build a house where different birds could find shelter. And his dream came true but not the way he expected.

The winners of "Piórko" contest

"Szary domek" by Katarzyna Szestak

"Szary domek" by Katarzyna Szestak

"Córka bajarza" by Monika Radzikowska

"Córka bajarza" by Monika Radzikowska

"Nieustraszony strach na wróble" by Grzegorz Majchrowski