加古里子さん

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先日加古里子さんが亡くなったとニュースで見ました．加古さんの絵本は，自分が小さい時に読んでたかもしれませんが，残念ながら記憶にはありませんでした．意識して読むようになったのは，子どもが生まれてからです．そういう意味ではファン歴１年余りの新参者と言えます．

子どもに絵本を読みながら，独特の絵柄に魅かれたのが最初でした．『カラスのパンやさん』の「かわったかたちの　たのしい　おいしいパンを　つくりました」というページです．見開きのページに様々な形のパンが所狭しと描かれていて，確かに楽しいページです．私は子どもではなくオッサンなのですが，数十回読んだ今でも，毎回このページに近づくとワクワクします．この見開きページはすごい情報量なので，毎回新しい発見もあります．

ところで，はじめて絵柄を見たとき，この作者は細部に対するこだわりを持っていて，理系の研究者みたいなタイプだなあ，と思ったのも覚えています．作者の加古さんの経歴を知らなかったのですが，後日検索してみると，工学部を卒業し，企業のエンジニアを務めながら絵本作家をしていたということでした．自分の慧眼を自慢したくなったけど，そんな話をする機会もなかったので，ここで改めて自慢したいと思います．加古さんの描く絵柄というか，絵の構成は，理工系の人には特に響くものがあるのかもしれません．

ところで子どもに絵本を読んでいると，同じ本を何度も読むため，毎回新しいところに目が行くようになります．いつも同じだと飽きてしまうので，私は作者の名前，出版社名，後書きを読んだりします．いつか「からすのパンやさん」の後書きを読んだとき，「私はモイセーエフ舞踊団の組曲パルチザンの人物描写に学び，それを一羽一羽のカラスを描くことで表現することを試みた」という記述がありました．私は舞踊に精通しているわけでもなく，それが意味するところの具体的な内容はわかりません．他方で，私は自分の考えた物事を表現したいという欲があるのですが、インスピレーションを得る対象の広さと，それを表現する方法の広さを持ち合わせていたいと思っています．その意味で，舞台芸術からインスピレーションを得て，絵本で再現したという話には，自分が遠く及ばないスケールの大きさを感じました．加古さんの他の絵本も読んでみたいと思いました．

またあるとき，ベビーシッターをお願いしている方が「私はこの本が好きだ」と『だるまちゃんとてんぐちゃん』を持ってきました．私は日本に住んでいなくて，ベビーシッターは日本語が読めません．どうして好きなのか聞くと，絵を見ているだけでストーリーがわかるから，ということでした．たしかに，私が読んでいるときには全く気付かなかったのですが，「だるまちゃんがてんぐちゃんの持っている色んなものを欲しがり，お父さんが色々なものを持ってきてくれるんだけど，欲しいものは見つからない．でも他のところでそれが見つける」という複雑なストーリーが絵を追うだけで理解できるようになっていました．これはすごいことなんじゃないかと思いました．もちろん，子どもの視点で見てみたら，良い絵本というものは，絵柄を追って内容が理解できる作りなのだと思います．しかしストーリーが複雑になればなるほど，それは不可能に近づくのだと思います．余談ながら，お父さんだるまが「鼻」と「花」を間違えてしまうところは，さすがに日本語がわからないと伝わらないようでした．そこでだるまちゃんが「ちがうよ　ちがうよ　まるでちがうよ」と取り乱すところが，この絵本で私が最も好きなページです．副詞「まるで」の使い方に小気味良さがあるのと，欲しいものが手に入らなくて騒ぐ子どもを愛嬌たっぷりに描いた，微笑ましいシーンだと思います．

故人のご冥福をお祈り申し上げます．日本国外に住んでいても，日本語が読めなくても，加古さんの作品を好きな人がいて，楽しく絵本を読ませてもらっていることを伝えたいと思いました．まとまりがないのですが，感じたことを書きました．

77 thoughts on “加古里子さん”

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