In a dusty library, in the quietest corner of a house in a Tokyo suburb, live the Little People: Fern and Balbo, Robin and Iris. Just a few inches high, sleeping in cigarette boxes and crafting shoes from old book jackets, they need only one thing from their Humans - a nightly glass of milk, served in a sparkling Blue Glass goblet, by a trusted young member of the Human family.But when the Second World War comes to Japan, bringing a dangerous new kind of patriotism, both Humans and their beloved Little People face a world they could never before have imagined. It will take great love, bravery, and a rather loyal pigeon, to bring their unique families back together once more...



Born in Tokyo in 1924, Tomiko Inui joined a publishing house in 1950, where she began working as an editor, as well as writing books for children. She published many books over her long career, winning prizes along the way including the Mainishi Publishing Culture Award and the Akaitori Award for Children's Literature. She was also runner-up in 1964 for the Hans Christian Andersen prize. The Secret of the Blue Glass is the first of her books to be translated into English. She died in 2002.



I love this book. Pushkin Children's Books are to be congratulated in making it available to an English audience. How important it is, in these times, that our children read the stories from other peoples, other cultures, other times.... While the story has elements of the work of Oscar Wilde and Hans Christian Andersen, the author admits to having been inspired by Kenneth Grahame and Antoine de Saint-Exupéry



Has a sensibility and a poetry of its own



A tender and beautifully written story full of adventure, hardship and cultural revelations



Enchanting and charming, and written with a lovely lightness of touch



A glorious fantasy story... utterly captivating



Hurrah once again for Pushkin's wonderful mission to bring fresh translations of foreign classics to a generation of english speaking readers. First published in Japan in 1959, think The Borrowers, under the shadow of WW2



A terrific story of courage, loyalty and love



The English translation of Tomiko Inui's 1967 classic has been a long but worthwhile wait, the author's tribute to love and courage in the face of a menacing new form of patriotism, reminding us that children's literature can both address adult concerns and provide alternatives to our failings



An extraordinary book and Pushkin Children's Books are to be congratulated... the story has elements of the work of Oscar Wilde and Hans Christian Andersen



A fascinating and absorbing read that opens up a window into another world... A terrific story of love and courage in the face of change and adversity as well as a gripping fantasy read



A unique and valuable read



This book fits firmly alongside children's classics, such as The Wind in the Willows and The Little Prince on its first two pages. It has a similar narrative tone, with whimsy, but also addresses the hard topics of war, privation and patriotism