For fans of
This Was Our Pact and Hayao Miyazaki films comes a breathtaking middle grade fantasy adventure full of wonder and magic.
Osamu hasn't been the same since that day. When the tsunami hit Fukushima prefecture, it killed his parents, destroyed his home, and triggered one of the world's worst nuclear disasters. Now, all Osamu has left is his grandmother, Ba-chan, and his big sister, Akiko. As he withdraws into his own world, he befriends friends yokai—spirits only he can see.
Then, tragedy strikes again, and Ba-chan dies. Osamu and Akiko are determined to return her ashes to their family farm in Tomioka, a town within Fukushima's forbidden zone. There, the siblings will face dangerous radiation and yokai, both friendly and deadly—but they're willing to risk it all to make it home.
Laurent Galandon has written several of graphic novels that shed light on the lives of overlooked populations and individuals, from the exiled children of
L'Envolée sauvage, to the Romani people of
Quand souffle le vent, to the children of agricultural prison colonies in
Innocents coupables, to the Jewish French Resistance fighters in
Vivre à en mourir (published in English as
The Red Poster). When Laurent focuses on these underserved communities, he always approaches his subject matter with great sensitivity.
Having always been passionate about illustrated stories,
Michaël Crouzat has dedicated himself to cartoons for over fifteen years. During that time, he tried his hand at a little of everything, including animation, character design, layout art, and storyboarding. Michaël had the good fortune to work on the production of
Despicable Me,
Ernest & Celestine, and
Funan. A few years ago, he crossed paths with Laurent Galandon, and they embarked upon the creation of the graphic novel
Journey to Tomioka. Originally published in French, it won the 2025 Youth Prize at the Angoulême International Comics Festival.