わたしのわごむはわたさない

by ヨシタケ シンスケ, Shinsuke Yoshitake

ゴミ箱の横にわごむが落ちていた。お母さんに「ちょうだい」って聞いたら「いいよ」だって。やった!このわごむは、わたしのだ!!
わたしはずっとほしかったの。お兄ちゃんのおさがりでもない、みんなで仲良く使うものでもない、ちょっとだけかしてもらうものでもない、わたしだけのものが。
今日はわごむといっしょにお風呂に入るし、夜はもちろんいっしょに寝るわ。そして、大人になったら、このわごむでおしゃれを楽しむつもり。この先わたしがもらうたくさんのラブレターも、このわごむで束ねるの。世界中の悪い人をこのわごむで捕まえてもいいわ。それに、宇宙人がきたらこのわごむでやっつけて地球を救うわ。
この本を読んだら、きっとあなたもわごむがほしくなる!?ヨシタケシンスケのユーモア絵本。

Genres: Picture Books, Humor, Childrens, Japanese Literature, Storytime, Fiction, Juvenile

48 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2019

About the author

Associated Names:
* ヨシタケ シンスケ (Japanese)
* Shinsuke Yoshitake (English)
* 吉竹伸介 (Chinese)
* 요시타케 신스케 (Korean)
* ชินสุเกะ โยชิทาเกะ (Thai)


1973年、神奈川県生まれ。
筑波大学大学院芸術研究科総合造形コース修了。

日常のさりげないひとコマを独特の角度で切り取ったスケッチ集や、児童書の挿絵、装画、イラストエッセイなど、多岐にわたり作品を発表している。
『りんごかもしれない』（ブロンズ新社）で、第6回MOE絵本屋さん大賞第1位、第61回産経児童出版文化賞美術賞などを受賞。

著書に、『しかもフタが無い』（PARCO出版）、『結局できずじまい』『せまいぞドキドキ』（以上、講談社）、『そのうちプラン』（遊タイム出版）、『ぼくのニセモノをつくるには』（ブロンズ新社）などがある。2児の父。

Reviews

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Right inside the mind of a child: relatable, hilarious, pure genius.

[oliviasbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lucky, lucky last minute find at Narita Airport!

The picture book, which is itself now one of my most prized possessions, explains that humans love to hunt down things to own and cherrish and how it is not always obvious to others why a particular object is so dear to someone else.

The heroine "persuades" her mother to let her have a used rubber band from the waste bin and creatively imagines all the wonderful and outrageous things she will be able to do (ranging from laying the band on her cushion in place of a plushie to herding the world's criminals into a huge circle in order to hand them over to the authorities).

She revels about the fact that the rubber band differs from all the handed down and shared stuff in her family: It has been chosen by herself, it's all her hers and it wil be treated with care and reverence because of that.

You can imagine what happens to a rubber band that - even if most of the action is taking place inside a small head - is permanently in use as slingshot/swing cord/twine/lasso/wedding ring...

But then, as an afterthought, the most important idea of the wonderful, wonderful story creeps in: Even the most cherrished objects are replacable by other glorious stuff - if they are yours, and yours alone.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is super cute! We all have trinkets and treasures that we love for some reason (even if it is a rubber band). She has a great imagination about what she can do with her rubber band and showed great resilience when it snapped. She quickly found another item (a paperclip) to be imaginative with.

[Paulette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so, so precious and adorable!!!! It follows a child's logic and thoughts (which are very much insightful) over a seemingly every day object. The act of owning something that is just for you is important to a child, and with it, the act of expanding your imagination. I love this author!!

[Eric Rosswood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This hilarious book dives deep into the imagination of children and how we can find wonder and magic in everyday, ordinary things.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yoshitake perfectly captures a kid's delight in owning a particular thing just because it's MINE.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ending was expected but heartbreaking still

[Farnoud Lavasani]

“it seems like everyone wants to keep their treasures for themselves.
That’s why everyone always seems to be looking for something.”

[Ken Yuen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another hilarious book by Yoshitake. The power of a child's imagination can't be beat

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. I read it out loud to my coworker. :)

[Chris Hays · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting take on ownership of an object. It gets into the heart of a being a kid. Luka liked it and was pretty worried at the end.

[mushtabara · Rating 5 out of 5]

(5,0⭐️) “It seems like everyone wants to keep their treasures for themselves. That’s why everyone always seems to be looking for something.”

I read this book in English, but the review is in Bahasa Indonesia, so that my fellow Indonesians know how I truly feel about this book 🥺

Apakah kalian mencari buku yang bisa ngingetin memori tentang masa kecil kalian? Butuh buat anak atau kado? Atau kamu orangnya suka children books? Mau coba bacaan ringan yang thoughtful? Nah, ayo coba baca buku ini karena ini paket komplit!

Buku ini menyajikan ilustrasi yang simple dan akan mudah sekali untuk dicerna anak-anak. Bagi orang dewasa sepertiku, buku ini merupakan nostalgia terkait children’s attachment-ku sewaktu kecil. Aku dulu suka mengoleksi pita bungkus makanan, aneka macam daun, dan benda-benda kecil lainnya yang seems to be neglected by grown ups. Di dalam buku ini pula, the main character kayak seneng banget nemu barang kecil yang bisa nemenin dia main, tidur, mandi, dsb.

Melalui nostalgia ini, buku ini membuatku berkaca-kaca and I really miss—aku sangat kangen masa-masa dimana aku selalu merasa cukup dan pikiranku selalu bebas berimajinasi tentang seisi dunia dan mencoba segala hal tanpa takut gagal.

Dibuat dalam kurang lebih 20an halaman, Shinsuke Yoshitake, sang penulis, mampu membuat hatiku terasa hangat, memori semasa aku kecil berasa seperti gold memories yang sempat terkubur dalam-dalam. Sekali lagi, ilustrasinya cukup kocak, meme-able, dan gemas lucuuu.

Aku sangat berterima kasih kepada Yoshitake-san ⭐️ Looking forward to read the other titles ✨

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young girl finds a special thing to call her own, a rubber band. It belongs to only her. It is not a hand-me-down, and she does not have to share it. She imagines herself doing wonderful things with her rubber band now and in the future like bathing and sleeping with it, wearing it as a fashion statement, bundling future love letters with it, using it to save the world from aliens, and, maybe, tying it to her future soul mate’s rubber band. She declares that she will never give her treasure up, but as she dreams of possibilities, she tugs and flexes the rubber band until . . . snap! . . . it breaks. She quickly locates a new special thing. “Mommy! May I have this paper clip?” Shinsuke Yoshitake’s humorous cartoonlike art, rendered in pen and colored digitally, captures the magic of adopting ordinary objects to use in imaginative ways and will leave readers thinking about their own special treasures. Shinsuke Yoshitake lives in Japan. (PreK-Gr 2)

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An ode to the joys of a simple found toy treasure. You don't have to share it, or borrow it or hand it down. You can do whatever your imagination leads you to. In this case, the rubber band could be a fashion accessory, or catch all the bad people in the world, or exercise with it, etc. Everyone, even grownups, have their special thing. I was very impressed with the increasingly imaginative leaps of possibilities from a simple rubber band. But then it breaks. Is it the end of the world? Simple pictures with black outlines and no background, this is a more complicated version of Portis' "Not a Box" or "Not a Stick"

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yoshitake always captures a child's mind so well, and this book is no exception. A child finds a rubber band, and it becomes their thing that wasn't a hand-me-down, something to share, or something to borrow. It's theirs! The child takes it everywhere and imagines all the things they can do with the rubber band. It could be a fashion accessory or a tool to save the world. We all want something that is our own, even as children and that thing is an office supply. It would be a good book for a preschool storytime or a program about using your imagination.

[Sadie-Jane Huff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 038 of 350 ~ 2025

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

To finally own something, first hand and not a hand me down, rightfully 100% yours - is such a strong emotion.

Loved this as well as all the others :)

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[Erika Andrade Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A girl sees a rubber band by the trash can & immediately claims it as her treasure: “…everyone always seems to be looking for something,” she muses, “But I’ve found my thing.” An old rubber band can trap ALL the bad guys in the world & also hold ALL the presents she buys. She will know when she meets her soul mate because he will too carry a rubber band around his neck.

Yoshitake transcends from the simple nature of kids making treasure out of trash (peek her brother’s “treasure” collection) to remind us that we place value into things. So what things are we placing value upon?

[Christie Kaaland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every child wants a found object that is just their own. The young girl thinks of so many ways she can use her new rubber band. What a fine imagination she has. And as long as she has her rubber band, she'll be okay. Of course, the inevitable happens: it breaks. But not to worry, this optimist will find another treasure. The art by Japanese illustrator Yoshitake is bold outlined in black simple cartoonish style that fits the girl's mood perfectly.

[Arisu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book connected with my childhood and wanting things that simply belongs to me and not to be shared with my siblings - it brings a profound sense of connection, and explores how an everyday object can become a catalyst for imagination and play!

It's both adorable and hilarious, the art is simple but amazingly descriptive, and the imagination in the character is WILD.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun story with which I think all kids (and grown-up thrift shop shoppers) can identify. Whether it is a stone, a bug, a seashell, or a rubber band, the ownership is key, and the imagination soars.

It is a delightful happy book about a determined little girl. The illustrations were wonderfully attuned to the story.

[The Library Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Akin to Not a Box and Not a Stick, with a perfect ending.

[Noelle Plotke · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun book about an everyday treasure. The creative use of the rubber band stirs the imagination and the fun twist at the end of the book brings the reality of fleeting treasures right back around.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 4 out of 5]

This picture book appealed to me immediately because of the title and cover, and it is very cute. The child imagines all of the things they can do with their rubber band, and the first-person voice offers a funny, convincing kid's-eye view.

[LS Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yoshitake is quickly becoming a favorite picture book author/illustrator. He seems to remember exactly what it is like to be bored, to find a rubber band, to be curious as a child and it comes through with such honesty in the words and art.

[Lauri Meyers · Rating 3 out of 5]

A child finds a rubber band. She feels to special to have her own thing. She imagines a life with this rubberband and all the things she can do from defeating aliens to shooting anywhere in one jump.

[Stephani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good for children who collect odds and ends. An odd little tale that children will relate to about finally having something that is theirs alone. Possibilities for good group discussion. Originally published in Japan.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the simplicity of a story that starts with just a rubber band, but then rapidly expands into all the things one might do with said rubber band. The flight of imagination comes to a sudden, snapping end, but our protagonist quickly imagines their next office supply adventure.

[Emmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Yoshitake's work and this might be my favorite one yet! The expressions are priceless and I love the hugely imaginative story. Enjoyed it so much that I picked it up again and read it for a second time the next day!

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A funny yet ironically true story from almost every children. Owning something usually regarded as unnecessary, yet important for a kid. Easily read for young and old, this book also serves as a warning to parents to give some meaning into their children's life.

[spooky angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

a reminder to appreciate the small things in life