Saotome Katsumoto. Children of the Suburbs (Deti iz predmestya), 1973. In Russian

Саотомэ Кацумото. Дети из предместья: [Рассказы]. / Пер. с яп. и послесл. Г. Ронской; Илл. В. Высоцкого.
Москва : Детская литература, 1973.
159 с., ил. Твердый издательский переплет, формат 22 см. Тираж 50 000 экз. Для среднего школьного возраста.
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Saotome Katsumoto. Children of the Suburbs (Deti iz predmestya). / Trans. from Japanese and afterword by G. Ronskaya; Illus. by V. Vysotsky.
Moscow: Detskaya Literatura, 1973.
159 pp., ill. Hardcover, format 22 cm. Print run: 50,000 copies. For middle school age.

This 1973 collection of short stories by the notable Japanese author Saotome Katsumoto (1932–2022) is a poignant work of autobiographical fiction that offers Soviet readers a rare glimpse into the wartime childhood of a Japanese boy. Saotome, who would later become a prominent peace activist and the director of the Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, draws heavily on his own memories of growing up in a working-class district of Tokyo during World War II.
The narrative follows young Shoji as he navigates the fragile world of a Tokyo suburb. While the backdrop is one of national mobilization and eventual devastation, the stories focus on the "small" life of a child: the wonder of a visiting circus, the compassionate rescue of a puppy, and the complex bonds between neighbors. Saotome masterfully balances the lyrical innocence of youth with the encroaching shadows of reality, including Shoji’s first heart-wrenching encounters with grief and death.
Translated and contextualized by G. Ronskaya, the book is further elevated by the expressive illustrations of V. Vysotsky, which capture the specific atmosphere of 1940s Japan. It serves as an evocative cultural bridge, introducing young readers to Japanese customs and the universal human experience of maintaining hope and humanity amidst the hardships of war. Published by "Detskaya Literatura" in a significant print run, it remains a classic of translated post-war children's literature, valued for its emotional honesty and historical realism.