The Secret of the Blue Glass

In a high sunlight corner of the little library in the Moriyama house in Tokyo live the Little People. The Ashe family are just a few inches tall, living in a home built from books and matchboxes. The children of the big house look after them, delivering milk every day in a special blue glass goblet. But then World War Two clamps its jaws shut on the city. The Moriyama household is turned upside down and the Little People must figure out new ways to survive in this flipped over world.

A story of two very different families (plus one intrepid pigeon!) and how their lives intertwine, this gentle tale feels like a real children’s classic, and will surely remind many readers of Mary Norton’s The Borrowers. With the backdrop of World War Two, it touches on the many ways that war can divide families, and provides glimpses of Japanese culture, especially the concepts of honour and bravery, which are so different to those of western countries.

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