JUN TAKABATAKE was born in Aichi Prefecture. He won the Graphics Award at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair for his work in Dare no jitensha (Froebel-Kan), the Japan Picture Book Award for Oh, Suppa (Kodansha, Author: Tamio Koshino), and the Kodansha Publishing Cultural Award for Futari no namakemono (Kodansha). He currently lives in Gifu Prefecture.