- Licensing Information -

Doron-chan(*)

All Rights Available
Published in December, 2025

Selling Points
・A picture book that can be read aloud with the rhythmic chant “doron doron”
・A heartwarming story about helping a friend in trouble.
・Content that develops children’s imagination and lets parents and children learn while having fun together.

Doron-chan is a kind ghost who helps her friends through her amazing transformations!

Doron-chan the ghost can’t just leave her friends in trouble. For a family of penguins who want to fly, Doron-chan transforms into a balloon and takes them up into the sky. With the rhythmic chant “Dororon dororon”, Doron-chan transforms into something unexpected. Parents can read this book while asking, “What will Doron-chan turn into next?” This is a picture book that develops children’s imagination.
*The name “Doron” comes from the sound of a drum that is played during a kabuki performance when a ghost disappears from the story.

Author/Illustrator
Koji Ishikawa is a children’s book author. He was born in 1963 in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, Japan and is a graduate of Musashino Art University Department of Visual Communication Design. A winner of the Kodansha Children’s Illustration Grand Prix, Ishikawa was also selected for the Bologna International Picture Book Exhibition. “O-men desu” (“It’s a Mask”) was awarded the First Seibundo Group Picture Book Grand Prize. “Tamago no ehon” (“The Egg Picture Book”) won the Japan Book Publishers Association Chairman’s Award in the Bookbinding and Book Design category. “Biggu Bukku O-men 3” (“The Big Book of Masks 3”) won the 33rd Kenbuchi Picture Book Village Grand Prize Bibakarasu Award.
Ishikawa’s major picture books include “O-men desu” (“It’s a Mask”), “O-men desu 2” (“It’s a Mask 2”), “O-men desu 3” (“It’s a Mask 3”), “Mahotsukai” (“The Magician”), “Suji no kakurenbo” (“Numbers Hide and Seek”) (all published by Kaiseisha); “Dobutsu iroiro kakurenbo” (“Many Animals Hide and Seek”), “Kyoryu iroiro kakurenbo” (“Many Dinosaurs Hide and Seek”), “Akachan Ha–i” (“Baby, Raise Your Hand”), “Fune-kun no tabi” (“Little Boat’s Journey”), “Tsumiki-kun” (“Little Tsumiki”), “Panda-kun no onigiri” (“Little Panda’s Rice Ball”) (all published by Poplar Publishing); “Tamago no ehon” (“The Egg Picture Book”), “Hana no saku ehon” (“The Blossoming Flower Picture Book”), “Hataraku norimono ehon” (“The Working Vehicles Picture Book”), “Riku norimono ehon” (“The Land Vehicles Picture Book”), “Ohayo no ehon” (“The Good Morning Picture Book”), “Oyasumi no ehon” (“The Good Night Picture Book”), “Nonbiri! Dobutsu Pa–ku” (“Relax! Animal Park”) (all published by Doshinsha. His books have also been published in numerous translated editions overseas.