About

As an extremely shy, highly sensitive and emotional soul, Shungi Ono often connected to the magic and intelligence of nature, finding joy in the simplest and quietest of moments; each experience leaving an imprint of awe and wonder still resonating to this day.

 

As a child (and still as an adult) Shungi had an unusual resistance to going to bed early, struggled with down-regulating the nervous system, and needed to self-soothe in order to fall asleep.

 

Highly dyslexic, living with ADHD and Sensory Integration Disorder, Misophonic, slightly autistic, extremely sensitive to energy, and susceptible to the power of images, Shungi decided to create books with the intention of soothing the nervous system, imprinting the brain, and other systems, with beautiful, poetic and charming images that invite the readers, young and wise, to reflect on the essence of the day, while looking forward to bedtime, the dreams to come, and beyond …

 

Yuka the red panda series represents some of Shungi’s favorite childhood experiences (and a few wishful ones). Tenderness can come from another soul, but also from an experience, a flavor, a sensation …  Each book represents a moment, an hour, an afternoon in the life of young Shungi, a curious little light worker in search of experiences, beauty, and wisdom as expressed through Yuka the red panda, Shungi's spirit animal.

 

The illustrations are inspired by Shungi’s grandparents who loved 19th century paintings portraying scenes of everyday life taking place in nature, painted by local, mostly unknown artists.