"Spring is Here" (Haru ga kuru) is the second e-picture book in the Joh's Picture Book Production series.

"Spring is Here" is an endearing story set in an expecting family cleverly told through the eyes of an insightful young boy soon to be blessed with a new little sister. The storybook is geared towards early readers and touches on new experiences that any older child will confront when welcoming a new younger sibling.

We are now proud to announce the release of a special English adaption/translation of "Spring is Here" as an full-featured update to the existing version on iTunes App Store. The Japanese version, Haru ga kuru, was originally released in December of 2011 and to date has sustained a 4+ rating on iTunes App Store's popular e-picture book charts.

If you already have the Japanese version installed, make sure you update your iPad/iPhone for immediate access to the English adaptation. If your family is expecting another wee one, or you just have interest in Japanese children's books, take that extra step and give "Spring is Here" a download -- it is a delightful story perfect for a bedtime read.

Project director Joh Sasaki's comments on "Spring is Here"were as follows, "I personally reviewed every one of the 132 stories submitted to our Hokkaido Picture Book Scenario Contest entry. The one which stood out among all other entries was Yoshimi Terasaki's 'Spring is Here'. It is a cheerful story about a young boy in an family expecting a second child. 'Spring is Here' is packed with whimsical rhymes and charming word play that will surely keep any young reader's attention from cover to cover. This is a story both children and adults will endlessly enjoy."

"Spring is Here" Production Team Introduction
Author: Yoshimi Terasaki
Yoshimi was born and raised in Bihoro City, Hokkaido. She is a Web Technologist and outside of her technical college web design teaching gig, she has her hands in many artistic jobs as a design consultant. Her story told in "Spring is Here" is her first attempt at a children's picture book. (Both Yoshimi's contest award speech and critics' opinion were published in the Joh's Picture Book Project - Hokkaido Picture Book Scenario contest results)

Illustrations: Miho Sasaki
Miho was born and raised in Kitami, Hokkaido. Since 1997, she has successfully developed her own Sapporo-based freelancing design company in a blossoming venture. Over the years, her works have appeared in numerous magazines, newspapers, posters, pamphlets, TV commercials and other popular media taking on multi-faceted forms.

Music: Shōhei Yamaki
Shōhei grew up in Sapporo, Hokkaido where he currently resides. He is an established musician in the Sapporo area with an active performance schedule. In 2010 he won first place in the renowned SAPPORO CITY JAZZ 2010 Park Jazz Live Contest. He is also known abroad as he recently performed at the 2011 Toronto International Jazz Festival. His debut jazz album is called "North Wind" and available for purchase on Amazon.com. Shōhei is also a popular radio personality with a large fan base.

Translation: Jake Edge
Jake is originally from Portland, Oregon (U.S.A.) with strong Portland-Sapporo Sister City ties and nearly a decade of living in Japan. In 2009 he graduated from Hokkaido University with a masters degree in Business Administration and presently works for a Sapporo-based firm. Jake has worked on a variety of translation projects over the years with "Spring is Here" being his first opportunity to work on a children's book. He currently resides in Sapporo with his family.