Kamishibai: Storytelling Through Art
We publish kamishibai stories with contemporary illustration, strong editorial craft, and a deep respect for kamishibai as an educational tool.
We’ll be at Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2026.
Let’s talk about rights, co-editions — and collaboration.
What is kamishibai?
Kamishibai is a way of telling stories through art, combining the intimacy of read-alouds with the visual power of theatre.
Literally translated as ‘paper theatre’, it is a Japanese storytelling format with over 800 years of history. Stories are told through a sequence of illustrated cards slid in and out of a wooden frame (butai), while the narrator reads from the back.
Today, kamishibai is experiencing a renaissance across Europe and beyond — in schools, libraries, therapy settings, and family homes.
What Makes Our Kamishibai Different
Thoughtful contemporary illustration
We focus on stories children and parents can relate to, paired with original, modern artwork. Image and text work together — no mismatches, no distractions.
Real-life stories
Our texts are well-crafted narratives with a clear arc, inspired by quality children’s and adult literature. Every theme is chosen with intent — both educational and human.
Art comes first
We work with Czech and international illustrators, including emerging artists. How our kamishibai looks matters to us — a lot.
Built-in methodology
The back of each card carries the read-aloud text alongside prompts for prediction, discussion, and comparison — plus suggestions for props, sounds, and sensory elements to enrich the storytelling.
A deeper meaning
Children encounter many moments that adults dismiss as trivial — but that can feel like real psychological hurdles.
Our stories meet children in those moments and support them in finding their way toward a little more independence.
Where Kamishibai Comes into Play
Kamishibai is used across a wide spectrum of settings and audiences. Our titles are designed with this versatility in mind.
Schools & kindergartens
Interactive storytelling that builds vocabulary, empathy, and attention — ideal for group settings where passing a book around falls short.
Libraries & reading programmes
A hands-on format for reading events, storytelling sessions, and literacy workshops that keeps children engaged longer than traditional read-alouds.
Therapy & special needs
Effective for children with attention difficulties, those with a different mother tongue, and seniors — the slow visual pace supports focus, memory, and emotional connection.
Who We Are
Obrazem is a small Czech publishing house based in Prague, run by three women with complementary expertise in publishing, education, and the arts.
Together, we navigate the publishing landscapes of multiple languages — Czech, English, French, German, Swedish, Polish, Hungarian, and Slovak.
Hanka
Librarian, workshop leader, translator (EN, FR). Background in creative pedagogy (DAMU). Leads reading clubs and school library programmes.
Viola
Editor with nearly 30 years of experience across Czech publishing. Specialises in children’s books. Translates from Nordic languages, especially Swedish.
Lucie
Librarian and teaching assistant. Trained in fine arts at UMPRUM Prague, with a background in scenography. Over a decade of leading reading clubs that integrate theatre and visual art.
Let's Meet in Bologna
We’d love to talk about licensing our titles or developing new kamishibai stories together.
Or simply sharing what we’ve learned about this format and its potential.
Do get in touch!