Momoko Ishii, an award-winning writer of novels for children and a translator of famous children's illustrated books from other countries, died Wednesday, according to people close to her. She was 101.
A native of Saitama, Ishii wrote the best-selling novel "Nonchan Kumo ni Noru" ("Nonchan Riding a Cloud") in 1947, which was made into a film in 1955.
While Ishii was working as an editor at Iwanami Shoten Publishers, she decided to become a children's writer after reading "Winnie-the-Pooh" by English author A. A. Milne.
Ishii is also known for translating numerous works of English literature and illustrated books for children, including "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" by Beatrix Potter and "Winnie-the-Pooh."
She received a Yomiuri Shimbun literature award for her autobiographical novel "Maboroshi no Akai Mi" ("Phantasmal Red Fruit") in 1995.
