Yoshio Kuroda

All About My Dog

A series of short stories all about dogs.

The Dog of Flanders

Poor but happy, young Nello and his grandfather live alone, delivering milk as a livelihood, in the outskirts of Antwerp, a city in Flanders (the Flemish or Dutch-speaking part of modern-day Belgium). They discover a beaten dog (a Bouvier, a large sturdy dog native to Flanders) and adopt it and nurse it back to health, naming it Patrasche, the middle name of Nello's mother Mary, who died when Nello was very young. Nello's mother was a talented artist, and like his mother, he delights in drawing, and his friend Aloise is his model and greatest fan and supporter.

The Story of Fifteen Boys

Cast ashore on a desert island after a fierce ocean storm, fifteen school boys find their lives changed forever. Who cut the lines that sent their ship to sea with no captain or crew? Why are pirates after the boys' new-found friend? Will they ever get home again? The excitement unfolds in scene after thrilling scene.

Coral Reef Legend: Elfie of the Blue Sea

In the future, the oceans have risen to flood all the continents due to humanity's negligence of the environment. Only a few bits of land have been spared, and one of those is the city-island where Elfie lives with her grandfather. One day, due to an underwater incident, she discovers that she can breathe underwater. Her grandfather reveals that in truth she is one of the mythical sea-people. Using the city folk's xenophobia, local politicians spark a war with this hidden people to distract people from their current resource problems, and Elfie is caught in the middle of it.

Back to the Forest

Peter the fairy, who is head of Placid forest, loves to play with his animal friends. One day "Man" threatens to destroy their homes by cutting down the trees. They decide to peacefully protest but the humans won't listen. With their lives at stake, the animals and Peter carry out their final operation.

Tiger Mask: War Against the League of Masked Wrestlers

Chizuru is a blind girl who lives in a poor rural orphanage, Hope House. In order to help her and get the winning prize of 100,000 dollars, Tiger Mask = Naoto Date turns his back on Baba and Inoki, who are indebted to him, and participates in the big event "Masked World League" set up by Tiger's Den. While hurt both physically and mentally, he fights against the monster wrestlers sent out by the Tiger's Den.

Gulliver's Travels Beyond the Moon

The story concerns a homeless boy named Ted. After seeing a movie about Gulliver he meets Professor Gulliver himself in a forest. Gulliver is now an elderly, space-traveling scientist. With Dr. Gulliver's assistant Crow, and Ted's companions, a talking dog and a toy soldier, they travel the Milky Way to the Planet of Blue Hope, which has been taken over by the Queen of Purple Planet and her evil group of robots. Armed with water-pistols and water balloons, which melt the villains, Ricky and Gulliver restore Blue Hope to its doll-like owners.