The Three Musketeers in Long Boots

Nagagutsu no Sanjūshi (“The Three Musketeers in Long Boots”, Kodansha, 1930), written by Makino Taisei and drawn by Imoto Suimei: three mischievous children — Tonkichi, Denko and Saru — who wear long boots on their heads like hats, get into trouble at school and set off on comic adventures. An early Japanese picture-story book laid out like a silent film, with numbered panels, “titles” and captions under each drawing; the preface frames it as a lesson in gratitude, in the moral tone of pre-war children’s books. Original 1930 edition from the National Diet Library, Japanese (read right to left; two-page spreads). Suitable for all ages. Public domain.