Gaudi's Ocean-The Story of a Great Sea Turtle: After forty years in captivity, Gaudi, a sea turtle, escapes from his aquarium only to discover that his once beautiful home is now a foul ocean. Instead of happy, healthy sea creatures, he meets hundreds of sick animals who have been maimed by underwater nuclear experiments Meeting other creatures who share his anguish, and then finding a mate with special needs, he eventually resolves to save the giant Tree of life that represents the one source of hope for the world of Nature.

Gaudia Ocean has been translated from the Japanese into twelve languages. It has also been animated on CD-ROM. People of all ages will enjoy this thought- provoking, imaginative story of a turtle's efforts to save Nature from the greed of human beings.

Tajima Shinji was born in 1947 in Hiroshima, Japan. After studying Philosophy and International Law from Tokyo, he visited and studied in more than ten countries. Since joining the Asian Cultural Centre of UNESCO (ACCU), Tokyo, in 1977, he has been actively involved in co-publication programmes for children, and literacy programmes for the rural people in Asia and the Pacific region. Among his works, The Dinosaur of the Desert was awarded the 20th Kodansha Prize of Japan, and his 1988 short-story collection The Legend of Planet Surprise has been translated and published in various languages in more than 17 countries in Asia, including Vietnam, Bangladesh, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand and India. Tajima Shinji is presently Chief of Book Development and Literacy Division of ACCU.