Snow Country
Ikeda's children's stories are "widely read and acclaimed," according to "The Hindu", which reported that an anime series of 14 of the stories was to be shown on the National Geographic Channel. In the Philippines, DVD sets of 17 of the animated stories called "Animazing Tales" were donated by Anak TV to a large school, as part of a nationwide literacy effort. "Hope and perseverance in times of difficulty" describes the theme that runs through such stories as "The Cherry Tree" and "The Snow Country Prince."