Japan

Books and Resources

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Easy Non-Fiction Books

Several books that are very good are listed below. There was not a cover picture. However, you can review the book at Amazon by clicking on the title. If there is not a link, the book is out of print. You could order the book through Amazon but there may be a delay in receiving your order.

* A Visit to Japan, Peter and Connie Roop

* Look What Came From Japan, Miles Harvey

* Everybody Cooks Rice, Norah Dooley

* Sachiko Means Happiness, Kimiko Sakai

* Japanese Fairy Tales , Keisuke Nishimoto

* If I lived in Japan. Rosanne Knorr

The Stonecutter, A Japanese Folktale

Tasaku was a lowly stonecutter, but he was happy in his work until one day, a royal prince passed by in a magnificent procession. Then Tasaku wished aloud that he too might have wealth, and the spirit who lives in the mountain heard him.

* An excellent book for students to discuss themes.

The Sadako and Paper Crane books do contain mature themes. However, these two are very well written for younger readers.

THE BOY OF THE THREE YEAR NAP

Illustrations by Allen Say

Taro is a Japanese boy whose penchant for sleeping is the butt of village jokes, much to the chagrin of his poor widowed mother, who works hard to provide them with necessities. Taro cannot be coaxed into working, despite his mother's pleas, until he falls in love with a rich merchant's daughter and hatches a scheme to make himself wealthy. The author's foreword explains that many gods and demons inhabit Japanese folklore, which will help readers understand how Taro, disguised as a local deity, is able to convince the rich neighbor that his daughter must wed the laziest boy in town. Say's art, with stylized Oriental touches, comically animates the sprightly tale, perfectly matching the abundant wit of Snyder's adaptation. All ages

Other Books By Allen Say

Under the Cherry Blossom Tree: An Old Japanese Tale

The Bicycle Man

Tea with Milk

Kamashibai

Kamashibai evolved from a form of itinerant street storytelling which was popular in Japan from the 1920's into the 1950's. The kamishibai storyteller was also a candy seller. Riding a bicycle, he would enter a neighborhood, dismount and loudly strike together two wooden clappers. The sound was a signal for children to run from their homes and gather around him for story time. Those who bought candy got to stand nearest the kamishibai man. Then in a dramatic manner, he would start to tell 2-3 kamishibai stories. But he would usually stop at an exiting part leaving children impatient for his next visit.

The following are kamishibai storytelling sets that I use in my classroom. A direct link is also available here to order or view some interesting kamishibai facts, information, and stories. My students now make their own kamishibai stories and act as the kamishibai story telling man.

Kamishibai Story Examples