I Live in Tokyo
Written and Illustrated by: Mari Takabayashi
Published in 2001 by Houghton Mifflin Company
Page count: 32
Genre: International Literature
Plot Summary
This story tells of a seven-year-old girl who lives in Tokyo, Japan. The colorful illustrations and help depict just what life actually looks like in Tokyo. The story takes the reader through an entire year in Tokyo month by month. The reader learns about festivals, food, and simple ways to wear clothing as they read through this fun and appealing book for children. This story not only describes the culture in Tokyo, but it does so through a child's point of view!
Illustrations
Takabayashi uses colored pencils and paint to illustrate her book. She uses vibrant colors to make the illustrations jump off the page and really portray the life of Toyko. She uses lots of detail to capture young ones' eyes to the page as the story is told. She uses realistic clothing and illustrations of food that is a part of Tokyo's culture.
Content Area and Grade
This would be a great book for third grade to incorporate in the curriculum. This book could be used to help students distinguish between specific holidays celebrated in Japan versus the United States. They could also compare and contrast the culture compared to America. Additionally, they will learn about different types of food that they have never been exposed to!
This is a great way to discuss how holidays differ around the world!
ReplyDeleteThis book would be so fun to do a study of Japan on! It would be awesome to compare and contrast the US with Japan, or Alabama and Tokyo. This book would be extra special if you had someone in your class that was from Japan. It would give them a piece of home in the classroom. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI love that this story looks at what a typical year in Japan would look like! Students could use that timeline to compare Japanese traditions with their own. It might even be fun to incorporate some of the celebrations into your own classroom. This looks like it would be tons of fun to teach with!
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