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Children's Picture Books: Stories about Characters of Japanese Ethnicity

Basho and the River Stones

2013

by Tim Myers and Oki S. Han

"Grade Levels: 1-4 The great poet Basho lives in the woods and shares the cherries from his cherry tree with the local foxes. But one tricky fox becomes greedy—he uses his magic to turn three river stones into gold coins, and then tricks Basho into giving up all of the cherries. When the fox returns to gloat over his victory, he discovers that Basho is content. Wiser than the fox, Basho knows that a poem inspired by the beauty of the river stones is more valuable than gold. Oki S. Han’s watercolors evoke ancient Japan in this sequel to the New York Times bestseller Basho and the Fox." -- publisher

Folklore

Fish for Jimmy

2013

by Katie Yamasaki

When brothers Taro and Jimmy and their mother are forced to move from their home in California to a Japanese internment camp in the wake of the 1941 Pearl Harbor bombing, Taro daringly escapes the camp to find fresh fish for his grieving brother

Oppression & Resilience

Grandfather’s journey

2013

by Allen Say

A Japanese American man recounts his grandfather's journey to America which he later also undertakes, and the feelings of being torn by a love for two different countries

Beautiful Life Biography

Malia in Hawai’i

2013

by Karyn Hopper and Tammy Yee

Surfing or dancing, parades or hula, noodles or sushi? Malia likes them all! Malia in Hawaii is the story of a little girl with a long name, and an even longer list of things she likes to eat and do. Join Malia Sachi Ging Ging Lee as she explores the food and fun of her Hawaii home

Beautiful Life

My first book of Japanese words

2013

by Michelle Haney Brown

Japanese is one of the most popular languages to learn in our multicultural society, and this book introduces it in a playful and gentle way. Organized in a familiar ABC structure, everyday words and expressions as well as words that have special significance in Japanese culture offer even very young children an enticing glimpse into Japanese daily life. This delightfully illustrated preschool book shows each word in Kanji and Hiragana as well as in Romanized form. Teachers and parents bilingual and English speaking only alike will appreciate the book's cultural and linguistic notes, while Kenji and his friends encourage young readers to join the fun!

Beautiful Life Informational Race/Culture Concepts

Take me out to the yakyu

2013

by Aaron Meshon

A little boy's grandfathers, one in America and one in Japan, teach him about baseball and its rich, varying cultural traditions

Race/Culture Concepts

The boy who drew cats

2013

by Anushka Ravishankar and Christine Kastl

Retelling of a folktale about Akiro, a young Japanese boy, whose obsession with drawing cats leads him to an adventure that would change his life. Based on a legend about the Japanese artist Sesshū Tōyō

Folklore

The favorite daughter

2013

by Allen Say

Yuriko, teased at school for her unusual name and Japanese ancestry, yearns to be more ordinary until her father reminds her of how special she is

Beautiful Life Biography

The sign painter

2013

by Allen Say

An assignment to paint a large billboard in the desert changes the life of an aspiring artist

Cross Group

Many of the cover images on this site are from Google Books.

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