I Live in Tokyo

by Mari Takabayashi

Overview

Have you ever been to Tokyo, Japan? Far away, in the Pacific Ocean, Tokyo is a busy city of color, activity, celebrations, gigantic buildings, and much more. Seven-year-old Mimiko lives in Tokyo, and here you can follow a year’s worth of fun, food and festivities in Mimiko’s life, month by month. Learn the right way to put on a kimono and see Mimiko’s top ten favorite meals—just try not to eat the pages featuring delicious wagashi!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780618494842
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	11/06/2004
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.75(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.16(d)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Mari Takabayashi was born in Tokyo, Japan, and studied at Otsuma Women’s College. She illustrated Flannel Kisses and Marshmallow Kisses and is the author and illustrator of I Live in Brooklyn and I Live in Toyko. She lives with her husband and their two children in New York.

Editorial Reviews

"Bright, bustling illustrations abound in this pictorial peek at Japanese life and customs through the eyes of a Tokyo schoolgirl." —Publishers Weekly Publishers Weekly

"Takabayashi offers little ones a child's-eye view of life in suburban Tokyo, along with a chance to roll some Japanese words and phrases around on their tongues." —Booklist Booklist, ALA —

From the Publisher

Here is a charming-and accurate-introduction to Tokyo as seen through the eyes of a fictional seven-year-old girl. Mimiko takes readers month-by-month through the year, highlighting foods, festivals, and family and school activities. The left edge of each month's double-paged spread names the month in English, in Japanese characters, and in transliteration. Takabayashi (born and raised in Tokyo) has painted many small, lively vignettes, all informatively labeled, to extend her more general text and larger pictures. The vibrant watercolors elegantly combine childlike simplicity with a wealth of detail. We see school texts and uniforms, Japanese writing, the Japanese zodiac, Mimiko's top ten favorite meals, a bullet train passing Mt. Fuji, and more. A painted map of Japan provides a frame of reference, and the final page includes pronunciations for the months, the numbers from one to twelve, and a few Japanese words and phrases. (Picture book/nonfiction. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews