Circus Day in Japan: Bilingual English and Japanese Text

by Eleanor Coerr, Eleanor Coerr (Illustrator), Yumi Matsunari (Translator)

Overview

This multicultural children's book contains both English and Japanese script along with beautiful, colorful illustrations.

Circus Day in Japan is the warmly-illustrated story of an exciting day spent by two Japanese children, Joji-chan and Koko-chan, at a circus. Joji-chan and Koko-chan delight at the new sights of their first circus, and young readers are gently introduced to Japanese customs and sites.

Perfect for those interested in retro books, the simple text and artwork provide a nostalgic window into Japanese family life in the early 1950s. Originally written by Eleanor Coerr, author of the popular Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, this English translation of a classic Japanese children's book accessible to a new generation of both English and Japanese speaking readers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780804847438
Publisher:	Tuttle Publishing
Publication date:	11/01/2016
Edition description:	Bilingual Edition
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD570L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Eleanor B. Coerr traveled to Japan as a newspaper reporter in 1949, where she lived on a farm for a year, learning the language. Inspired by her farm family and a visit to a local circus, Eleanor wrote and illustrated Circus Day in Japan. It was first published by Tuttle in 1953 and remained in print until 1968. Eleanor is best-known for Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes.

Yumi Matsunari is a professional translator and interpreter living in Fukui, Japan. She studied in Kyoto, Cambridge and London. Among her works are A Treasury of Japanese Folktales and Japanese Made Easy.

Editorial Reviews

"This lesser-known title by the author of Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes (Puffin, 1977) is introduced to a new audience in a beautiful, bilingual edition featuring a Japanese translation alongside the original English text. First published by Tuttle in 1953, the book recounts a delightful day in which two young siblings enjoy a circus. […] Full of happy nostalgia, this book is sure to spark an interest in Japanese culture and makes a lovely addition to any picture-book collection." —School Library Journal

From the Publisher

K-Gr 3—This lesser-known title by the author of Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes (Puffin, 1977) is introduced to a new audience in a beautiful, bilingual edition featuring a Japanese translation alongside the original English text. First published by Tuttle in 1953, the book recounts a delightful day in which two young siblings enjoy a circus. Their anticipation builds as they eat breakfast and travel by train from their home on a farm to a bustling city, where they immerse themselves in the glorious sights and sounds of the circus. This title provides a charming peek at life in postwar Japan with colorful, lively illustrations that depict a fascinating blend of traditional Japanese and Western cultures, from the hodgepodge of clothing styles to the variety of entertainments at the circus. The author's appreciation for Japanese culture is evident in her attention to authentic details such as bento boxes wrapped in cloth and the removal of shoes before sitting on a tatami mat. Additionally, Japanese vocabulary is introduced through the sprinkling of phrases into the dialogue, as well as the inclusion of captioned illustrations of household items such as teacups and wooden sandals. Full of happy nostalgia, this book is sure to spark an interest in Japanese culture and makes a lovely addition to any picture-book collection.—Allison Tran, Mission Viejo Library, CA

School Library Journal