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Books That Take You There: Japan

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Feeling the urge to see far off places, but having to armchair travel instead?  Wanting to experience the delights to be found in the country of Japan? Well, you're in luck because these books will help you feel like you've traveled there yourself: 

Natsumi's Song of Summer
Written by Robert Paul Weston
Illustrated by Misa Saburi
Toronto: Tundra Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House Canada Young Readers, 2020. Picture Book.
 
Natsumi celebrates her favorite things about summer in Japan with her cousin who is visiting from America.

Written by Heather Smith
Illustrated by Rachel Wada
Victoria, British Columbia: Orca Book Publishers, 2019. Picture Book. 

A young Japanese boy processes his grief over his father's loss during a tsunami through the use of a disconnected phone in his community.


The Perfect Sushi
Written by Emily Satoko Seo
Illustrated by Mique Moriuchi 
Concord, MA: Barefoot Books, 2023. Picture Book. 

A little girl wants to make the perfect sushi for her grandmother's birthday, but becomes frustrated by her attempts not coming out perfectly. However, through working with her grandfather she learns the importance of cooking from the heart or "koroko" in Japanese. 


Folk Tales from Japan: Fables Myths, and Fairy Tales for Children
Written by Florence Sakade
Illustrated by Yoshio Hayashi
North Clarendon, VT: Tuttle Publishing, 2020. Informational. 79 pages. 
 
Beloved folk tales from Japan featuring everything from singing turtles to flying farmers that will be sure to captivate all ages. 


My First Book of Haiku Poems: A Picture, a Poem, and a Dream
Translated by Esperanza Ramirez-Christensen
Illustrated by Tracy Gallup 
Tokyo; Rutland, Vermont: Tuttle Publishing, 2019. Informational. 47 pages. 

A book of classic haiku poems composed by Japanese masters of the craft that have been translated into English, Japanese script, and Romanji characters.
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