1

What Does Bookstart Accomplish in Japan?
--- A Research Report ---Written, edited and published by

2

About Bookstart Japan

Editorial consultant, Part I commentator

Bookstart Japan is a private nonprofit organization that conveys the principles ofBookstart and supports its implementation by local governments from an independent,
neutral standpoint.

Dr. Hiroko Sasaki, Professor Emerita, Naruto University of Education
Researcher in the area of picture books and child development for over 40 years. As aprofessor at Naruto University of Education, she also served as head of a children’s bookroom open to the region, and as head of a kindergarten belonging to the university. Her
writings include Picture Book Psychology: Toward Understanding Children’s Hearts(Ehon no shinrigaku—kodomo no kokoro o rikai suru tame ni, Shinyosha).

Besides disseminating information on Bookstart collected around the country, by issuing
publications and holding workshops, we vend low-cost Bookstart packs to allparticipating local governments in a “non-commercial” model.
In addition, we share information with baby bookgifting organizations in countries andregions around the world, including in the UK, where Bookstart began.

Editorial support
Dr. Kiyomi Akita, Professor, Gakushuin University.
Professor Emeritus, University of Tokyo Graduate School of Education
She is one of the founding members of Bookstart program in Japan. Specialist in
educational psychology, developmental psychology, childcare. Undertakes action
research on education, visiting and helping to evaluate daycares, kindergartens, andelementary and middle school classes, seeing these as part of larger systems in whichhumans grow. Her writings include Parenting through Picture Books (Ehon de kosodate,
Iwanami Shoten) and The Future of Daycare (Hoiku no mirai, Hikari No Kuni).

What Does Bookstart Accomplish in Japan? A Research Report
Bookstart Japan, August 2021

3

Contents
Foreword ........................................................................................................................ 4

Part II: How Bookstart Provides the Impetus to Share Books with Babies ............. 26

Abstract .......................................................................................................................... 5

II.1 Introduction.................................................................................................... 26

Research Report ............................................................................................................. 6

II.2 Survey Overview ........................................................................................... 26

Part I: How Reading Books Together Affects Babies, Caregivers, and Parent-Child
Relationships .............................................................................................................. 6

II.3 Findings and Analysis (Excerpt).................................................................... 28

I.1 Introduction....................................................................................................... 6
I.2 Findings and analysis ........................................................................................ 7A) Enriching the bonding process .................................................................. 7❶ What it means to open a book with a baby ..................................... 7A) Did Bookstart provide the impetus for parents to share books withbabies? .......................................................................................................... 28❶ Connection between Baby’s age at time of Bookstart contact andBaby’s age when family began to read picture books aloud ............. 28❷ Continued use of books received through Bookstart .................... 30❷ The joy of realizing, “She got it!” “He understood!” ..................... 9B) How did the experience of Bookstart affect caregivers’ perception of“sharing books,” or time spent reading picture books with baby? ............... 31❸ Understanding due to having shared a picture book world .......... 11II.4 Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 33❹ When the picture book world and the real world connect ............ 13❺ Discovering a child’s individuality............................................... 14

Part III: How Bookstart Affects Local Governments, Organizations, and Related
Individuals ................................................................................................................ 34

B) New joys from sharing picture books...................................................... 15

III.1 Findings and Analysis (Summary) ............................................................... 34❶ Enjoyment of back-and-forth ...................................................... 16

In Closing...................................................................................................................... 35❷ Happiness at being a dad .............................................................. 16

Appendices ................................................................................................................... 36❸ Growth in both child and adult ..................................................... 171) About Japan..................................................................................................... 36❹ Joy in shared child-rearing ........................................................... 18

2) About Bookstart in Japan ................................................................................ 36

C) Support in parenting ................................................................................ 19❶ Tool to help parent and child relax ............................................... 19❷ Tool to facilitate self-reflection .................................................... 21

D) Moments to pass down............................................................................ 22
E) Proof that we were alive together ............................................................ 23
I.3 Conclusion ...................................................................................................... 25

What Does Bookstart Accomplish in Japan? A Research Report
Bookstart Japan, August 2021

4

Foreword
Bookstart in Japan operates in the hope that warm, enjoyable moments of “sharing books”
will become part of life for all babies. By offering fun experiences reading picture books,
and then gifting picture books to families, we provide parents and carers with an impetus
to carry on sharing books at home. Begun in the UK in 1992 by BookTrust, Bookstartcame to Japan in 2000 and has since expanded around the country.
The nonprofit organization (NPO) Bookstart Japan was founded in 2001. We aim to help
meaningful, sustained activities take root throughout our country by providing various
kinds of support.
In Japan, Bookstart activities and decisions are undertaken by local governments andincorporated in their budgets. Activities happen in partnership with local libraries, healthcenters, child-rearing support divisions, and volunteer organizations. Opportunities suchas baby group health checkups are offered to all babies in a local jurisdiction, and thus
serve as useful points of contact.1 As of July 2021, out of 1,741 municipalities in Japan,
some 1,083 (62.2%) were implementing Bookstart programs (Bookstart Japan survey).
(See appendices for further data on Bookstart in Japan.)This report is a translation of “What Does Bookstart Accomplish?” A Research Report(published in Japanese by Bookstart Japan, 2014; henceforth Research Report),
excerpted and edited.
Over many years of operation, our organization has carefully considered what we areabout. We hope now to share our understanding with our colleagues overseas, who may
be keen to start baby bookgifting programs or are already running them.
We do not see Bookstart’s purpose as furthering children’s education in Japan. Rather,
we focus on the pleasures of sharing picture books with babies—the joy and thedelight—and on the exchange of feelings that happens between adult and child. We see
this as a wellspring of human empathy and strength, and we have grown and developed
all of our activities around it. We use the phrase “share books” far more often than “readbooks” in Bookstart.

Since 2018, the Global Network of Early Years Bookgifting has come into its own,
centered around EURead (a consortium of European reading promotion organizations,www.euread.com). Japan took part in the preparatory working group for this network,
exchanging experiences and opinions with other countries and regions. In the course ofthis exchange, we began to sense that our approach is somewhat unique.
We therefore decided to publish our Research Report in a language that many colleagues
worldwide can access, in order to share our perspective on what Bookstart can be. We
hope that our experience might prove useful to the continued development of Bookstartaround the world.
We originally wrote our Research Report to answer the question, What does Bookstartaccomplish? As an activity carried out in partnership with public entities such as local
governments, Bookstart uses public funds from taxes, so this question will continue tobe asked.
The purposes of activities like Bookstart are often described in terms of quantifiable“benefits.” When it comes to sharing books with children, many people expect “benefits”
such as enriched vocabulary, increased knowledge and study skill, and heightened
imagination, and they expect that these can be shown in easy-to-understand numerics.
But we in Bookstart Japan have not built our activities around such “benefits,” and wehave not tied sharing picture books to furthering children’s education. We have tried toensure that focusing on easy-to-explain “benefits” does not lead us to forget otherimportant perspectives.
Bookstart is an undertaking without easy-to-see, easy-to-chart “benefits.” Multiple
influences affect a baby’s environment, so it is difficult to show that “parent-childbonding improved” or “the baby grew up happy,” thanks to Bookstart. Often, in the local
communities where Bookstart is carried out, other reading promotion and parent support
initiatives are also underway. In such cases, even if “benefits” are seen, it would be
difficult to tie them to Bookstart alone.
It is quite impossible, in the first place, to explain fully why sharing picture books
matters, or how the joy stemming from such an activity makes a difference. The
transformations of people’s hearts ultimately defy being quantified.

1 Among local municipalities with which we partner in Japan, 69% have incorporated Bookstart in well-babygroup health checkups. Those locales not offering group health checkups have incorporated Bookstart innewborn home visits and parent-child health initiatives (20.6%) (data as of March 2021).

What Does Bookstart Accomplish in Japan? A Research Report
Bookstart Japan, August 2021

5With this in mind, we have focused our Research Report not on numbers but on thekinds of things Bookstart accomplishes. Parts I and II look at ways in which it affects
babies, caregivers, and parent-child relationships. Part III looks at ways in which it
affects local governments, organizations, and related individuals.
In Parts I and II, we probe whether the positive effects of “sharing books” are reaching
more babies, caregivers, and parent-child relationships due to Bookstart, with two levelsof analysis:
 In Part I, we analyze concrete examples of sharing books with a baby, exploring
what “sharing books” offers for everyone concerned.
 In Part II, we analyze the results of a survey of caregivers who had been eligiblefor Bookstart. We consider whether the programming served as a clear impetus
for them to continue “sharing books” with babies in homes.
If Bookstart clearly increases “sharing books” in homes (Part II), we believe we candeduce that what such sharing offers to babies, carers, and parent-child relationships(Part I) is being more widely enjoyed.
In addition, Bookstart has come to involve many people at the regional and local level,
and it has developed as a local activity. In Part III, we analyze local conditions and thestatements of local stakeholders to clarify what Bookstart offers for local governments,organizations, and related individuals. This English-language version offers asummarized Part III.
Our Research Report was prepared with the expert feedback and editing of Dr. Hiroko
Sasaki, Professor Emerita, Naruto University of Education, and Dr. Kiyomi Akita,
Professor, Gakushuin University. Dr. Sasaki also contributed commentary about thefindings in Part I.

Abstract
In Part I of this report, we analyze numerous examples of adults sharing picture bookswith babies. From these examples, we learn that such sharing does far more than aid
babies’ growth and development or bring about short-term educational gains.
“Sharing books” can enrich the process of bonding with baby, add numerous delights todaily child-rearing, and sometimes help a caregiver out.
“Sharing books” itself brings joy to babies, as well as a sharing of understanding
between people, which in turn nurtures cooperation. In addition, opening a book together
strengthens the family and exemplifies sharing across generations. It also serves as proof
that those enjoying the book were alive together.
In Part II, our analysis of survey responses finds that, in households with access to
Bookstart, the programming provided a clear impetus to increase “sharing books.” In
respondents’ households, the point at which reading aloud began at home usuallycoincided with the timing of Bookstart access, and parents usually began reading aloudusing the books they had received through Bookstart.
Analysis of respondents’ comments indicates that watching children encounter picture
books during Bookstart programming, experiencing the fun of it, and interpretingchildren’s reactions to it bore a strong relationship to whether the programming led to“sharing books” at home.
Part I shows that “sharing books” can greatly enrich babies, caregivers, and parent-childrelationships. Part II suggests that Bookstart functions to stimulate “sharing books” inmost participating households. Together, these findings suggest that due to Bookstart,
more households reap a rich harvest from “sharing books.”
Part III examines positive changes observed in local governments, organizations, andindividuals due to Bookstart. Many Bookstart-adopting locales seem to enjoy a positive
cycle of well-baby development, relaxed parenting, and happier households.
Due to the above, Bookstart in Japan can be said to go beyond mere reading promotion
or parenting support, and can even be seen as community building. Bookstart is expected
to grow and develop further in many regions.

What Does Bookstart Accomplish in Japan? A Research Report
Bookstart Japan, August 2021

6
observe and record for us. We verbally explained to them the purpose of this researchand our needs, and we followed up with them later in writing.

Research Report
Part IHow Reading Books Together Affects Babies, Caregivers,
and Parent-Child Relationships

I.1 Introduction
In Part I of this report, we examine what actually occurs when we open a picture bookwith a baby. What can we observe in the baby, and what might the caregiver discoverand feel? What does this experience accomplish for the baby, the caregiver, and theparent-child relationship?
To pursue answers to these questions, we needed to closely examine rich moments ofsharing picture books with babies. We proceeded as follows.
From December 2011 through March 2012, we requested the cooperation of parents andcarers who read picture books with infants regularly and find this time to be rich withdiscoveries.
We asked these parents and carers to help us collect their experiences by writing freely
about episodes of reading with baby (up to about age two). During each episode, whatback-and-forth communication, what realizations on the part of the reader, what feelings,
what thoughts, and what dreams were observed?
To search for cooperating caregivers, we contacted library staff and healthcare
professionals involved in Bookstart in various regions of Japan, as well as acquaintancesof Bookstart Japan staff whom we thought might fit the above criteria. We also involved
Bookstart Japan staff themselves, thereby identifying a total of 20 people willing to2

Episodes described on websites were used with permission of the reviewers, whom we contacted via thewebsite administrators.

In addition, we surveyed some 3,245 parents and carers who were eligible to access
Bookstart programming in seven cities around Japan. (The results of this survey
comprise Part II of this report.) Parents’ and carers’ free comments on Bookstart’s
survey were also used as a source of episodes for this Part I analysis.
Furthermore, we used the below as episode sources:
A) Manuscripts submitted to the “Picture Book Moment” column in Bookstart
Newsletter, a publication of Bookstart Japan. The column invites parents andcarers to describe picture book time with their babies and introduce a favorite
book.
B) Reader reviews of infant picture books published on several publishers’
websites, a picture book information website, etc.2
The process for analyzing episodes was as follows: We read the caregivers’ reflections,paying close attention to aspects relevant to our research theme. We grouped similarreflections together under “main topics” generated by our reading. After that, we named
and defined the main topics, listed examples, and began our theoretical analysis on“analysis worksheets.”
Here is an example of a main topic generated by our process.
While reading the episodes, several comments such as these were found: “thetwo of us seemed to agree, ‘it came out jaajaa-biribiri, didn’t it?’”; “we had fun putting
our parent-child label on things: ‘it’s that, get it?’”; “afterward, when I wanted mydaughter to scoot over, I would say, ‘can you piipii-back up for me?’—it’s become
family lexicon.” We grouped these episodes and formulated the main topic,“Understanding due to having shared a picture book world.”
We went on to define this topic: “Elements specific to a shared picture booksuch as illustrations, words, or character actions come to hold special meaning, clear
only to those who shared the book. When rereading the book, or even when not actuallyreading it, this shared ‘insider knowledge’ is enjoyed.”
Once a number of main topics had emerged, we grouped the topics into categories;
considered relationships among topics and categories; and summed up our work.3

3

Regarding methods for qualitative analysis, we consulted the books Live Lecture: What is Qualitative Research?
SCQRM Basic (Shinyosha, 2007) and Live Lecture: What is Qualitative Research? SCQRM Advanced (Shinyosha,2008) by Takeo Saijo.

What Does Bookstart Accomplish in Japan? A Research Report
Bookstart Japan, August 2021

7
After this step, we asked for additional input from Dr. Hiroko Sasaki whose researchover many years has focused on connections between picture books and thedevelopmental psychology of infants. What conclusions could we draw from theportraits of babies and carers, and of parent-child relationships, which we had gathered?
Dr. Sasaki provided an invaluable perspective, as someone who deeply respects theindividuality of each child, and as someone who can objectively yet warmly observe
parent-child relationships.
For each episode description, we expressed the child’s name in phonetics (not in
ideograms that would identify the individual). We listed each adult observer—whether
a specially engaged participant, a newsletter contributor, or a website contributor—as:
Name in phonetics, relationship to child, child’s place in birth order/gender. We listed
adults who responded to the free writing portion of the survey as: Survey respondent,city (A–G), relationship to child, child’s place in birth order.
In cases where the title of a book used in an episode was clear, but not written, we added
the title.
For this English edition of our report, we have added photos and simple introductions of
the books mentioned. Japan is home to many picture books published especially forbabies and small toddlers, and we hope to share about just a few of them.
In addition, in cases where we knew the child’s age (in months or years), we included itwith the episode. The stage at which infants exhibit particular responses varies by
individual. The depth of adult-child communication also varies widely case to case.
While a number of the narratives we collected had points in common, there were also
some experiences reported by no more than one parent-child pair.
The purpose of Part I is not to elucidate patterns common for children of similar ages
sharing books with parents, or to give rules for how different books can or should beshared. We observed as many diverse ways of “sharing books” as there were adult-childpairs. Some book sharing led to a sense of universality; some gave a clear sense of
possibility around what picture book sharing can accomplish. We described key findings
without regard to infant age or how many cases matched one another.
The book sharing that unfolds between each carer and child is unique. Indeed, as regards
research on what sharing books accomplishes, it is possible that the more episodes one
collects, the more new topics one could amass. This analysis conveys many aspects ofwhat this practice can bring about, but we do not offer it as exhaustive.

Below, we report on what sharing books can accomplish for babies, caregivers, andparent-child relationships, with our discoveries from the reported episodes grouped
under five categories:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

Enriching the bonding process
Joys from sharing picture books
Support in parenting
Moments to pass down
Proof that we were alive together

I.2 Findings and Analysis
A) Enriching the bonding process
Newborns cannot talk or move as they wish; they may seem to do little but cry, so it ishard to know their thoughts. But in two to three years, not only do their bodies develop,
but they also begin to speak meaningfully and to engage in conversation. They grow toempathize and enjoy rich, even fun communication.
In these few years when infants grow at jaw-dropping speed, carers and others come toknow them and puzzle out how to relate to them, forming new bonds with these newhumans from scratch.
Our analysis showed that sharing picture books enriched this bonding process withenjoyment, delight, surprise, and awe.
❶ What it means to open a picture book with a baby
A newborn’s sense of hearing is fairly well developed, but its eyes—though they see—are said not to focus well. What meaning is there, then, in opening picture books withnewborns? They will not be experiencing the picture book’s world as we do.
Babies do, however, begin to show subtle reactions to illustrations that they see and thevoice that they hear. The episodes below show carers realizing this and interacting withthe babies in quiet wonder, as if exploring a totally new world.

What Does Bookstart Accomplish in Japan? A Research Report
Bookstart Japan, August 2021

8
◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
I read Can I Poo by Myself? (Yuichi Kimura; Kaiseisha) to my first son at age threemonths. When I exaggerated the mmm, mmm pushing sound, my son said mmm with me
two or three times. I was so surprised!
—Ms. Kobayashi, mother, first child/male◆ ◆Commentary by Dr. Hiroko Sasaki ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

Early Childhood Researcher and Professor Emerita, Naruto University of Education

Many first-time parents perceive that newborn babies “cry, feed, and repeat.” And it’strue that crying, feeding, and diaper changes take up most of a newborn’s waking hours!
But if parents can find some moments in which to notice, Wow, babies are amazing! I
believe that it profoundly affects the child-rearing experience.
When we take babies into nature and show them objects that change, babies open theireyes wide and show us what interests them. When we offer them soothing words andsongs face-to-face, and model gestures, and share smiles and comforting rhythms, they
respond. It is in this way that not-yet-verbal babies begin to communicate.

Front

Facing Pages

Can I Poo by Myself? (Hitori de unchi dekiru kana) 1989
A fun flap book all about succeeding on the potty or toilet.
◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

When my second son was about five months old, we read The Very Hungry Caterpillar(Eric Carle, trans. Hisashi Mori; Kaiseisha). My son put his face close to the strawberry
and licked it! On the food pages, he would grip the book with both hands, make chewing
motions, and drool. I had not yet started weaning him from breastmilk, but he always
drooled when seeing food at our house. I was surprised that he also reacted to food in
the book!
—Ms. Kobayashi, mother, second child/maleFront

The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Harapeko aomushi) 1976
Global bestseller first published in the US in 1969.
Vivid illustrations and pages with holes intrigue even babies.

Unfortunately, in our current times, it seems the passing-down of such nurturing ways
has been interrupted. The role that nursery rhymes and chants once played seems to havebeen taken up in part, however, by picture books. Picture books for babies often include
onomatopoeia, don’t they? And soft, singable, rhythmic words. These books may departfrom traditional rhymes, but they offer prose with its own fresh beats and melodies, andstimulating art, and I believe that they provide a valuable path for parent-baby
communication.
It is not the case, of course, that “earlier is always better” when it comes to picture books.
Every baby is an individual and needs lots of experiences and direct, playful interactions
while still little. So I don’t get hung up on the exact timing of “when baby should meet
picture books.”
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

A baby who once listened intently to a voice and showed subtle reactions, will gradually
begin to engage actively with books. Accordingly, the adult reader will begin to noticewhat about the books interests and appeals to the baby—and what doesn’t—and to
imagine more ways to delight the baby. The adult will be linking illustrations (lines,
shapes, colors), language, voice, and reading styles with the baby’s reactions, andworking hard to understand the infant. Such expressions of I want to know you are theroot of communication.

What Does Bookstart Accomplish in Japan? A Research Report
Bookstart Japan, August 2021

9
◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
One afternoon, I sat on the couch holding Akihiko and read him Gush, Gush, Rip, Rip(Noriko Matsui; Kaiseisha). It was the first time I read him a book, so I was excited as I
turned the pages. He listened to me with a very serious expression. Then, when I got to
the “airplane, zoom zoom” part, he said, “Ah!” I thought, Does he like the airplane?
Does he like the sound zoom zoom? I repeated the page, but he didn’t react the second
time.
—Ms. Makita, mother, third child/male

Front

Facing Pages

Gush, Gush, Rip, Rip (Jaajaa biribiri) 1983
Items that babies meet in real life appear in clear colors and shapeswith just-right onomatopoeia. Tiny enough for tots to hold.
◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

Just before she turned nine months, I read my daughter Toto Kek-koh! It’s Morning!
(illustrations by Setsuko Mashima, text by Emiko Kobayashi; Kogumasha), and she
excitedly said oooo and raised her hands at the part that says, “Good morning, Rooster!”
I was amazed at how well she was listening to the story and following the illustrations,and I got excited to read more picture books to her.
—Ms. Ono, mother, first child/female◆ ◆Commentary by Dr. Hiroko Sasaki ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
Sharing books with babies is so much more than just reading the story, isn’t it? When
we communicate with others, we never say only our side. It’s the same when sharing
books. Babies watch and listen to the books and react in different ways; adult readers
receive and respond to that. I think that’s really key.

An adult reader may realize, “Hmm, she looks hard at this illustration but not the others,”or, “She didn’t react this way at five months, but at ten months, she’s changed!” Whatmanner of speaking best encourages the little one to respond, and how does she respond,
and why? Adult readers begin to consider these angles as they present the book.
And as they do so again and again, mothers, fathers, grandparents, daycare teachers andothers come to see, “This is how this child thinks and feels,” or, “This is what’s
happening on the inside.” In other words, they come to know the child’s imaginationand individuality.
Spending time with babies essentially means making these discoveries and empathizing
and sympathizing. It’s crucial to catch on to who children are when we parent. If wecannot discover who they are, I worry that children can come to seem like nothing more
to us than time-consuming, noisy little creatures.
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・❷ The joy of realizing, “She got it!” “He understood!”
When a baby reaches the point of always responding to certain parts of a book, it’s athrill for the adult reader. Something the adult put in motion has drawn a clear responseand delighted the child! This makes the adult want to read the book aloud again.
◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

Front

Facing Pages

Toto Kek-koh! It’s Morning! (Toto kek-koh yo ga aketa) 2005
A rooster crows to awaken baby animals.
Based on a Japanese nursery rhyme, or warabe uta.

When I was a new mom, the first books I read to my son at a few months of age were
Nontan books (Sachiko Kiyono; Kaiseisha), which we had at home . . . At a surprisingpart in one, where I read oo-hyaah, my son chortled! I must have sounded silly. Anyway,
I wanted to hear his laugh again, so I remember reading the same thing over and over!
—Ms. Mizusawa, mother, first child/male

What Does Bookstart Accomplish in Japan? A Research Report
Bookstart Japan, August 2021

10

Front

Facing Pages

Front

Facing Pages

Nontan’s Silly Smiles (Nontan ninnin nikoniko) 1987
A baby book in the beloved Nontan series. Cute Nontan’s many
expressions plus rhythmical language will have tots calling out!

Beep Beep, Yeah! (Buu buu buu) 2007
Cars of all colors and shapes toot buu-buu, pah-pah as they drive by.
The sounds are easy to say, and easy for baby to hear.

◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
When Sakie was eight to ten months old, we would read her Oink (100%ORANGE;
Fukuinkan Shoten) every day and every night, whenever we had the time . . . Eager to
see the piglet that filled a whole spread, Sakie would restlessly try to turn pages, as if
saying, “Hurry, hurry!” When the piglet finally appeared, she would beam and say oogii! and laugh! We wanted to hear that laugh so much that my husband and I competed
to read Oink to her.
—Ms. Asano, mother, first child/female◆ ◆Commentary by Dr. Hiroko Sasaki ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
Dynamic picture book illustrations and onomatopoeic text can get a baby very excited.
The vocal sounds and rhythms the reader makes can cause him to respond (co-act) withhis whole body! This clear response gives the grown-up hints for next time and can leadto new rhythms, new melodies. Sharing books with babies is a truly mutual process ofgive-and-take and grooving together.
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

A baby’s first year is a time when communication can be hit-and-miss, as carers wonder,“Does he understand?” “Does she get it?” After all, a baby cannot yet confirm meaning
with words. But this makes the moments of realizing, “Ah! He understood!” or “Oh!
She got it!” all the sweeter. Such experiences leave a deep impression and are
surprisingly moving.
Front

Facing Pages

Oink (Bu-san no buu) 2005
Vivid, colorful, motion-filled illustrations show the daily doingsof a piglet, Bu-san. This picture book exudes childlike energy.
◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
In the second half of Beep Beep, Yeah! (Sachi Kokaze and Katsuji Wakisaka; Fukuinkan
Shoten) a truck appears. Before my son and I got to this truck page, he would always
hunker down as if preparing for the truck’s noise. It was so funny to watch him do this,that I would read it again and again!
—Survey respondent, city D, mother, first child◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
Early on when we read A Book of Cars (Tadayoshi Yamamoto; Fukuinkan Shoten), myson would recognize regular cars as “Papa’s” but also say “Papa” for taxis, so I would
tell him, “No, these cars have a square thing on their heads, so they’re taxis.”

I said this during my son’s babyhood without really expecting that he would understand,but once he was a year old, every time we said “taxi,” he would tap his head with his
hands. Why? we wondered. Then, I realized I had told him about taxis with something
on their heads, while tapping on his head.
For the first time in my life, I was completely astounded. Something I had only wondered
if he’d heard, if he’d understood, had gotten through. He hadn’t been able to say so inwords, but once he grew, it was like he informed me, “Hey, I was listening, you know.”—Ms. Koda, mother, first child/male

What Does Bookstart Accomplish in Japan? A Research Report
Bookstart Japan, August 2021

11

Front

Facing Pages

A Book of Cars (Zukan jidosha) 1981
An encyclopedia-like picture book showing different automobiles in detail.
Photo-realistic but warm; a long seller popular with kids.
◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
When my son was about one, we gathered shiso leaves together outdoors. Then he wentby himself to the bookshelf, took out a book, and opened it to a page about shiso leaves!
I was so moved to see that he had understood, and so well! that I was speechless andeven grew tearful.
—Ms. Ozawa, mother, first son/male◆ ◆Commentary by Dr. Hiroko Sasaki ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

As in the taxi example, there are times when we wonder, “What is this child doing?”—
and then suddenly, we get it! And we find that the child’s activity can only be understoodby someone who has read picture books with him. That makes our amazement evenmore profound, doesn’t it?
I think it’s crucial for parents to have these epiphanies and taste this amazement. Parents,
after all, are discovering how little beings called children process their world in the
different stages of babyhood and toddlerhood. Adults’ learning can even lead to awe thatshoots through the whole body! This is the magic of babies’ first and second year.
These experiences also train adult readers of picture books to take in the world throughchildren’s eyes. The things children do can remind adults of their own life paths—andmay even give them the joy of living life over again, with the child.
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・❸ Understanding due to having shared a picture book world
Babies gradually begin to interact actively with adult readers, showing that they enjoy
reading books together. Moments of shared recognition (“Hey, that’s just like that!”)give babies special pleasure. Through sharing these moments, baby and adult come toenjoy true mutual communication.

◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
I read Beep Beep, Yeah! so often, even memorizing it and quoting it outdoors, that mychild began to point whenever he saw a red car or a blue car! He also realized that our
TV remote had the same colors on it, and he brought the book over to show me. It was
as if he was teaching me, “It’s the same!!” with all his might.
—Survey respondent, city D, mother, first child◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
When my daughter was about nine months, she began to point to things and say, “Ah!
Ah!” when inside the house or on walks. I would answer, “That’s a toot-toot!” or,“That’s a bow-wow!” or, “That’s a gush-gush!” Without realizing it, the two of us wereconfirming with each other that certain things had also appeared in Gush, Gush, Rip, Rip(Noriko Matsui; Kaiseisha).
—Ms. Ichihara, mother, first child/female◆ ◆Commentary by Dr. Hiroko Sasaki ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
With media other than picture books, small children don’t really need another person.
They can press a button or play alone. But to explore the world of a picture book fully,
they have to have the involvement of someone else. They have to have a big person read
aloud in their own voice and enter the same world as the child. Because of this, the childcan relax and know, “This person gets it, too.” The person reading is often also someone
who shares life experiences with the child, who can relate them to the book in endlessways. This makes it so interesting!
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

Experiences shared while reading a picture book can also lead to play that only the adultreader and child understand. The book’s illustrations, words, and actions may take on
special meanings to the two, and this itself makes the time spent sharing the book, andtime spent without the book, even more special.
◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
My daughter’s favorite part of Jump! (Tatsuhide Matsuoka; Poplar) is where it says,“The snail . . . can’t jump.” She and I would fall over and be silly there, so even after
she turned one and began running around, there were times when we would say, “Thesnail . . .” and just flop down as if to respond, “can’t jump.”—Ms. Ichihara, mother, first child/female

What Does Bookstart Accomplish in Japan? A Research Report
Bookstart Japan, August 2021

12
◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
At the end of Go Go Momon-chan (Kazuhiko Toyota; Doshinsha) there’s a scene where
the little girl leaps into her mother’s arms to the sound of do-o-on. My daughter and I
both loved this, and even now that she’s six, if I stretch out my arms while standing at a
distance, she’ll race to me saying do-o-on.
—Ms. Ichihara, mother, first child/female

Front

Last page

Go Go Momon-chan (Dondoko Momon-chan) 2001
Little Momon-chan runs to a rhythmic beat over a bridge, up a hill,smack into a bear, and straight into her mother’s arms.
◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
After my daughter turned two, we read Little Onion (Keiko Sena; Kinnohoshisha). On
the page where the mouse appears in the kitchen, there is no text, but the first time weread it, we looked at each other. After that, every time we reread it, we would look at
each other there as if saying, “Ah! There’s the mouse!”—Ms. Takezawa, mother, second child/female◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
When our daughter was about a year and three months, we began reading Beep, Beep,
I’m Backing Up (Ken Katayama; Fukuinkan Shoten). As the animals say “beep” andback up in the book, they draw crayon lines. My husband liked this and would read it ina trademark way, so our daughter always smiled and enjoyed it.

One day when she was getting surer on her feet, my husband asked her to change
location, saying, “Come over here, Micchan!” She did not move, even when he asked
several times. Then he tried saying, “Micchan, please beep and back up!” and she moved
instantly. After this, asking someone to “beep and back up” became like family code.
Even now that our daughter can say the same thing other ways, she will still say to me,“Mama, please beep and back up.”—Ms. Kuwata, mother, first child/female

Front

Facing pages

Beep, Beep, I’m Backing Up (Piipii bakku shimaasu) 2010 Out of stock
While backing up and drawing a line on the ground, thud! Somebody bumps.
Animals’ fun antics invite imitation.
◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

Front

Facing Pages

Little Onion (Chiisana tamanegi-san) 1977
Familiar kitchen tools and vegetables are the main charactersin this collage picture book. The funny story draws in even adults.
◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
Out in our yard, when I said to try digging with a shovel, our daughter said, “Like Baby
Bear?” This was delightful, like a secret sign of our relationship due to sharing picture
books. I was also amazed that she’d connected so strongly with a scene in a book.
—Ms. Kusano, mother, first child/female

On my daughter’s first birthday, her daycare center gave her the book Daruma-san’s(Hiroshi Kagakui; Bronze Shinsha) which was often read aloud at daycare. We opened
it together right away . . . what glee! On the pages showing Daruma-san’s hand, teeth,and hair, my daughter showed me her own palm, opened wide to show me her teeth, andreached up to touch her hair; she tried to say the names of all of these, her voice growing
louder and louder.
The last page almost shows Daruma-san’s rear end, but then asks—does a Daruma dollhave a rear end? I watched for my daughter’s reaction, thinking she might point to herrear, but she didn’t. Instead, she shook her head. “What didn’t she like?” I wondered, asI started to read the book again. Once more, when we reached the last page, she shook
her head. Finally, I realized that she meant, “No, he doesn’t have one!” I confirmed, “Norear end, right?” and she looked at me with the smuggest expression. I guess at daycare,shaking heads and saying “none, none!” was what they always did on that page.
—Ms. Ono, mother, first child/female
What Does Bookstart Accomplish in Japan? A Research Report
Bookstart Japan, August 2021

13
❹ When the picture book world and the real world connect

Front

Facing pages

Daruma-san’s (Daruma-san no) 2008
Part of a series about a good-luck Daruma doll, which gets kids
having fun with their whole bodies. Unique, charming illustrations.
◆ ◆Commentary by Dr. Hiroko Sasaki ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

Keeping a secret with someone is an early way to experience mutual understanding. The
secret might be kept at first with only a mother or a father, and then spread to a sibling,
grandmother, or grandfather, and even become family code like, “Please beep and backup!” Beyond that, the sharing can include friends or new people one meets. Children in
daycares and preschools can experience this in a group. In this way, a child’s world
expands greatly. In cases where a child has a group experience that she brings home, it
must happen often that the adults at home don’t know what a child means at first!
Picture books bring about a phenomenon called joint attention, in which one person
takes interest in something because it interests the other, and vice versa. This is the very
foundation of cooperation, which is critical to humanity. Each person absorbs someone
else’s thinking and offers their own.
When we open picture books with babies, they look at the books and at our faces, don’t
they? Looking hard at the adult reader’s reactions, they are taking in human emotion andfiguring out how the world works. If the person reading with them says, “This is silly!”
and laughs, they may feel secure that it’s OK to laugh here—or they may think this stuff
makes this person laugh, but I don’t think it’s funny! Human expressions of sadness,anger, surprise, disappointment, and humor are not innate; they must be taught, and they
are terribly important.
The ability for a parent and child, a family, and a local community to find meaning incommon things is important for society. Where we find meaning will differ by culture,of course. Babies are at the absolute beginning of learning all of society’s codes, signals,
information, and signs via their physical bodies. The picture book is one of the mostenjoyable tools we have to help them share more in common with other people, and togrow able to cooperate.

A slightly older baby will move between the picture book world and the real world,
almost as if no border divides them. While playing with the baby, the reader will observeand ponder, “How must the world appear to this child right now?”◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
While we were doing other things, I would sometimes quote a phrase from a picture
book, and my daughter would go get it . . . If she did something naughty and I got sternand said “angry face,” she would go get Face, Face, Which Face? (Ryohei Yanagihara;
Kogumasha).
It was interesting to see her take in a phrase, suddenly understand, and then go get thebook.
—Ms. Ishigami, mother, first child/female

Front

Facing pages

Face, Face, Which Face? (Kao kao donna kao) 1988
Angry face, ornery face, happy face, concerned face.
Faces with different expressions fill up the pages, fascinating babies.
◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
Shortly after my daughter turned one . . . I thought it was interesting how she started toconnect the picture book world and the real world. For example,
when we read Fruits (Kazuko Hirayama; Fukuinkan Shoten) and saw a mikan orange inthe book, she went to the next room and got a real mikan, as if to say, “It’s this thing,right?” When we read What Appears From Inside the Eggs? (Toshiko Kanzawa and
Genichiro Yagyu; Fukuinkan Shoten) and said the phrase “come on out,” she beckoned
with her hands as if to say “come!” She was linking the everyday and picture bookworlds.
Once, when we read Polar Bear’s Pancakes (Hisashi Mori, Yoshiomi Wada, Ken
Wakayama; Kogumasha), she said, “This is Mama’s,” and I wondered what she meant.
It turned out that the vase in the book was the same color and shape as my mug!
—Ms. Kusano, mother, first child/girl・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

What Does Bookstart Accomplish in Japan? A Research Report
Bookstart Japan, August 2021

14
❺ Discovering a child’s individuality

Front

Facing pages

Fruits (Kudamono) 1981
Fresh fruits are illustrated just like the real thing.
When the reader says “Here you go!” babies drool and reach out their hands!
◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

Watching my daughter, I notice that her enjoyment doubles when life experiences makeher familiar with an item in a book, such as when we eat a banana and then find a banana
in a picture book. Due to this, I’ve been trying to give her as many real experiences ofthings she discovers in books as I can. For example, after she saw a penguin in a picture
book, I took her to the aquarium, and after she saw a seesaw in a picture book, I took
her to the park to try a seesaw. When a watermelon appeared in a picture book, we went
to buy a watermelon at the greengrocer’s. Before my daughter could talk, all of thismainly felt good to me, but now that she speaks, she’ll point at a cat in a book and remarkthat the kitty we saw on a walk was “so cute,” or she’ll remember the time at thegreengrocer’s and ask, “Are they all out of watermelons?”—Ms. Kuwata, mother, first child/daughter◆ ◆Commentary by Dr. Hiroko Sasaki ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
Children often react to words from picture books that come up in conversation, don’t
they? Or at the supermarket, they’ll point to a food they saw in a book, as if to say,
“There it is!” This happens not just with words, but also with daily activities.

It’s as if children’s neurons are connecting right there in front of us, as they link book tobook and items within books (images, words, conditions) to items in the real world. It’s
not that they are accessing imagination and reality at will; rather, it’s as if they enter into
a complex fabric woven of the two.
As adults watch children do this, full of life, they join in and the picture books begin toexpand everyone’s imaginations. Even if children are just over a year old, they can forgetthe here and now and get lost in a book, placing themselves within it. When you think
about it, that’s an amazing thing to be able to do!
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

Through sharing books, the adult reader has the opportunity to pick up on aspects of theinfant’s personality. Even a tiny baby is an individual, distinct from siblings and thereader.
◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
When my son was a year and two months old, he would often pull out The Very Hungry
Caterpillar, but not for an adult to read. He would sit by himself and look at it. I was
surprised, because his older sister had always been the type to beg me, “Read! Read!”—Ms. Doi, mother, first child/female, second child/male◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
I Love Shampoo; Can I Poo by Myself?; Can You Reply? and Fun Brushing Teeth(Yuichi Kimura; Kaiseisha) . . . each of these books has a flap on every page. My
daughter would always scrupulously return the flap to its original position before
moving on. I had thought she was more relaxed about such things than her brother, but
this behavior showed me I was incorrect.
—Ms. Takezawa, mother, first child/male, second child/female◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
My daughter would often bring a picture book that I myself would not have chosen,saying, “Read!” And she did not react with as much delight as I expected to books that
I liked, or to bestsellers. Watching her, I reflected that I needed to look beyond what is
generally judged to be “good”—and beyond my own tastes—and value her perspective
and individuality.
—Ms. Kuwata, mother, first child/female◆ ◆Commentary by Dr. Hiroko Sasaki ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

In Japan, I think we tend to want our child to be the same as the child next door. We
want what is “normal,” and we compare our child with others. And we often define
discipline or education as making children do what adults say. The idea of affirming
children as individuals and communicating with them as such, is not really emphasized.
But even small babies are humans with distinct ways of looking and thinking. Somebabies won’t drink formula unless it’s almost hot, while others like it tepid. Some babies
sleep soundly at night, while others get hungry and cry several times. Second or thirdchildren act differently as babies than their older siblings did.
What Does Bookstart Accomplish in Japan? A Research Report
Bookstart Japan, August 2021

15
When we share picture books, we sometimes notice that a baby responds differently thanwe expected. It’s as if they’re telling us, “I didn’t feel that way about it,” or, “I didn’t
interpret it like you did.” A child may dislike a book that a parent likes, or vice versa.
This can lead to discoveries: “This child tends to act this way.” “Wow, this one’s reallydifferent than big brother.”
And this is neither good nor bad; it’s nothing to do with norms of our time. Rather thanpushing the norms of today on our children—after all, norms will change in a few
decades—we can maintain a respectful distance, believing that if children make theirown choices, they will develop their own new norms. We can walk with them on thatjourney.
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

Some babies are not interested in picture books. There are babies who love picture books
instantly, babies who grow to like them later, and babies who remain indifferent to them.
Even these cases show how picture books help us discover aspects of babies’
individuality.

◆ ◆Commentary by Dr. Hiroko Sasaki ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
We often have a sense that it’s better to read books than not, possibly because we
associate books with knowledge and usefulness. We want our children to read.

We also expect sometimes that, “If children meet this book at this time, they’ll grow up
in this way,” or, “If we start reading to them earlier, they’ll be able to talk earlier andread on their own earlier.” We see them as all climbing the same set of stairs, I think.
But children do not follow one route.
“My child loved picture books in toddlerhood but stopped reading in grade school.” I
hear this often, and I also hear of people who didn’t meet books as infants who adore
them as adults. Books are not something that we must start reading early, and if we don’t
we’ll fall behind, and if we don’t it’ll be bad.
If we read books to babies with the ultimate goal of making them into readers, we’regoing to hit a wall. With babies, picture books are just one fun tool that we can use toenrich the parent-child bond. We need to relax and let that be all we’re trying to do when
we share books together.

◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

When our baby was born, I planned to share lots of picture books with him, and I readto him often until he began to crawl. But now that he’s able to move on his own, heseems to have lost interest. He often turns me down when I offer to read a book. He
seems to enjoy playing with toys more.
—Ms. Mori, mother, first child/male◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

At a year and seven months, my son still doesn’t respond much to picture books. He will
randomly turn the pages or shut the book in the middle, so I can’t read to him for long.
He even tears the pages. Since reading a story page-by-page doesn’t work right now,
we’re dipping into lots of animal books without storylines.
—Survey respondent, city D, mother, first child◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

I think read-aloud is important and have always been keen on it. But my baby showedzero interest and really only chewed the books until the age of a year and four months. I
wanted to use books to communicate with him but found myself reading alone, and I got
dispirited. Starting at a year and six months, my child would bring books for me to readbut then tire of them quickly.
—Survey respondent, city C, mother, first child

Naturally, there will be children who dislike picture books, or who are indifferent. These
children may be seeking a more immediate type of stimulus in their lives. Some children
play intently with blocks, some children love music, and some children enjoy pretend
play with stuffed animals. This is their individuality.
Small children have the capacity to choose whether or not to read a book. I think weneed to believe in them by allowing for this. Sharing books is only one way we canrespond to a little one who is surveying many options and saying, “Let’s look at this!”
Picture book sharing is not something to force.
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

B) New joys from sharing picture books
Sharing books with children can infuse parenting with many joys. The act of opening a
picture book and enjoying its world together can make a day and, over time, many days,
just that little bit happier. In this section, we note some kinds of delight that are
particularly accessible through the medium of the picture book.

What Does Bookstart Accomplish in Japan? A Research Report
Bookstart Japan, August 2021

16
in ways possible at their age. It’s fun to be around them doing this! When we sharepicture books with them, we get to enjoy lots of these moments.

❶ Enjoyment of back-and-forth
There are many ways to enjoy a picture book with an infant besides just opening it up
and reading. Particularly during the stage before the book’s meaning becomes accessible
to the child, back-and-forth communication via the book becomes key. This back-andforth lends variety to our ways of being with baby.
◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

We received Stuck Together (Taro Miura; Kogumasha) from Bookstart. Our interactions
grew to include lots of hand-squeezing, kisses, and pressing cheeks together.
—Survey respondent, city F, mother, first child

Front

Facing pages

Stuck Together (Kutsuita) 2005
Simple illustrations and rhythmic text show different animal pairs“stuck together.” The end shows baby and adult stuck—let’s try it!
◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

When we read Gush, Gush, Rip, Rip and I say “water,” my child will say jaajaa. WhenI say “train crossing,” my child will say kankankan. It’s not just about understanding—it’s about play between the two of us with words. It’s so much fun!
—Survey respondent, city B, mother, first child◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
We’ve read the book we got from Bookstart so many times that I can say it from memory
at bedtime after darkening the room. My child will smile and clap at favorite phrases,
surely imagining the illustrations even though not looking at them. I feel like we’ve
discovered another great thing about picture books.
—Survey respondent, city D, mother, first child・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・❷ Happiness at being a dad
Fathers tend to spend less time with children than mothers, but it seems that sharing
picture books helps them to experience the joys of parenthood.
◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
Picture books are really helping father-child communication at our house. When Daddy
comes home, our child brings the book and plops in his lap to be read to right away.
—Survey respondent, city D, mother, first child◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
Papa doesn’t get to play with our daughter much on weekdays. But when they open up
their favorite picture books together, they’re whisked away into a world all their own
and having a great time.
—Ms. Doi, mother, first child/female◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

That night when we read Jump! and I said “the frog . . . jumps!” I raised the book highover my daughter’s head at the word “jumps!” She cackled as she looked up at the frog.
Next, I read “the cat . . . jumps!” and she did the exact same thing! I got into it too then,and when we turned the next page, I held the book way up high and read, “The dog
goes . . . boioioioioing!” She cackled kya-ha-ha-ha! and turned all the way over on thefuton. When I remember that time, no matter what I’m going through, I grin.
—Mr. Doi, father, first child/female◆ ◆Commentary by Dr. Hiroko Sasaki ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
The more we set children free, the more they show us who they are and say and do
intriguing things. Even small children will express feelings, experiences, and thoughts

What Does Bookstart Accomplish in Japan? A Research Report
Bookstart Japan, August 2021

17
he is expressing something deep here—it’s not just that he thinks his child is cute. It’s
as if the experience has lit a fire under him that keeps him going in his life.
I think the elemental joy gained in interactions like this is what has kept humanity going
all this time, despite fighting, wars, and persecution. “If I can just have this in my life, I
can live on!” This changes everything and completely widens our worlds, I think.

Front

Pages opened upwards

Jump! (Pyo-on) 2000
A small book that opens upward. A succession of still creatures
jump mightily when pages are turned, filling entire spreads!
◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

When we read Peek-a-Boo (Miyoko Matsutani and Yasuo Segawa; Doshinsha) and I
said, “Peek-a,” she answered, “Boo!” That was our first conversation. When she said
“bow-wow” and pointed to the illustration of a dog, that was the first time she
communicated with me using a word. For dads who only get to see their kids in theevenings, read-aloud is a great way to these “firsts.”—Mr. Hashimoto, father, first child/female

There are times when we receive this elemental energy even from small, pre-verbal
babies. We almost want to tell them, “Thank you for letting me raise you. Spending timewith you has given my life a whole new meaning.” The father in the above example isunintentionally expressing exactly that, I think.
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・❸ Growth in both child and adult
It is easy to miss small signs of growth in babies in daily life, but books can help us spotthese signs and remember them. Especially when it comes to linguistic, cognitive, andemotional growth, picture books can help us see even subtle changes.
◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
Through picture books, I learned that my child knew numbers, colors, and living
creatures. I could clearly sense the growth.
—Survey respondent, city D, mother, first child◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

Front

Facing pages

Peek-a-Boo (Inai inai baa) 1967
The fun of peek-a-boo comes through with partial sentences that
require a page turn—boo! A forerunner among books for babies,
this classic reached 7 million copies in print in November 2020.
◆ ◆Commentary by Dr. Hiroko Sasaki ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

I’m interested in the statement by the dad who read Jump!—“When I remember thattime, no matter what I’m going through, I grin.” I wonder what exactly led to this. Was
it the joy of making his daughter happy? The joy of seeing her so happy that she turned
right over? The awe at feeling something from the bottom of their hearts? I sense thatAt first our child only listened to books, but as the months passed, listening turned tolaughing, turning pages, and mimicking actions!
—Survey respondent, city E, mother, first child◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
Lately . . . my daughter will open a book and mutter, “There were Little Daruma andLittle Kaminari. Roarrrr, the lightning struck!” She’ll act as if she’s reading the book,which makes me laugh. Also, if I’m reading and make a mistake, she’ll say, “That’s
wrong!” I’m amazed by how well she remembers and how she’s grown.
—Ms. Kusano, mother, first child/female

What Does Bookstart Accomplish in Japan? A Research Report
Bookstart Japan, August 2021

18
◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
At eleven months I read her Who Is It? (Hiroshi Tada; Bunka Shuppankyoku), and she
began clapping at the clap-clap-clap part. She showed through actions that she
understood the book.
—Ms. Tsuchiya, mother, first child/female

Front

Facing pages

Chug Chug Train (Gatan goton gatan goton) 1987
A steam train rolls down the track with rhythmical sounds. As each page turns,
more passengers get on. A picture book with feel-good repetition.
Front

Facing pages◆ ◆Commentary by Dr. Hiroko Sasaki ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

Who Is It? (Dare kashira) 1972
Upon hearing a knock and opening the door, one finds animals
arriving with birthday gifts! A fun book about welcoming guests.

If picture books are organized as a back-and-forth, children will literally “share” intelling the story. As children’s memory develops, the back-and-forth grows more
complex.

Sometimes, picture books bring not only fun and chances for children to grow, but also
opportunities for adults to reflect.

There is sharing with riddle-like text, and sharing when the text asks questions; there issharing when we read picture books while comparing them to reality. The kinds ofsharing can grow deeper and more numerous, to the point where the child surprises theadults with interpretive variations. The adult learns so much about the child’s growthand individuality this way!

◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
One book we added to our shelves right after our daughter’s birth was Chug Chug Train(Mizumaru Anzai; Fukuinkan Shoten). Before our daughter turned one, she showed very
little interest in it. But by the time she was about a year and seven or eight months, thisbook was a big hit . . . This is just a guess, but around the same time, she began to havemore chances to see and ride trains, so I think they were more familiar to her. It wasinteresting how her response to the same book changed in tandem with her growth . . .
And now that she’s two and good at talking, her imitations of me reading the book arestopping me in my tracks. My ad-libs (“all right,” “OK,” and “after you” when the
animals say “let me on!”) come from her mouth sounding exactly like me! It shows methat she really pays attention to my words and actions, which is sobering.
—Ms. Kuwata, mother, first child/female

What’s interesting about book sharing, is that the child also takes in the adult’s
unintended gestures and expressions and becomes able to mirror them, so that the adultsuddenly sees him-/herself! This can make us blush or want to change our ways!
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・❹ Joy in shared child-rearing
The process of child-rearing is also a process of parent-growing, and parenthood is far
more fun when we share it with a partner. Together we watch our children, work withthem, take pleasure in their growth, and share these pleasures as spouses. Sharing bookswith children gives parents a chance to observe each other, and such sharing also creates
opportunities to enjoy child-rearing together.
◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
Around the time Hiroshi became able to sit up, I read him Peek-a-Boo. He stared hardat the bear on the cover. We opened it and looked at the cat, the mouse, the bear . . . andthen he reached out and grabbed the book! He turned back to the cover and touched thebear, and then returned to the page with the bear. I was so proud that he realized the bear

What Does Bookstart Accomplish in Japan? A Research Report
Bookstart Japan, August 2021

19
on the cover was the same as the bear inside!! I read it to him again, and he did the exact
same thing. When my husband came home and I told him this, he said “really?” anddidn’t seem interested. But then, later, when we were choosing clothes for our son at thestore, my husband picked out clothes with bears on them. When I asked him why, hesaid, “Because he likes bears.” I thought, So you’re super proud too.
—Ms. Kobayashi, mother, second child/male◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・(Sometime after starting to read with baby at two months) our daughter was lying on her
back and smiling and watching me as I read, and she vocalized as if trying to speak alongwith me. When both my husband and I praised her, she beamed so brightly!
—Ms. Suzuki, mother, first child/female◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

Recently when reading Friends (Helen Oxenbury; Bunka Shuppankyoku), my husband
has been adding slow phrases with special intonation for our daughter, one year and twomonths: “Frie-e-ends with Rabbit,” “Frie-e-ends with Cat.” Our daughter will vocalize
the ends of phrases with him, her head tilted to one side as she looks deep into his eyes,smiling. I love to watch them! When I read to her, I can’t always watch her expressions
and movements, so this is my chance to be the audience.
—Ms. Ono, mother, first child/female◆ ◆Commentary by Dr. Hiroko Sasaki ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
In the vignette above where the mother thinks, So you’re super proud too, we see a father
who seems indifferent but actually listens quite carefully. The mother can see he ismaking efforts in his own way, and the family bonds over a picture book.

While fathers might have all sorts of thoughts and feelings about their children, when
they have limited time in which to share them, they don’t get to be the great dads they
could be, which is unfortunate. Lately, some read-aloud circles and other initiatives forfathers have been taking off, and if support on blogs and Twitter increases, I believe thatfathers’ interest in reading with small children will only accelerate. I think many mothers
are waiting eagerly to see what happens when it does.
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

C) Support in parenting
Picture book moments with babies can be a great support to caregivers. There are times
when books can calm infants like nothing else, and there are times when books can help
adults to cope with child-rearing struggles. Above all, amid the rush of everyday life,
books provide carers and babies with moments in which to visit another world.
❶ Tool to help parent and child relax
When babies are unhappy and will not stop crying, it sometimes happens that opening a
picture book will soothe them.

Front

Friends (Tomodachi) 1981
Quirky friends (animals) and a baby who greets each one.
Gentle illustrations feature a light touch. Small so baby can hold.
◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

As each day flies by, the time we spend relaxed around a picture book is precious. The
way we can listen to each other’s voices and interact at our own pace has very different
benefits from TV. I have a photo I love, of my husband and daughter reading a picturebook together and laughing. These smiling faces are the real pleasure in picture booksharing, I think.
—Ms. Kusano, mother, first child/female◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
It’s been two years since my child was born, and picture books have been with us thewhole way. Now, when my daughter is sleepy or fussy, if I say, “Shall we read a book?”she perks up right away. It seems that these books are connected with peace in her heart.
—Ms. Maruyama, mother, first child/female◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
My child loved the book we received from Bookstart. If I read it when he cried or got
into a foul mood, he would stop crying right away and get excited.
—Survey respondent, city B, mother, first child

What Does Bookstart Accomplish in Japan? A Research Report
Bookstart Japan, August 2021

20
◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
When my baby daughter fusses and I can’t seem to comfort her, I’ll say, “Who’s in it,
who’s in it?” and open the book Who’s in It? (Akiko Hayashi, Fukuinkan Shoten). She
will look steadily at the book, watch my hand turn the pages, chew the corner of a page,or whack it a bit with her hand, and then her smile will come back. This makes me feelbetter, too.
—Ms. Ichihara, mother, first child/female

Front

Facing Pages

Who’s in It? (Dete koi dete koi) 1998
“Somebody’s hiding. Come out, come out!” At this, animals come out
from behind colored paper. Beautiful colors, papercut-like art.
◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

When my daughter suddenly starts crying and I can’t comfort her, I’ll try different things
to change her mood, like taking her to the window, going outside, fanning her, singing
to her, or squeezing a toy that squeaks. Sometimes I’ll even give her “grown-up things”
like my phone or keys. But picture books also help.
Once, I remember wanting to change the “scenery” she was seeing, so I got the slightly
oversized, vividly colored book Moko Mokomoko (Shuntaro Tanikawa and Sadamasa
Motonaga; Bunken Shuppan) and opened it for her suddenly. She stopped crying
instantly, her attention focused on the book, and I felt so relieved: Ah, it worked!
Naturally, opening a picture book doesn’t stop her crying every time, but looking at anew, colorful world and hearing words with rhythm really seems to help change hermood. I am sure that I will keep turning to picture books for help when she cries.
—Ms. Ono, mother, first child/female

Front

Facing pages

Moko Mokomoko (Moko mokomoko) 1977
Oversize picture book featuring vivid art that fills the pages.
Oddly shaped beings change shape to the sound of onomatopoeia.
◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
When my child fusses at bedtime, if I let her hear the words of a picture book that wehave memorized, she will grow quiet. Rather than staying fussy, we can be calmed by
the text we know from our time reading together. This is good for me too in lots of ways.
—Survey respondent, city B, mother, first child

As noted in the episode above, sharing books can soothe not only fussy babies but also
caregivers, naturally bringing them back to a relaxed state.
◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

When I’m irritable, if I read a picture book aloud, my child will smile. Seeing this, I willreflect on my anger and hug my little one tight. I think picture books are essential for
our life.
—Survey respondent, city E, mother, second child◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

I was not good at reading books aloud, but for my child, I tried it bit by bit, once per day
if possible, and got to where I enjoyed it, too. I realized that when reading aloud, I was
more relaxed than at any other time. I may have thought that I was reading aloud for thechild, but maybe it was more for me.
—Survey respondent, city D, mother, second child◆ ◆Commentary by Dr. Hiroko Sasaki ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
It’s true that when babies are fussy, opening a picture book can calm them down. It’s
like we’re saying, “Let’s get out of this un-fun world and start fresh in a new one, shallwe?” Also, at times like when we have to take a child to the doctor, we often take afavorite book along, don’t we? It’s like we’re saying, “OK, we’re getting help

What Does Bookstart Accomplish in Japan? A Research Report
Bookstart Japan, August 2021

21
somewhere else, but we’re taking something with us from home, so it’s not so scary.”It’s interesting, isn’t it, how the picture book can be a different world or a familiar world?
These changes-of-scene, so to speak, can often also come from a song or a toy (doll,
stuffed animal, blocks, etc.). But picture books differ from those, in that these are tools
an adult can easily share with the child. There’s no taking-out or putting-away
required—just a quiet opening, turning of pages, and closing. This time can really servea special function for us.
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・❷ Tool to facilitate self-reflection
When raising a child, all sorts of worries and difficulties arise. When the baby is tiny,
growth and development are big concerns. When the baby is bigger, its relationships
with siblings, the parent’s work-life balance, and discipline can become issues. Sharing
books can take us away from worry and stress, away from conflict and confusion, backtoward ease and nonchalance. That is due in part to the silent self-reflection a caregivercan engage in, thanks to the picture book and its characters.
◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
We began reading Little Spoon (Miyoko Matsutani and Kei Tokoji; Doshinsha) just after
my daughter turned six months old, when I began feeding her solid foods. I read thisbook to her often, because she wasn’t eating her solids very well. Looking back, I
probably needn’t have worried as much as I did, but at the time, as a new mom, I wouldgrow anxious and panicky whenever I saw other children of the same age eating heartily.
This lovely book soothed me, somehow making it so that even if my daughter ate only
one bite, I could still say, “Ah, yummy!” and stroke her head.
—Ms. Ichihara mother, first child/female

Front

Facing pages

Little Spoon (Osaji-san) 1969
Eating porridge with a spoon may be an everyday occurrence,but it can also be a mini story for children, as this book reminds us.

◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
While not born underweight, my newborn did not grow quickly, and as a first-timeparent, I found myself in a daily panic. I worried that my breastmilk was inadequate,
and I stressed constantly about food and feeding. At first, I even forgot about the picturebook I had received from Bookstart.

At about six months, however, I remembered the book and read it with my daughter.
The moment I opened it, her eyes were glued to the pages. I distinctly recall noticing
this . . .
For her first half-year of life, I had worried only about her growth on the outside, but
after we started reading picture books, every time I read to her and watched her respond,
it was as if scales fell from my eyes. She would point, say “ah ah,” and even say the endof Stuck Together with me. Books became a part of her growing-up ever afterward.
—Ms. Okubo, mother, first child/female◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

Shunta did not usually show interest in picture books, but after he turned one, I decided
to make them part of his bedtime routine. I wanted to get some use out of the picture
books we had in the house, and I believed that if I got into bed and snuggled and read to
Shunta slowly, he would settle down and drop off to sleep.
When I read to him, though, he got totally out of the mood to sleep! Instead, he grew
more alert. I heard from somebody that I should try reading him a slow-paced bookabout sleep, so I purchased Night Night, Kokko (Ken Katayama; Fukuinkan Shoten).
The first several times I read this, Shunta listened quietly, but then he started not wanting
it and soon, when I took it in my hand, he would say “not this book!” and throw it to thefloor! The book may just not have suited his taste, but I think he probably sensed myscheme to get him to go to sleep. After that, I let him choose the book, no matter what itwas. And I decided that even if he fell asleep late, I could only see him on mornings andevenings of weekdays, so I wanted to make bedtime enjoyable. I saw that if I used picture
books only to teach him or to make him do things, that would be nothing but my adultego at work.
—Ms. Mori, mother, first child/male

What Does Bookstart Accomplish in Japan? A Research Report
Bookstart Japan, August 2021

22
◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
When I got home from my job, our house would always go into uproar. Life was crazy,and my irregular work schedule meant I had less time to spend with Koji . . . One day,after I read him I Love Mama (Michio Mado and Setsuko Mashima; Kogumasha) for the
first time in a while, he looked through the book again by himself and stopped on thepage where the mother feeds the chicks in the nest. Near the chicks are the words, “Ah,it’s Mama, it’s mama.” He might have loved that illustration because the backdrop
behind the nest is green, his favorite color. But he kept looking mainly at that page . . .
Lately, he will also enjoy other pages and books, but before he sleeps, the chick page isstill what settles him. He will say “Maa-ma” while he looks at it. Is he saying to me,“Mama, lately you’re away a lot, but will you please always come home and be withme?” When I come home with supper in my shopping bag, I feel exactly like the motherbird in that book. While reading it, I tell myself, “We can do this. Together.”—Ms. Watanabe, mother, first child/maleD) Moments to pass downAfter being read to as small children—sharing feelings with the adult who read to us andplaying together in the same picture book world—we grow. And we begin to want tooffer that same experience to others. When we have our own children, we may naturally
take picture books in hand as parents.
◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

As I was reading to my second son, my baby daughter Tomomi sat nearby and watched.
Seeing her, my son declared, “I will read to you, Tomo-chan!” and dove right in. She
was right at the age where cuddling her would make her smile, and her big brothers justadored reading to her.
—Ms. Tanikawa, mother, first and second child/male, third child/female◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

Front

Facing pages

I Love Mama (Mama daisuki) 2002
Snuggles between baby animals and their mothers
come alive in colorful illustrations overflowing with warmth.
◆◆Commentary by Dr. Hiroko Sasaki ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

Picture books can really add to our understanding of children—and even provide
opportunities to reflect on ourselves. This is because picture books, at their core, aremessages from authors and illustrators to beloved children. Plus, with picture books thathave been read globally for forty or fifty years, in different time periods, countries,
languages and cultures, you know that countless families have cherished them and thatthey contain a certain universality, as well as a deep love of children.
These picture books also have deep things to say about parenting and marriage, and there
are times when they’re more useful psychologically than the best parenting manual.
Excellent picture books are not only for children, but also for those raising children andthose trying to understand them, and for anyone in need of wise guidance about life,
family, nature, love, and peace.

When my daughter read to her younger brother, she would ignore the idea of “readingfrom beginning to end in order, as written” and do whatever made him happy. She justloved it when her brother would beg her to read, and it thrilled her that something she
had done had made him feel good, had gotten him to respond. It was magical to watch
them share a book!
—Ms. Doi, mother, first child/female, second child/male◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・(When my first son and I went to stay with my parents for the birth of my second son,)my two-year-old elder son had his first experience staying alone overnight with his
grandparents. Every night, he would say, “again, again!” and get his grandmother to readpicture books to him until he fell asleep—to the point that her voice grew hoarse. WhenI was discharged from the hospital and brought the baby home, the first thing my elder
son did for his brother was read him his favorite book. It was one that his grandmotherhad read him: Tree Stump (Miwa Nakaya; Kaiseisha). He actually had the three-bookseries in his arms as he waited at the front door for our arrival . . . my two-year-old stillneeded lots of attention, so I was worried about how he would interact with his brother,
but when I saw him reading to the baby happily, I was so relieved that I teared up.
—Ms. Nakano, mother, first and second child/male・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

What Does Bookstart Accomplish in Japan? A Research Report
Bookstart Japan, August 2021

23E) Proof that we were alive together

Front

Facing pages

Tree Stump (Kirikabu) 2003
A large, old tree gets cut down. Together with the forest animals,
the tree stump figures out how to get along.
◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

My four-year-old son did not have many playmates his age during the daycare’s
extended hours, so he spent that time with younger children. One day when I picked himup, he was reading to several of them. He was saying, “Hey, it’s a butterfly! Flap flap,
it lands on your nose!” and touching a child’s nose, totally oblivious to me. Watching
him, I realized that no matter the picture book, if a child has enjoyed being read to, thewish to read to someone else will naturally grow in his heart.
–Ms. Kobayashi, mother, first child/male◆ ◆Commentary by Dr. Hiroko Sasaki ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
As we see above, when a parent has read picture books to a child, that practice will
spread to siblings and friends. Eventually, it can be passed down through the generations.
This is a truly important aspect of sharing picture books as part of our parenting culture.

As I mentioned in A) c, “Understanding due to having shared a picture book world,”
picture books nurture cooperation. One way they do this is through culture. Because ababy is born as a member of a family, the baby grows into personhood surrounded bythat family and that region’s culture.
Books, in turn, are repositories of a culture’s wisdom, and of wishes to “leave at least
this message behind.” To read a picture book is to make such wishes a part of one’s own
life and to share them. In this way, picture books are veritable cultural treasures, left
behind and passed down.

When opening a picture book together, the baby and the reader feel one another’swarmth, experience the same story world, and enjoy a sense of unity that is sometimes
very deep. That sense of unity becomes proof that the two were alive together.
◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

On his birthday, I always buy Shunta a book and write my thoughts to him in the whitespace. When he turned one, I gave him Welcome to This World (Mari Takabayashi; Nora
Shoten). When he turned two, I gave him Little Gorilla (Ruth Bornstein, trans. Mimi
Iwata; Horupu Shuppan). I know that as he grows older, his life will not always bepleasant; there will be difficulties, hardships, and times when he has to face challenges
alone. Further on, I will probably die before he does. No one knows when that might
happen, of course, but in the unlikely case that it happens soon, I want to leave proof
with him in the form of these books, that we were alive together. At times when he truly
feels lost or discouraged, even if I can’t help him directly as a parent, I want him to beable to see the books and messages, recall the time we spent snuggling and enjoying
books, and remember that he comes from somewhere. Deep down, he is not alone. I
hope that this will help him to keep pushing forward. I believe that this is the mostvaluable gift I can give him.
—Ms. Mori, mother, first child/male

Front

Facing Pages

Welcome to This World (Watashi no akachan) 2004
Detailed illustrations portray things that a baby sees in the first year.
This picture book overflows with love for a new baby.

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

What Does Bookstart Accomplish in Japan? A Research Report
Bookstart Japan, August 2021

24
they may reflect, “Ah, my parents read my book to me like this,” or, “That time theyread to me was fun, I was really happy.” The memories can come flooding back, passing
the parent’s parents’ blessings along.
Front

Little Gorilla (Chibi Gorira no chibi chibi) 1978
From birth, Little Gorilla is loved by all sorts of animals, who play together
with him. Illustrations humorously depict Little Gorilla growing up.
◆Episode・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

My father was not very involved in parenting me . . . so when trying to relate to my son,his grandson, he seemed at a loss, watching him from a distance.
One day, I got an idea. I handed Dad Chug Chug Train . . . I thought he might be upset,but he amiably took the book, put my son on his lap, and began to read aloud . . . Heeven ad-libbed, saying “let me on the train, please!” and “after you!” My son got
engaged and asked him questions. “How come this is the last stop? Why does everybody
get off?” “Well, that’s because there are no more spaces for passengers,” my father
answered, in his way. I was surprised. I had read that book aloud many times, but I had
never realized that the train was full! I assumed that my father would be proud of himself
for reading it once and just stop there, but he continued to connect with my son very
seriously. My son absolutely loved it. After that, reading with Grandpa became a ritualwhenever we met. Around that same time, my father’s illness began to worsen. Now
that I think about it, reading picture books aloud was a way he could spend time with his
grandchild without burdening his body. It must have been a welcome method ofcommunication for him. At picture book time, he would rouse himself from the sofa
where he convalesced and enjoy reading. My son may not remember because he wassmall, but I got a clear sense of my father’s love for him. Even now, when I take thetrain book in my hand, I feel my father’s spirit and want to say a word of thanks to him.
—Ms. Takano, mother, first child/male

Reading picture books together builds a kind of foundation for the future, but more thanthat, it helps us to spend our whole lives better, guiding and leading us toward
appreciating our blessings.
We share picture books with babies; babies share them with siblings; children and teensshare books with each other; lovers share books; parents and then grandparents sharepicture books with little ones, and the cycle renews.
Of course, grown-up literature and essays are tools for sharing reading, too, but superb
picture books are short and plain, with a poem at their core that touches the heart. That
poem-core can support many interpretations, and it offers us ample space in which tofeel and think.
In happy times, and in times of heartbreak . . . at times in life when we need to stand still
for a moment to rest, or need space to think . . . at all times, that poem is there for us.
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・◆ ◆Commentary by Dr. Hiroko Sasaki ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・“I was loved, I was blessed.” Experiences that demonstrate this linger within ourchildren. Then again, we’re not always grateful for happy times when we’re living them,so some memories can fade.

We now have lots of picture books that have been read by multiple generations. When
parents have children of their own and rediscover books that their parents read to them,
What Does Bookstart Accomplish in Japan? A Research Report
Bookstart Japan, August 2021

25

I.3 Conclusion
In Part I, we have considered “sharing books,” which Bookstart hopes will become partof all babies’ lives. We have examined what these moments accomplish for babies,
caregivers, and parent-child relationships.
First, we saw that sharing books can enrich the bonding process before babies become
verbal. The period before babies can share meaning is a challenging time of trying tocommunicate without words; parents and carers can feel very unsure about how toengage with babies. When we share picture books during this period, however, the carer
can observe the baby’s subtle reactions, respond, and observe again, gradually bonding
more deeply with the baby.

Children who have experienced the delight of reading picture books with others, may
reenact this experience with siblings and friends when they grow a bit older. Much later,when these same children become parents, they may naturally wish to share picture
books with their children. The practice of “sharing books” can ultimately be passed
down through generations, serve as proof that people were alive together, and even help
people to leave long-lasting messages on the hearts of their loved ones. The episodes
and analysis above indicate an expansive range of possibilities.
Part II will examine whether Bookstart in Japan provides the impetus for parents andcarers to share picture books with babies, with an analysis of a survey administered inlocal areas that offer Bookstart.

Later on, when the baby begins to show consistent reactions to picture book words andillustrations, the awe of “He got it!” “She understood!” awaits. Babies and readers whoshare picture book worlds can confirm understanding together because of such sharing,and enjoy insider secrets and play. Parents and carers clearly sense that mutualcommunication has become established.
Through “sharing books,” carers gain opportunities to observe closely how babies aretaking in the world and growing. They can follow the child’s internal growth inimagination and individuality; empathize with the child; share many happen
experiences; and enjoy an unexpected amazement.
We have also seen that for babies, “sharing books” becomes an early experience ofsharing with someone, period. That in itself gives the baby pleasure; at the same time, it
nurtures cooperation, essential to live in society.
Furthermore, picture books infuse daily parenting with many joys. When sharing picture
books with babies, carers do not unilaterally read the words. Rather, opening books
together gives rise to a back-and-forth, leading to rich play and variations. Fathers, who
tend to have less time with children than mothers, can make the most of short times withbaby via books, and even enjoy moments of sharing deep feelings. We have also seenthat sharing picture books helps one to note the child’s growth and share parenting joys
with one’s partner.
Picture books can support parents and carers themselves. This is because books provide
a brief escape to another world; also, books help to comfort both carers and babies who
are upset, naturally relaxing them. Picture book content and characters can help adultreaders not only with relating to baby, but also with reflecting on one’s own life.
What Does Bookstart Accomplish in Japan? A Research Report
Bookstart Japan, August 2021

26

Part ⅡHow Bookstart Provides the Impetus
to Share Books with Babies

checkup for collection. Surveys were distributed at the checkup and filled in during
waiting times in two cities, and collected that day.
■ Time Frame

April–August 2011. Exact dates of administration within this frame varied by city.
■ Questions

II.1 Introduction
In Part II, we will examine whether local Bookstart efforts provide a clear impetus forparents and carers to share picture books with babies at home, based on a survey carriedout in seven municipalities in Japan. Through this examination, we point to thepossibility that the rich harvest from “sharing books” explored in Part I is reaching more
homes, due to Bookstart.

II.2 Survey Overview■ Respondents

The survey was given in seven (7) local areas to caregivers eligible for Bookstart
programming. To gather a meaningful number of responses within a set time frame, wenarrowed our choices to cities with populations of 200,000 to 700,000 people; we
considered how to include a variety of regions (to reduce regional bias) as well as avariety of baby ages at the time of Bookstart access. We then sought the cooperation of
the selected municipalities.

a. Child’s place in birth orderb. Caregiver’s relationship to childc. Read-aloud conditions at home (whether doing read-aloud, how often, fromwhat baby age, who reads aloud, why)d. Reflections on Bookstart (recollection of its purpose, impressions of the
program, use of books received, whether program should continue)e. Free comments
Note: In some cases, the municipality added additional questions, but those questions
are not addressed in this report.
■ Aggregation

All survey respondents included in our totals had had access to Bookstart on the occasionof a previous well-baby checkup, during the baby’s first year. Surveys left blank or
containing unclear responses were not used. Rounding was used in calculating
percentages, so that response percentages for each question did not necessarily add up
to 100%.

Because well-baby checkups in these cities took place at 3-4 months, 6-7 months, and/or
9-11 months after babies’ birth, Bookstart tended to be offered at these points. The
survey was given in three cities that offer Bookstart at 3-4 months (Window I), two cities
that offer it at 6-7 months (Window II), and two cities that offer it at 9-11 months(Window III), totaling seven cities.
■ Method

Surveys were given to carers on the occasion of either their baby’s 1 year, 6-monthcheckup or their baby’s 1 year, 8-month checkup. The questions on the paper survey
allowed for the free writing of comments. Surveys were distributed by post in advanceof babies’ checkups in five cities, with instructions to bring the completed survey to theWhat Does Bookstart Accomplish in Japan? A Research Report
Bookstart Japan, August 2021

27
■ Participating Municipalities

Population
Annual Birth

Survey respondents

Baby Age at time ofBookstart
Baby Age at time of
SurveySurvey Method

Number of survey forms distributed(Number of checkup participants)
Number of survey forms collected(Response rate)
Number of valid responses
Survey respondents'
relationship to baby

Child's place in birth order

MotherFatherGrandmotherGrandfather
Relative
Other
First child
Second child
Third child or later

City C

City A

City B

420,000
4,300
Caregivers who
received a Bookstartpack at baby’s 3-4
months checkup andattended baby's 1
year, 6-monthcheckup in City A,
June-July 2011

580,000
4,300
Caregivers who
received a Bookstartpack at baby’s 3-4
months checkup andattended baby's 1
year, 6-monthcheckup in City A,
April-May 2011

3-4 months

3-4 months

3-4 months

1 year, 6-7 months

1 year, 6-7 months

1 year, 8-9 months

Survey form
distributed by handat 1 year, 6-monthcheckup; filled induring waiting time;collected that day.

Survey form
Survey form
distributed by post
distributed by post
along with medical
along with medical
history form before 1 history form before
20-month checkup;
year, 6-monthcheckup; collected at collected at thecheckup.
the checkup.

City D

720,000
190,000
5,800
1,600
Caregivers who
Caregivers who
received a Bookstart received a Bookstartpack at baby’s 6
pack at baby’s 3months checkup and months child-careconsultation andattended baby's 1
attended baby's 1
year, 8-monthyear, 6-monthcheckup in City C,
May, July and August checkup in City D,
April-May 20112011
6-monthCity ECity F

City G

200,000
1,700
Caregivers who
received a Bookstartpack at baby’s 6months checkup andattended baby's 1
year, 6-monthcheckup in City E,
June-July 2011

320,000
3,600
Caregivers who
received a Bookstartpack at baby’s 9-11
months checkup andattended baby's 1
year, 6-monthcheckup in City F,
May-June 2011

210,000
1,900
Caregivers who
received a Bookstartpack at baby’s 10
months checkup andattended baby's 1
year, 6-monthcheckup in City G,
May-July 2011

6-7 months

9-10 months

10-month

1 year, 8-month
1 year, 6-month(approx.)
Survey form
Survey form
Survey form
Survey form
distributed by hand
distributed by post
distributed by post
distributed by postat 1 year, 6-monthalong with medical
along with medical
along with medical
history form before 1 history form before 1 history form before 1 checkup; filled induring waiting time;
year, 6-monthyear, 6-monthyear, 6-monthcheckup; collected at checkup; collected at checkup; collected at collected that day.
the checkup.
the checkup.
the checkup.
1 year, 6-month

1 year, 6-7 months

Total (Actual
Number) or
Average(Percentage)

386

704

432

991

298

594

423

3828

363
94.0%
306
96.0%
4.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
56.5%
32.2%
11.3%

612
86.9%
523
97.7%
2.3%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
51.7%
34.3%
14.0%

322
74.5%
263
99.2%
0.8%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
46.0%
42.2%
11.8%

796
80.3%
704
99.1%
0.7%
0.1%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
48.4%
39.3%
12.3%

267
89.6%
247
98.8%
0.4%
0.8%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
45.3%
40.9%
13.8%

512
86.2%
447
90.9%
7.5%
1.4%
0.0%
0.0%
0.2%
45.2%
32.9%
21.9%

373
88.2%
352
97.4%
2.3%
0.3%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
53.4%
33.2%
13.4%

3245
85.7%
2842
97.0%
2.6%
0.4%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
49.5%
36.4%
14.1%
Bookstart Japan, 2011

What Does Bookstart Accomplish in Japan? A Research Report
Bookstart Japan, August 2021

28
All seven municipalities that administered the survey offer Bookstart in the basic format
of providing a fun experience sharing a picture book with the baby, then gifting picture
books to the baby’s family. The steering groups that implement Bookstart in the different
cities differ somewhat in their make-up. 4 As well, Bookstart tends to be offered at
multiple sites in the larger municipalities. Given this context, there is naturally somevariation in terms of who carries out Bookstart, the sort of space in which it is offered,and the content of the message conveyed. Carers who have accessed Bookstart indifferent cities will have somewhat different experiences.
Our survey of seven municipalities yielded responses from 3,245 parents and carers(among them, 2,842 had accessed Bookstart in the seven cities). The survey questions
asked about the Bookstart experience itself, and then about picture book read-alouds inthe home. The Bookstart experience could have influenced conditions in the home;
therefore, variations in Bookstart programming in different areas could have influenced
the survey results.
Our research focused not on local variations in Bookstart programming, however, buton common patterns that could be observed despite these variations. It was in common
patterns that we sought out universal possibilities.
To optimize the conditions for respondents to provide qualitative data, we had surveys
distributed in advance by post in as many cities as possible, and we made the freecomment space large to allow for plenty of writing.

the time of accessing Bookstart—whether during Window I (3-4 months), Window II(6-7 months), or Window III (9-11 months)—and it was the case in all cities except City
F.
Figure 1 shows responses by city to the question “From about what month in the baby’slife have you done read-aloud at home?” The top third of each city’s row shows thepercentage of respondents who chose each baby age range; the darker the color, thegreater the proportion of respondents who chose that age range. The bottom third of eachcity’s row has arrows showing when Bookstart was accessed, making it clear that
respondents began read-alouds in the home either at the same time they experienced
Bookstart or shortly thereafter. We can therefore surmise that Bookstart created theimpetus to begin book sharing.
The middle third of each city’s row shows the cumulative total of respondents who weresharing books with baby by each baby age. For cities in Window I, where Bookstart wasaccessed at the baby age of 3-4 months, it is clear that some 35 to 40 percent ofrespondents were book sharing by this age. This was not the case in cities where
Bookstart was accessed later. For cities in Window II, more than 50 percent ofrespondents reported sharing books with baby by the age of 5-6 months, but for cities in
Window III, the percentages of respondents sharing books with baby were still in the
30s and 40s for this age. The disparity continued through the baby age of 7-8 months,
by which time 70 percent of respondents in Windows I and II were book sharing but as
few as 40 to 60 percent of respondents in Window III were. The baby age at which totals
for all cities drew even was 11-12 months, right after Bookstart was offered in the cities
in Window III.

II.3 Findings and Analysis (Excerpt)A) Did Bookstart provide the impetus for parents to share bookswith babies?
❶ Connection between Baby’s age at time of Bookstart contact and Baby’s age
when family began to read picture books aloudIn our survey, a comparatively high percentage of respondents said that the baby age at
which they began read-alouds in the home was either the same age at which they had
experienced Bookstart, or shortly thereafter. This was the case regardless of baby age at
4 Depending on the municipality, local related institutions (library, public health center, child-rearing support

division), local volunteers, and/or others make up the steering groups.

What Does Bookstart Accomplish in Japan? A Research Report
Bookstart Japan, August 2021

29
Figure 1. From about what month in the baby’s life have you done read-aloudat home?
1-2
3-4
5-6
7-8
9-10
11-12 After 12months months months months months months months

Figure 2. From about what month in the baby’s life have you done read-aloudat home? (Organized by baby’s place in birth order.)Baby's placein birth order

Total

Percentage

10.9%

29.9%

17.3%

13.7%

9.5%

9.9%

8.8%

100.0%

Cumulative total

10.9%

40.8%

58.1%

71.8%

81.3%

91.2%

100.0%―First child(n=165)(n=284)City A

City A

Baby age at time of Bookstart

Percentage

11.2%

30.1%

20.6%

9.6%

12.2%

11.2%

5.2%

100.0%

City B

Cumulative total

11.2%

41.3%

61.9%

71.5%

83.6%

94.8%

100.0%―First child(n=261)Baby age at time of Bookstart

Percentage

8.8%

26.1%

21.3%

14.1%

12.0%

12.0%

5.6%

100.0%

Cumulative total

8.8%

34.9%

56.2%

70.3%

82.3%

94.4%

100.0%―

Window I

City B(n=249)City C

Total

Percentage

10.9%

31.5%

18.2%

15.8%

8.5%

7.9%

7.3%

100.0%

Cumulative total

10.9%

42.4%

60.6%

76.4%

84.8%

92.7%

100.0%―

Percentage

10.2%

28.0%

16.1%

11.0%

11.0%

12.7%

11.0%

100.0%

Cumulative total

10.2%

38.1%

54.2%

65.3%

76.3%

89.0%

100.0%―

100.0%

Baby's age at time of Bookstart(n=501)
Window I

Second childor later(n=118)

1-2
3-4
5-6
7-8
9-10
11-12
After
months months months months months months 12 month

Second childor later(n=239)Percentage

10.7%

33.7%

23.0%

8.0%

11.5%

10.3%

2.7%

Cumulative total

10.7%

44.4%

67.4%

75.5%

87.0%

97.3%

100.0%―

Percentage

11.7%

26.4%

18.0%

11.3%

13.0%

11.7%

7.9%

100.0%

Cumulative total

11.7%

38.1%

56.1%

67.4%

80.3%

92.1%

100.0%―

100.0%

Baby's age at time of Bookstart
Baby age at time of Bookstart

Percentage

9.0%

16.6%

26.5%

20.0%

12.8%

11.0%

4.1%

First child(n=116)100.0%(n=680)City D

Cumulative total

9.0%

25.6%

52.1%

72.1%

84.9%

95.9%

100.0%

City C―

Baby age at time of Bookstart

Window II

Second childor later(n=133)

Percentage

6.0%

35.3%

22.4%

8.6%

9.5%

11.2%

6.9%

Cumulative total

6.0%

41.4%

63.8%

72.4%

81.9%

93.1%

100.0%―

Percentage

11.3%

18.0%

20.3%

18.8%

14.3%

12.8%

4.5%

100.0%

Cumulative total

11.3%

29.3%

49.6%

68.4%

82.7%

95.5%

100.0%―

100.0%

Baby's age at time of Bookstart

Percentage

8.7%

14.5%

27.7%

21.9%

10.7%

10.3%

6.2%

100.0%

Cumulative total

8.7%

23.1%

50.8%

72.7%

83.5%

93.8%

100.0%―(n=242)City EFirst child(n=328)Baby age at time of Bookstart

Percentage

City D

9.7%

15.2%

21.2%

14.3%

20.1%

13.9%

5.5%

100.0%(n=433)
City F

Cumulative total

9.7%

24.9%

46.2%

60.5%

80.6%

94.5%

100.0%―

Window II
First child(n=110)Window III
Percentage

5.2%

12.2%

16.0%

9.9%

28.8%

21.5%

6.4%

100.0%

Cumulative total

5.2%

17.4%

33.4%

43.3%

72.1%

93.6%

100.0%―

City E(n=344)

17.4%

29.9%

22.0%

11.0%

9.1%

2.4%

8.2%

25.6%

55.5%

77.4%

88.4%

97.6%

100.0%―

Percentage

9.7%

16.0%

23.1%

18.3%

14.6%

12.6%

5.7%

100.0%

Cumulative total

9.7%

25.7%

48.9%

67.1%

81.7%

94.3%

100.0%―

100.0%

Second childor later(n=132)

Percentage

8.2%

20.0%

22.7%

21.8%

10.0%

10.9%

6.4%

Cumulative total

8.2%

28.2%

50.9%

72.7%

82.7%

93.6%

100.0%―

Percentage

9.1%

9.8%

31.8%

22.0%

11.4%

9.8%

6.1%

100.0%

Cumulative total

9.1%

18.9%

50.8%

72.7%

84.1%

93.9%

100.0%―

100.0%

Baby's age at time of Bookstart

Baby age at time of BookstartFirst child(n=198)Bookstart Japan, 2011
City F

Shading (Figure 1 and 2)
25% or above
Between 20% and 25%
Between 15% and 20%

8.2%

Baby's age at time of Bookstart

Baby age at time of Bookstart

City G

Second childor later(n=350)Percentage
Cumulative total

Second childor later(n=235)Percentage

8.1%

18.2%

23.7%

17.7%

18.7%

8.6%

5.1%

Cumulative total

8.1%

26.3%

50.0%

67.7%

86.4%

94.9%

100.0%―

Percentage

11.1%

12.8%

19.1%

11.5%

21.3%

18.3%

6.0%

100.0%

Cumulative total

11.1%

23.8%

43.0%

54.5%

75.7%

94.0%

100.0%―

100.0%

Baby's age at time of Bookstart
Window III
First child(n=183)
City G

Second childor later(n=161)

Percentage

6.0%

12.0%

15.3%

12.6%

30.1%

19.7%

4.4%

Cumulative total

6.0%

18.0%

33.3%

45.9%

76.0%

95.6%

100.0%―

Percentage

4.3%

12.4%

16.8%

6.8%

27.3%

23.6%

8.7%

100.0%

Cumulative total

4.3%

16.8%

33.5%

40.4%

67.7%

91.3%

100.0%―

Baby's age at time of BookstartBookstart Japan, 2011

What Does Bookstart Accomplish in Japan? A Research Report
Bookstart Japan, August 2021

30This connection between Bookstart and families beginning to share books wasobserved regardless of the baby’s place in the sibling birth order, as shown in Figure 2.
It seems that even parents who had had children before the baby eligible for Bookstart,
experienced Bookstart as an impetus to begin sharing books with the baby, as shown in
Figure 2.
◆ Survey Respondents’ Comments・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

At Bookstart, I saw for the first time that wow, my baby really loves picture books! It
got me to start reading aloud, so I’m glad.
—City BI didn’t expect my baby to respond to a picture book at the 3-4 month checkup. I was
floored at how happy my baby seemed!
—City BWe experienced picture books for the first time at Bookstart. I was amazed by, and happy
to know, how much my baby liked them!
—City DAt the checkup I saw that even at 6 months, my child would follow picture books.
Learning this made playing together more fun.
—City DI still remember how happily my daughter responded. Bookstart was a great event forus, very memorable.
—City D
When the Bookstart volunteer read aloud, my child responded so happily that I thought,
for the first time, Who knew a book could bring out all these smiles? I had tried reading
before but had not gotten much response, so I had stopped. The books we received reallyseemed to suit my child’s fancy, so we used them a lot.
—City DI had been wanting to read aloud since before Bookstart, but with so many picture book
options available, I didn’t know where to begin. I even went to bookshops and left
without buying a book! I had also thought that my baby might not be ready (would beunable to calm for a book, likely to tear it, etc.) so kept putting it off. But then, at
Bookstart, I saw my baby happily pick a book from among 4-5 choices, and I saw thevolunteer read it aloud just any old way (in the best sense—not word for word), and I
realized I didn’t have to think so hard. I relaxed, and we began doing read-aloud!
—City F・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

Again and again across Windows I, II, and III, a connection between baby age whenread-aloud began in the home, and when Bookstart was accessed, was observed. In
addition, regardless of baby age at the time of Bookstart, by the baby age of 12 months,
about 90% of households were sharing picture books with baby.
The impetus to read aloud probably did not work the exact same way in each of the three
Bookstart access Windows. Information about picture book read-alouds with baby has
possibly been reaching more caregivers recently via the Internet and parenting
magazines, and some local communities actively create an environment in whichchildren spend time with books beginning in babyhood. Also, as shown in Part I, babies
tend to respond more visibly to books as baby age increases.
Where Bookstart was offered in Window I (3-4 months), respondents’ free commentssuggest that the impetus to offer read-aloud at home came from surprise that a small
baby would respond at all. Also, parents in Window I were early in their child-rearing
journeys and seemed to find the gifted books themselves to be novel. We therefore
surmise that the impetus here was almost “physical” in nature.
On the other hand, when Bookstart took place during Window III (9-11 months), thisbecame an opportunity to learn about read-aloud while parenting an older baby, and toobserve the baby’s very clear responses to a book. We surmise that the impetus here
may have been more “psychological” in nature.
❷ Continued use of books received through BookstartWith regard to the books gifted through Bookstart, carers who selected “I agree” or “I
somewhat agree” for the statement “I was happy to receive the picture books” comprised
an average of 98.7% of respondents in the 7 cities. Virtually all respondents saw the giftof picture books in a positive light.

What Does Bookstart Accomplish in Japan? A Research Report
Bookstart Japan, August 2021

31
Figure 3. (How did you feel about Bookstart?) I was happy to receive the picture books.

In the free comments, a number of respondents expressed that the gift of books itself
had led them to read picture books.
◆ Survey Respondents’ Comments・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

Before Bookstart, we did not really own any picture books, so it gave us a way to try
them out. It also served as a reference about what kinds of books and content are good.
—City EWith my first child especially, Bookstart provided a good nudge to start reading aloud.
I had not expected to read picture books when the baby was so small. It was hard toknow what books to choose, so the book gift made me happy.
—City EI didn’t own any books yet at the time I received the gift, so it provided a good nudge.
—City G
Bookstart Japan, 2011

With regard to use of the gifted books, respondents who selected “I am (or was) using
them quite a lot” or “I am (or was) using them” comprised more than 80% in every
Window.
Figure 4. Are you (or were you) using the books received at Bookstart?

I think a lot of people don’t know exactly when to start read-aloud or what sorts of books
to use at first (I know I barely had time to think of such things!). Bookstart is a great
service.
—City D・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

The survey indicated that most parents and carers appreciated the bookgifting. Indeed,
their positive responses to Bookstart may have stemmed as much from the free books asfrom the experience. “We got a present!” is an unusual, happy thing to feel and may
have boosted motivation to open a picture book right away at home. This may well havebeen a factor in the use of Bookstart books that the respondents reported.

B) How did the experience of Bookstart affect caregivers’
perception of “sharing books,” or time spent reading picture
books with baby?
The percentage of survey respondents who chose “I agree” or “I somewhat agree” forstatements that Bookstart “was enjoyable,” “provided time to relax,” “provided a good
opportunity to watch my child be read to,” “helped me see my baby’s interest in picture
books,” and/or “is likely to help our parent-child communication” topped 80 percent for
all baby ages.
Bookstart Japan, 2011

What Does Bookstart Accomplish in Japan? A Research Report
Bookstart Japan, August 2021

32
Figure 5. How did you feel after you experienced Bookstart?
1. I enjoyed it.

City A
3-4 months
City B
Window I
3-4 months
City C
3-4 months
City D
6-monthWindow II
City E
6-7 months
City F
9-11 months
Window III
City G
10-month

5. It seemed useful for communication with my child.

Total

I agree.

I somewhat
agree.

Total

I agree.

I somewhat
agree.

(n=295)

92.9%

49.8%

43.1%

(n=292)

86.6%

35.6%

51.0%

(n=498)

94.0%

41.4%

52.6%

(n=498)

83.7%

30.5%

53.2%

(n=236)

89.0%

41.5%

47.5%

(n=235)

81.3%

33.6%

47.7%

(n=669)

95.4%

53.2%

42.2%

(n=666)

86.6%

36.8%

49.8%

(n=238)

94.5%

56.7%

37.8%

(n=239)

89.1%

40.6%

48.5%

(n=402)

98.8%

62.7%

36.1%

(n=402)

93.3%

44.0%

49.3%

(n=309)

97.7%

57.0%

40.8%

(n=309)

89.6%

39.5%

50.2%

94.6%

51.8%

42.8%

87.2%

37.2%

50.0%

Average

Bookstart Japan, 2011

3. I enjoyed watching my child during the read-aloud.

City A
3-4 months
City B
Window I
3-4 months
City C
3-4 months
City D
6-monthWindow II
City E
6-7 months
City F
9-11 months
Window III
City G
10-month
Average

Total

I agree.

I somewhat
agree.

(n=298)

97.0%

66.4%

30.5%

(n=500)

98.2%

68.0%

30.2%

(n=235)

95.7%

61.7%

34.0%

(n=668)

97.9%

76.6%

21.3%

(n=239)

98.7%

67.8%

31.0%

(n=405)

98.8%

80.2%

18.5%

(n=309)

98.4%

73.8%

24.6%

97.8%

70.7%

27.2%

2. It gave me a chance to relax

Total

I agree.

I somewhat
agree.

(n=295)

94.6%

58.6%

35.9%

(n=497)

91.8%

49.7%

(n=234)90.6%(n=669)4. I understood that babies can show interest in picture books.

Total

I agree.

I somewhat
agree.

(n=295)

89.8%

56.3%

33.6%

42.1%

(n=495)

90.9%

54.4%

36.5%

50.9%

39.7%

(n=234)

88.5%

50.0%

38.5%

94.5%

63.4%

31.1%

(n=670)

93.9%

63.9%

30.0%

(n=239)

95.4%

65.3%

30.1%

(n=239)

93.3%

59.4%

33.9%

(n=400)

96.0%

65.3%

30.8%

(n=405)

95.1%

71.6%

23.5%

(n=309)

97.7%

65.0%

32.7%

(n=310)

95.2%

65.2%

30.0%

94.4%

59.7%

34.6%

92.4%

60.1%

32.3%

Bookstart Japan, 2011

City A
3-4 months
City B
Window I
3-4 months
City C
3-4 months
City D
6-monthWindow II
City E
6-7 months
City F
9-11 months
Window III
City G
10-month
Average

Bookstart Japan, 2011

Comments on the survey show that Bookstart helped carers to see that babies enjoyedbooks, which led to trying out more books.
◆ Survey respondents’ comments・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

My child still loves Gush, Gush, Rip, Rip and gets super excited when I read it. Our
picture book journey started here, so I’m very grateful.
—City BMy child loves picture books, and several times a day will bring one over and want me
to read. Without the Bookstart gift, I might not have gotten started reading more books.
I am glad to have received the gift.
—City B
While reading the Bookstart books again and again, my child’s responses have improved
and we’re having a really good time. With the gift books as our starting point, we’vealso begun to read other picture books.
—City B
Since receiving the book gift, I’ve been thinking about what books would make my child
happy and picking out different ones at the bookstore and library to show my child.
Based on the reaction, I’ll sometimes buy.
—City E・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

What Does Bookstart Accomplish in Japan? A Research Report
Bookstart Japan, August 2021

33
In this way, many parents and carers have reported positive experiences of sharing books
through Bookstart, and have seen that such moments are enjoyable or relaxing, and canhelp in parent-child communication. Various media can facilitate communication inchildcare, but it can be said that Bookstart effectively conveys the usefulness of picture
books as tools to parents and carers, further widening their use.

II.4 Conclusion
In Part II, we have deduced from our survey that Bookstart serves as impetus for many
households to begin “sharing books.”
In the local areas implementing Bookstart, a high percentage of respondents reported
that the baby age at which families began reading aloud was either the same as baby age
at the time of Bookstart access, or very slightly older. This trend was observed regardlessof baby age at the time of Bookstart access, and across different local areas. Responses
also showed that books gifted by Bookstart were (or had been) used at home.
Furthermore, through the Bookstart experience, many caregivers came to perceive“sharing books” positively as fun, relaxing, and useful to parent-child communication.
Bookstart became the impetus for carers to take interest in other picture books, and formore households to use books as communication tools with babies.
Part I made clear that sharing books brings rich rewards for babies, caregivers, and theparent-child relationship. Part II shows that for most households that accessed Bookstart,
the activity provided an impetus to share books in the home. From this, we can conclude
that due to Bookstart, more households are experiencing the rich rewards of sharing
books.

What Does Bookstart Accomplish in Japan? A Research Report
Bookstart Japan, August 2021

34Part Ⅲand read-alouds, thereby making the atmosphere at checkup sites significantly moreenjoyable and peaceful.

How Bookstart Affects Local Governments,
Organizations, and Related Individuals

It also grew clear that, because Bookstart involves gifting book bags to parents one-onone or in small groups, the activity is in-effect tailored to individual participants,
enriching the parent-child health visit overall.

III.1 Findings and Analysis (Summary)
In Part III of the Research Report, we analyzed the effects of Bookstart on local
governments, organizations and related individuals as regards three topics: child-rearing
environment, parent-child health initiatives, and the people involved in running
Bookstart. We learned that as a program implemented by local entities, Bookstart canbring positive effects not only for the babies and caregivers who access it, but also forthe people involved in offering it.

Finally, as regards the people who implement Bookstart, library staff in particular reportthat it gives them an opportunity to re-confirm the purpose of their vocation, re-examine
the role they play in their community, and learn more about what sharing books does forbabies.
For local volunteers, the rare opportunity to meet babies and young parents in the area
brought joy and a sense of meaning to their lives. They also found joy in contributing tocooperative efforts, and in finding a role and a place to serve within the community.

With regard to the local child-rearing environment, we noted the importance ofBookstart’s structure. Bookstart is not undertaken exclusively by local governing
authorities, public institutions/organizations, or volunteers. Rather, it happens throughcooperation among government and private entities that have various specialties andemphases. Indeed, Bookstart brings a community together. Because of this structure,
Bookstart has added to regions’ child-rearing environments in ways that go beyond
Bookstart programming itself.
Of particular notice was the way in which Bookstart helped different entities mutuallyconfirm that “we want to build a community where carers can relax and raise children,
and where babies can grow up happy.” Bookstart has as its center the smiles of babies,
and each time Bookstart is carried out in tandem with well-baby checkups, the people
implementing it have a chance to reconfirm the above wishes. Thus, the Bookstart
structure itself supports a better child-rearing environment.
Bookstart also encourages making regional buildings and facilities child-friendly, andthe strengthening of parent-support initiatives. In addition, Bookstart provides avenues
for residents to identify with being “a good region to raise children,” as symbolized by
actively implementing Bookstart.
Next, regarding what Bookstart accomplishes for parent-child public health initiatives,it grew clear that Bookstart has helped solve some of the problems previously inherent
in these endeavors. Bookstart uses moments like checkup waiting times for activities
What Does Bookstart Accomplish in Japan? A Research Report
Bookstart Japan, August 2021

35

In Closing

In the course of implementing Bookstart, we have sensed that what “sharing books”
offers is not only for Japanese children. It is critical for living happily in all places andin all times.

We at Bookstart have made it our aim to bring book sharing to all babies.
Through the Research Report, we learned that moments of sharing books are both uniqueand diverse, varying with the combination of people involved, the developmental stageof the baby, the picture book chosen, and the conditions in which it is read. Different
families can find their own different kinds of delight in these moments, and they cancreate wonderful memories that enrich the lives of both children and adults.

If Bookstart can be offered in more and more countries and regions, so that someday,
more books are shared with more babies born on Earth . . . that is our wish.

Our commentator in Part I, Dr. Hiroko Sasaki, writes:“Bookstart can never determine everything about a baby’s future or address all of ababy’s needs. Both the picture book sharing and the home environment that offers it are
finite in terms of time. They can lead to a blessed phase of life, which then becomes thebase on which future growth unfolds.”
As children do their growing, parents and carers consider how to support children’s
choices, and both children and adults think again and again about family relationships.
In the midst of this, moments sharing books in babyhood can be looked back upon as
examples of what happiness looks like. This is yet another way in which such moments
can prove meaningful.
We can also say something similar about the regions that implement Bookstart. It is
impossible, of course, for a region to become “a great place to raise children” merely byoffering Bookstart. Regions that implement Bookstart can, however, use it as a jumpingoff point to think about the happiness of babies and children, and about what sort ofenvironment the region wishes to create. This can then lead to different regional efforts,
and is surely another way in which Bookstart proves valuable.
In closing, we would like to offer our deepest thanks to the parents and carers whorecorded and submitted descriptions of sharing books with children. We would like tothank the parents and carers who responded to the Bookstart Japan survey in their cities,
as well as those in every city who distributed and collected the survey. Finally, we would
like to offer our sincere gratitude to all who implement Bookstart in Japan and whoshared their thoughts and feelings with us, regarding Bookstart’s content and activities.
If our Research Report and this English edition can be of use to people eager to run baby
bookgifting programs around the world—and people now running such programs—andcontribute in multi-faceted ways to their vision, that would be our greatest pleasure.
What Does Bookstart Accomplish in Japan? A Research Report
Bookstart Japan, August 2021

36

Appendices1) About Japan (Figures as of 2020)

In addition to well-baby/-child checkups, public health centers may offer prenatal
classes, newborn home visits, weaning seminars, dental exams and/or otherservices as determined by the municipality.

Population: 125,000,000
Annual births: 840,000
Total fertility rate: 1.34%
Aging population (share of the population ages 65 and over): 28.7%
Expatriate population: 2,880,000 (2% of population)
Administrative divisions: 47 prefectures containing 1,741 municipalities

2) About Bookstart in Japan

Features of regional administration:
Two levels of local government: prefectural and municipal (city, ward, town orvillage). Directly elected legislatures function at both levels, as does a directly
elected governor or mayor.
Local governments are the level at which parent-child health and public libraryservices are offered. Public health centers and public libraries in particular are
operated by local municipalities.
Japan has 3,316 public libraries.

Municipal health centers’ services are primarily provided by public health nurses.
Services are for all ages with special emphasis on infants and the elderly.

By law, municipalities must offer well-baby/well-child checkups at 18 months to
2 years of age, and again between 3 and 4 years of age. In addition, checkups areoffered at 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, or other junctures as decided by themunicipality. Group checkups or individual checkups (done at medical facilities)
are available.

At checkups, doctors and public health nurses examine babies’ growth anddevelopment, judge whether support is needed, and arrange follow-up as
necessary.
For appropriate timing and in order to take advantage of high participation rates(more than 95%), Bookstart tends to be offered at a group checkup during baby’s
first year.

▪
▪

5 Bunko private libraries have been established in various places: private homes, community centers, temples, or

anywhere many books (1,000-3,000 volumes) can be stored. Children may freely gather, play, read and borrowbooks on open days. Bunko libraries may be run by a volunteer or group of volunteers. They first became❖ History▪
▪

1999: Observations in the UK. Visits to BookTrust, local libraries, public healthcenters, children’s hospitals, financial backers.
2000: National Year of Reading for Children (NYRC) in Japan. NYRC Board(private sector) commissions Bookstart pilot study involving 200 households in
Suginami Ward, Tokyo.
2001: Bookstart begins to spread nationwide. Bookstart Japan is founded.
2002: Bookstart Japan is registered as a non-profit organization dedicated topromoting Bookstart.

❖ Current scale▪
▪

Approximately 460,000 babies were eligible for services in 2020
Approximately 7,800,000 babies have been eligible since services began.

❖ Overall structure
▪
▪

▪

▪

Principal decisions are taken by municipalities. Costs for implementation areincorporated in public library or health center budgets in most municipalities.
Activities are carried out in partnership with local libraries, health centers, andchild-rearing divisions, together with local volunteers. The entity overseeing
Bookstart varies by municipality, as do participating groups and individuals.
Local volunteers may be recruited from groups already offering read-alouds at
libraries, community centers or elementary schools; from bunko private children’s
libraries 5 ; or from among former daycare teachers. Most municipalities offer
trainings for local volunteers.
The point of contact is usually a well-baby group health checkup offered to allbabies in the municipality in their first year of life. Baby age at the time of
implementation varies by municipality.

popular in the 1950s, and in 1980, there were more than 4,400 such libraries around Japan. In 2008, there were
1,143.

What Does Bookstart Accomplish in Japan? A Research Report
Bookstart Japan, August 2021

37▪

Volunteers typically offer a fun experience sharing a picture book with anindividual baby and parent, or to a small group of babies with parents, who arethen presented with their own picture book pack. Value is placed on quality
delivery of both the experience and the gift.

❖ Operations
▪

▪

▪
▪

As an NPO, we pursue the ideals of Bookstart begun in the UK, promoting
Bookstart program in Japan. We have been established as an independent, neutral,
nonprofit civic organization.
Using information that we gather about the implementation of Bookstartthroughout Japan, we offer materials and training workshops, as well as Bookstartpacks.
We operate on the income from selling Bookstart packs and from membershipdues paid by supporting companies.
Trustees who specialize in children’s reading promotion, pediatrics,
developmental psychology, childcare, library service, community building takepart in our planning, while full-time staff carry out the daily operations.

❖ Bookstart pack【The Bookstart pack inclusion】▪ Picture books for babies (several titles which differ by municipality)▪ Advice booklet (a pamphlet about the joy of sharing books with baby, itself
designed to look like a picture book)▪ List of recommended books (prepared by the municipality)▪ Library registration application (prepared by the municipality)▪ Useful child-rearing materials (prepared by the municipality)▪ Cotton bag (one of two types) or paper bag to hold all items above (bag typeselected by municipality)【Book acquisition and distribution】▪ Bookstart Japan holds an independent, impartial book selection meeting at which
a list of 30 Bookstart Books is compiled, drawing from picture books published
for babies in Japan.
▪ Municipalities select books from this list to include in packs.
▪ Picture books chosen as Bookstart Books are provided by publishers neither for
profit nor at a loss, directly to Bookstart Japan. Bookstart Japan then vends books
to municipalities at low cost in a “non-commercial model.”▪ In this “non-commercial model,” when Bookstart Japan vends book packs tomunicipalities, it takes in just enough income to function with financial
independence, and to offer printed materials, trainings, and other services insupport of Bookstart in various regions.
【Multilingual offerings】▪ Bookstart Japan is preparing a Content Introduction Sheet in nine (9) languages
for each of the titles on the Bookstart Books list. These sheets provide a simple
description of each book’s contents as well as the pronunciation of its Japanesetext, expressed in letters of the Roman alphabet. We also encourage telling thestories in readers’ mother tongues.
▪ The Bookstart advice booklet is also being prepared in nine (9) languages, inbilingual format with Japanese and the language side-by-side.

What Does Bookstart Accomplish in Japan? A Research Report
Bookstart Japan, August 2021

38
【Offerings for the visually impaired】▪
Municipalities can exchange picture books purchased from Bookstart Japan for
personally translated Braille books 6 to gift to visually impaired parents orchildren.
▪ Some titles on the Bookstart Books list have been published in touch-and-feelversions available commercially, which municipalities can purchase throughBookstart Japan.
▪ Braille and large-print editions of the Bookstart advice booklet, including its main
text and descriptions of its illustrations, are available.
▪ Braille and large-print versions of text introducing Bookstart and books forvisually impaired are available.

6

The Braille versions of books available by exchange through Bookstart Japan are editions in which the text ofcommercially available picture books has been transferred as Braille to transparent vinyl sheets, which are thenglued to the type portion of the original book. The shape of illustrations is also expressed in the vinyl sheet andglued on, and/or an explanation sheet is included, so that people with and without visual impairments can enjoy
a book together. Bookstart Japan sources these versions from an NPO with many years’ experience in creating
them: Tenyaku Ehon Fureai Bunko.

What Does Bookstart Accomplish in Japan? A Research Report
Bookstart Japan, August 2021

39

About this publication
First English-language edition, published 10th August 2021
Written and edited by: Bookstart Japan (NPO Bookstart)
Publisher: Tetsu Shirai
Address: Bookstart Japan (NPO Bookstart)
Kakuta Building 3F, 5-19 Shinogawamachi, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 162-0814, Japan
Telephone: +81 (0)3-5228-2891 | FAX: +81 (0)3-5228-2894
Email: infobs@bookstart.or.jp
Website: www.bookstart.or.jp© Bookstart Japan 2021

Printed in Japan