Contents①

Let’s Have Fun

1②

What’s Wrong?

2③

Field Trips Are Fun

4④

I Can’t Believe It

6⑤Why?

8⑥

Staying Home Alone

10⑦（May We Bring Happiness）

12⑧Let’s Play Together

14⑨

Haruka’s Sunflowers

16⑩

The Old People Watch Us to Be Safe

18

Circle number

Blue …Grade1
Green…Grade2

Red…Grade1・2

Let’s Have Fun
Friends Janken(rock-paper-scissors game)

Seats-Sharing Game１

What’s Wrong?
“Good morning!”“…”
Always in a loud voice,
Yuki greets me.
But today, she looks kind of down.

２

“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I’m having a hard time with Ayatobi(criss-cross jump rope).
I even practiced for a long timeyesterday.”He almost cried.
“Why don’t we practice together?”I said.
I saw his face light up.

３

Field Trips Are Fun①“Can you come up here?”“Follow the rules and have fun!”“O.K.”②“Let’s play tag!”“You can’t catch me.”③

“Wow, it was yummy!”④“O.K. Let’s have lunch.”“Whoopee!”“I’m starving.”“You’re eating so fast, Bear.”⑤⑥
４

Boo-hoo. Sniffle, sniffle.

⑧“This is so dirty.
I can’t stand it!”

“Oh, no.”⑨⑦“I’m so sorry.”“Oh, it was a dream.”⑩⑪“Come on, it’s time to go!”⑬⑫
５

I Can’t Believe It!
Guess what, Teacher?
I finally dunked my head into the water
today.
Yesterday, I had a few sprinkles of waterfrom a watering can on my face. It was soscary that I cried.
But today was a miracle!

I was so nervous when I went into the pool.
As I was playing with everyone in thewater, I felt like I could do it.
６

1,2,3!
I took a deep breath and dunked my head
into the water.

Mai said, “Good job!”
I almost cried.
Shingo gave me a V-sign,and I gave one back to him.
Teacher, I can’t believe it!

７

Why?
I played with my friends at a park.
It was so much fun, except I got muddy.
My grandpa saw my clothes and said,“You should learn not to behave wildly because you’rea girl.”
Why do they always tell me to behave like a girl?

８I was riding my bicycle the other day, and I fell off
my bicycle.
It hurt so badly that I went back home, crying.
My mom said, “You have to be tougher because you’rea boy.”
Why do boys always have to be tough?

９Staying Home Alone
I sometimes stay home alone at night,
because my mom is busy with work.
I have supper, and spend the rest of my time
watching T.V. or playing.
I wait for my mom until she comes back home
at 9 or 10 o’clock.

10

The next day at school, I sometimes become
sleepy.
But I try to stay awake, because I hate to getbehind and I also love school.
I try to raise my hand many times.
That’s how I do my best to stay active at school.

11

Let’s Play Together③“No, she can’t!”①“Do you want tojoin us?”②“Sure.”14

The next day“Let’s play together!”“How can we have fun all together?”15

Haruka’s Sunflowers
Have you ever heard about “Haruka’s Sunflowers”?
When there was a big earthquake in Kobe, Haruka Kato, asixth grader, died under her shattered house.

That summer, somehow, a lot of sunflowers bloomed at thesite of the garden of her house.
Haruka used to feed her parrot sunflower seeds. The seeds
scattered during the earthquake, sprouted and finally
bloomed.
People who saw them were moved to tears and said, “It’s like
Haruka turned into the sunflowers and came back here.”

Planting the seeds (Kobe)“Haruka’s Sunflowers” grow big. (Kobe)

16

Haruka’s family and the local people picked up the seeds
carefully.
And the next year, they planted them at other places in townand a lot of sunflowers bloomed.
People lost everything in the earthquake, but her sunflowers
encouraged them.

Since then, “Haruka’s Sunflowers” have been sent to othertowns in Japan and other foreign countries which had
disasters, and keep blooming there brightly.

“Haruka’s Sunflowers” grow big.

A lot of seeds from “Haruka’s Sunflowers”“Haruka’s Sunflowers” sprout at thegarden of a kindergarten.
(Kesennuma-shi, Miyagi)

17

The Old People Watch Us to Be Safe
On our way home from school,“Hi, kids.”“Did you have fun at school today?”“Go home safely!”
Mr. Tanaka and Mrs. Yamakawa talk to us with smiles. They watch
over us every day so that we can stay safe, even on hot days andrainy days.
One day, I had a fight with my close friend, Ken, before theend-of-the-day homeroom. I didn’t want to speak with anyone, so I
kept my eyes on the ground and hurried back home.
At the pedestrian crossing, I heard the sweet voice of Mrs.
Yamakawa. “Hi, sweetie.”“Are you O.K.?” I heard Mr. Tanaka’s voice, too.
But I started running even faster without answering.

18

Before supper, Ken called me and we made up. We promised toplay together the next day. It made me happy and I felt good.
But suddenly, I remembered the smiling faces of Mr. Tanaka andMrs. Yamakawa and they didn’t go away from my head evenduring supper.
The next day on my way home from school, they were waiting
for me with their usual smiles.
“Hi, sweetie.”“Did you have lots of fun at school today, too?”
Their voices were nice as usual.
I looked at their faces for a while and said loudly,“It was so much fun!!”19