The Way We Do It in Japan
Kindergarten-Grade 3--Gregory lives in California with his parents. Suddenly his Japanese-born father announces that he is being transferred to Tokyo and they will be leaving shortly. They pack up and move and Gregory learns that the language, money, food, and traffic flow are all different. Every time he remarks on the strangeness of things, his father says, "That's the way we do it in Japan." The child has the usual fears about going to a new school, understanding the work, and making friends. He feels out of place with his peanut-butter sandwich when everyone else eats the school-supplied fish, rice, and soup. He dislikes the idea of fish, but on the day he decides to try it, they are serving PB & J sandwiches and the children announce, "Amerikawa sugoi" (America is wonderful). Large, colorful illustrations with realistically drawn children add to the appeal of the story. However, some of the "way we do it-" elements are a bit stereotypical of the traditional way of Japanese life. Contemporary children of Gregory's age mostly now sleep in beds and sit at tables, but that does not detract from this story, which tries to emphasize cultural differences while including social similarities. This friendly story of acceptance in a new situation will also serve as a good introduction to children learning about this culture.Nancy A. Gifford, Schenectady County Public Library, NYCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.