I Live in Tokyo

Takabayashi, M. (2001). I live in tokyo. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.

            I Live in Tokoyo is about a child named Mimiko and her life in Japan. The author, Mari Takabayashi is a Japanese author who moved to New York. Mimiko describes her school, a typical day there, and the things they learn. There are pictures about descriptions about different foods, rituals, and her way of life in Japan. Each month has two pages that describe typical events that take place in the different months and what the month is in Japanese. There are pictures and descriptions of different Japanese cultures and the words in Japanese. There is also a glossary at the end of the book with common words and how to say them in Japanese.

            Although this book is more for younger students, I think it is very informative about the Japanese culture. I would use it to introduce a book, unit, or topic that relates to Japan. There will be students with Japanese heritage so it is important that all cultures are represented in the curriculum because there usually is not a lot of material about Japanese culture. This book would be great to use because of all the pictures, descriptions, and Japanese words. Students would learn a lot from it.