7 Children's Books About Japan: Talking to Young Children About the Earthquake

On March 11, 2011 an 8.9 magnitude earthquake shook Japan and a tsunami hit the northeastern shores of Japan. The damage, devastation and death toll continues to be in the news. Parents and teachers of young children are faced once again with both a challenge and an opportunity. With constant news coverage of the Japan earthquake and photos on the front of newspapers everywhere, it's virtually impossible to shield young children from the photos and news of the devastation and death in Japan.

Young children's first question may simply be "Where is Japan?"

Use a globe or world map to show to help them locate Japan. Now that they can see the place, young children will wonder about the people.

Parents and teachers will be searching for children's books about Japan. Children's books are an excellent way to share more about Japan and the Japanese people with young children. All children's books about Japan summaries are attributed to School Library Journal.

1. Chibi: A True Story from Japan, published by Clarion in 2006 is by Barbara Brenner & Julia Takaya and illustrated by June Otani. It is recommended for grades 2-4.

"This true story is reminiscent of Robert McCloskey's Make Way for Ducklings (Viking, 1941), but it's set in modern Japan. When a duck builds a nest beside the pool of a downtown office building to raise her young, the citizens of Tokyo became intrigued."

2. Japan was published by Scholastic in 2010 and is written by Colleen Sexton. It is recommended for grades 2-5.

"This easy-to-read book opens with a very basic map, and then goes on to describe the country's geography, wildlife, and people. Crisp, colorful photographs are large and plentiful, and the texts provide sidebars of information."

3. I Live in Tokyo, published by Houghton Harcourt in 2001 is by Mari Takabayashi. It is recommended for grades 2-5.

"Seven-year-old Mimiko leads readers through a year highlighting the festivals, activities, food, and her family's daily routine. The name of each month is written along the left border in phonetic Japanese, English, and Kanji (Chinese characters used in Japanese writing)."

4. In Search of the Spirit: The Living National Treasures of Japan was published by Morrow in 1999 and is written by Sheila Hamanaka & Ayano Ohmi. It is recommended for grades 4-8.

"In the 1950s, the Japanese government, concerned that ancient traditions were dying out in the mechanized postwar era, created a program to honor elders practicing age-old crafts and performing arts. To date, some 100 men and women have been designated Living National Treasures, receiving grants to continue their life's work and to train apprentices. This elegant, beautifully designed book introduces six of these people, all men: a yuzen dyer who decorates silk kimonos, a bamboo weaver, a Bunraku puppet master, a sword maker, a Noh actor, and a potter."

5. The East-West House: Noguchi's Childhood in Japan, published by Lee & Low is by Christy Hale. It is recommended for grades 3-6.

"Isamu Noguchi was a prolific and influential artist whose creative interests ranged beyond sculpture and into scenic and landscape design, architecture, furniture, and art education. This book uses spare writing and textured collage to depict his life as a boy of mixed Japanese and American heritage living in Japan. Hale includes the fact that his mother was abandoned by his father before Noguchi was even born and makes the case that his isolation and difference as a child contributed to his appreciation of the natural world, which in turn informed his work throughout his long career."

6. My Japan was published by Kane Miller in 2009 is written by Etsuko Watanabe. It is recommended for grades K-2.

"Yumi introduces readers to her country via this informational picture book. She starts with her bedroom, detailing her desk, lamp, bed (futon), closet, and school bag, and then takes readers through her kitchen, explaining what she and her family eat, and the bathroom. Small illustrations of the featured items each face a full-page, full-color picture of the room, and children can look for the individual objects in it."

7. Children Around the World was published by Kids Can Press and is written by Donata Montanari.

"This picture book should pique the interest of youngsters learning about the world around them. A brightly illustrated two-page introduction focuses on the differences and the similarities in children everywhere. Readers then travel around the globe from the Philippines to Tanzania, China, Australia, Canada, Morocco, the U.S., India, Mexico, Japan, Greece, and Bolivia, meeting 12 different children, one on each spread. In short, simple sentences they describe where they live; their families; what they eat; languages spoken; and sometimes school, transportation, or religion. Eye-catching, cheerful collage illustrations, created with fabric, paper, mesh, string, and felt, depict happy faces exuding plenty of personality. A simple world map places the featured children in their respective countries. This book will appeal to youngsters, and teachers may find it works as a prompt to classroom discussions about diversity."

Young children will have questions, want reassurances and often will want to help.

The Children's Hospital in the Denver, Colorado area offers excellent Tips for Parents: Talking to Kids About Japan's Earthquake and Tsunami.

Sources:

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/

http://www.thechildrenshospital.org/news/pr/2011/talking-to-kids-about-japan.aspx

http://www.amazon.com/Children-Around-World-Donata-Montanari/dp/1553376846