Konnichiwa! I Am a Japanese-American Girl - Hardcover

Grade 3-5?In this attractive presentation, young Lauren Kamiya tells about her heritage. She descibes her life in San Francisco in the midst of an extended family including her parents and both grandmothers. The Kamiya children attend a public school that teaches the Japanese language, and the family participates in the annual Cherry Blossom Festival. Traditional dance, art, costume, music, and food are discussed. Information about Lauren, her family, and San Francisco's Japanese-American cultural institutions is conveyed via excellent full-color photography accompanied by a clear, concise text. While the most obvious audience for this title is children of Japanese extraction or teachers needing multicultural materials, this book has great visual appeal and will be readily picked up by browsers. A helpful glossary of Japanese words used in the text and a suggested reading list of children's fiction and nonfiction are also included. A lovely though not essential purchase.?Rosalyn Pierini, San Luis Obispo City-County Library, CA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr 2^-4. Children who check the glossary will learn that in Japanese konnichiwa means "hello," a good opening for this introduction to the Japanese American experience told from the point of view of a child named Lauren Seiko Kamiya. Lauren guides readers through San Francisco's Japantown and shows how her family takes part in the annual Cherry Blossom Festival. While it's not quite convincing as a child's narrative (and unfortunately heavy on exclamation marks), the text is simple and explains the photographs well. The photos, some candid and some posed like family snapshots, provide clear, colorful views of Lauren's world. An excellent bibliography of children's books rounds out this useful introduction to Japanese American culture. Carolyn Phelan