Description
The words profiled in this book are all commonly used in the Japanese language and are both informative and fun for English-speaking children to learn. The goals of My First Book of Japanese Words are multiple: to familiarize children with the sounds and structure of Japanese speech, to introduce core elements of Japanese culture, to illustrate the ways in which languages differ in their treatment of everyday sounds and to show how, through cultural importation, a single word can be shared between languages.
Both teachers and parents will welcome the book's cultural and linguistic notes and appreciate how the book is organized in a familiar ABC structure. Each word is presented in Kanji (when applicable), Kana, and Romanized form (Romaji).
With the help of this book, we hope more children (and adults) will soon be a part of the 125 million people worldwide that speak Japanese!
About the Author
Michelle Haney Brown thrives on awakening preschool through adult students to the wonders of Japan's language and culture. She also teaches cross-cultural navigation to individuals and to groups in organizations such as NASA. She and her family live in Austin, TX.
Aya Padron is a freelance artist who works in many media, among them painting and photography. She is the illustrator of My First Book of Korean Words and My First Book of Chinese Words. She and her husband live in Austin, TX.
Reviews
"It's a fun way to learn a handful of basic Japanese words, and perhaps inspire an interest in learning more." --The Children's Book Review
"I've always had an interest in learning about people and cultures, so I've collected an assortment of "My First Word" books in a variety of languages. This Japanese word book is one of the best I've seen. At first glance, the choice of going through the English alphabet to present words in Japanese seems odd, but really it's brilliant. It gives young children a familiar setting whiles introducing them to something completely new and different." --Randy-Lynn Wach, City Book Review
"This is a lovely picture book in ENGLISH but with Japanese words for each letter...There is also interesting tidbits of information about the Japanese culture that kids would enjoy." --PragmaticMom.com blog
Book Information
ISBN 9780804849531
Author Michelle Haney Brown
Format Hardback
Page Count 32
Imprint Tuttle Publishing
Publisher Tuttle Publishing
Weight(grams) 340g