Perogies & Gyoza

Interview with Isabelle Arsenault, illustrator of Virginia Wolf

2012-03-13T20:30:00.000+09:00

One of Canada's most loved book illustrators is Isabelle Arsenault, who won the prestigious Governor General's Literary Award in 2005 for children's illustration due to her work on Le coeur de monsieur Gaugin. She is also the illustrator of the wonderful Virginia Wolf. I had the pleasure of asking her a few questions, and I loved reading the answers. Hope you do too!

Perogies & Gyoza: Did you do any research for Virginia Wolf since it is loosely based on real characters?

Isabelle Arsenault: I did visual research focusing on pictures of Virginia Woolf and around her house in order to have references that would help me visualize her life and include elements about it in my images.

As the story had so little to do with the real Virginia Woolf, I didn't feel like I had to read biographies to make the work accurate. Also, Kyo gave me lots of hints about Virginia's life, that she suggested could be integrated into my images.

Image from Virginia Wolf - copyright Isabelle Arsenault

PG: Could you elaborate on the colours/style you chose to show the different moods of Virginia Wolf?

IA: The story begins while Virginia is not feeling so good... to describe her state of mind, I chose to work with muted tones, mainly grayscale with one or two colors, while the rendering was sketchy.

When the whole house sank, the colors and style shift to different ones where the shapes look like shadows or silhouettes. It's a world where everything is dark and negative.

When Vanessa starts to use her imagination and creativity to enlighten this darkness, she uses color crayons and paint that contrast to the previous atmosphere. Colors/creativity bring some joy and fun to what seemed boring and faded.

But this world is in their imagination. When they woke up the day after, reality is not as perfect as they thought it would be. This is described as a mixed of the sketchiness from the beginning and the colors from the end. It's not as perfect as in Bloomsberry, but it's much better than before.

So basically, colors represent Arts and creativity and what we can do with them. With just a few colors and a big imagination, we can go a long way.

House sinking from Virginia Wolf - copyright Isabelle Arsenault

PG: Is Bloomsberry based on anything, or your own secret world?

IA: I just tried to picture it as I figured the author would see it herself. In the text, she mentions that Vanessa painted Bloomsberry "to make it look just the way it sounded". So that's what I tried to do. I also took inspiration from a picture I saw on Kyo's blog which showed some blue flowers from her garden.

PG: You seem to have a very distinct style (rosy cheeks, muted colour palette, judicious use of white space). Did this come about organically or was it a specific choice?

IA: It's a bit of both. As I said, the styles were distinct from one part to another in order to define the different states of mind Virginia was going through. So I had to think about the impact of every style before going with it or not. But on the other hand, it all came naturally. I like to experiment with techniques and explore the possible visuals for every specific book I'm working on. I also have a tendency to play with colors and oppose them to grayscale tones in my everyday work. It's my way of using colors - I'm a bit selective and picky about it I guess.

Image from Virginia Wolf - copyright Isabelle Arsenault

PG: Do you produce art other than that for children's books? If so, is there a way for people to buy it?

IA: I produce illustrations for children's books and do some other illustration assignments for magazines and newspapers. In my free time, I work on a sketchbook where I develop ideas and new projects. Sometime, these can develop into a creative project of its own, like a silk-screen print series, or a promotional object. But I don't have right now what I could call a production that people could buy, out of the original artwork pieces from my books.

PG: What books did you love as a kid, and are there any kids books you love as an adult?

IA: I loved books with striking images, either because of their beauty or of their darkness, their scariness. In either ways, I remember liking the feeling of being impressed by the illustrations of my favorite books.

Colour test for Virginia Wolf - copyright Isabelle Arsenault

PG: Are you multilingual? If so, do you have any tips for parents like me raising multilingual kids on how not to stuff it up?

IA:I have two sons, and they only speak French right now... but sometimes, I read to them books in English. I think children's book are great for learning a new language. The illustrations help understanding a story and guessing the meaning of new words. You can go at your own pace, and repeat parts if needed. My kids and I especially like books by Mo Willems like Piggie and Elephant, which are simple, repetitive, and fun.

PG: What's next?

IA: I'm working right now on a children's book that looks a lot like a graphic novel and I'm having lots of fun doing it! It's for kids aged between 8 and 12 years old and will be published in French at La Pasteque. I have other great book projects coming up in the next year and hopefully, I'll have another collaboration with inspiring author Kyo Maclear in a near future.

Thanks so much Isabelle for letting me interview you! Can't wait for your next book!

My interview with Kyo Maclear can be found here.

Short Story Monday: The Wind Beneath My Feet

2012-03-12T12:00:00.000+09:00

For Short Story Monday, hosted by John at The Book Mine Set, I read a story from the Bata Shoe Museum.

Yes, you read that right. How cool is that? First, there is a museum dedicated to shoes. Second, it shares its collection online, and solicits written pieces from diverse shoe-wearers. This particular collection is about immigrant women to Canada.

My favourite of The Shoe Project is The Wind Beneath My Feet, by Tanaz Bhatena. It is a story of a journey, not just about immigration, but a journey to find one's own version of womanhood, and the story of expectations of others versus those of oneself. Bhatena does a fantastic job of describing what it is like for a woman to go from one culture in which women are treated a certain way to another culture which is its polar opposite. Not only is the subject interesting for an immigrant to me, Bhatena' use of language is excellent, and I hope to see something published by her in the future.

I identified with the phone calls between Bhatena and home- people in Canada want to hear my Japanese accent too. :)

When I first moved to Japan I had trouble with wardrobe. The slightest bit of cleavage is considered inappropriate here, although most work clothes in Canada (v-neck sweaters!) are made in that style. However, skirts are shorter in this country than any other I've been in, so I admit to getting angry at that double standard! It's hard to shop at home for clothes to be worn in Japan, actually. This gives me an appreciation for Bhatena's wardrobe culture shock.

Go ahead, read them all! Which shoe story is your favourite?

Tsunami!

2012-03-11T21:50:00.001+09:00

Tsunami! (CAN, JP, USA, INT)

Written by: Kimiko Kajikawa

Illustrated by: Ed Young

Published by: Philomel

Published: May 2009

We all know what happened in Japan on this day last year. We all know the horror Mother Nature can wreak on humans. We are far from the devastation but there are still marks on our psyche from this tragic event.

I wanted to get a book that could start some controlled conversations with my kids about the events of 3/11. They still act out tsunami and talk about it when playing which is healthy for them, but I am a little afraid that there are kids around them who have lost a relative or who have moved here to escape devastation and that they could hurt by doing this.

I read parts of Meltdown! to them which helped process the nuclear disaster and to help them understand the discussions we are having on energy in Japan right now. The science behind the nuclear process is solid and that is a good book for that. However, I still wanted something suitable for their age range about the earthquake and or tsunami that isn't jarring. This is definitely that book.

In Tsunami!, Ojichan (Old Man) sacrifices his fields and therefore his riches to save his entire village from a tsunami that washes all the buildings and possessions away but does not succeed in taking the people.

Caldecott winner Ed Young is known for his unique collages, and in this book these mixed media collages work on several fronts. The texture and paper gives a folk art feel that makes this feel like a folk tale. Which it is I think- I've seen variations in Japan as a play and in art as well as in a collection of Lafcadio Hearn stories. The collages also serve to lessen the impact of this event, which makes it appropriate for even kids at a young age.

I think this is an extremely well-written picture book that can serve as a catalyst for talks about sacrifice, disaster, and rebuilding. The author has a number of excellent lesson plans related to tsunamis on her website as well.

Educational Apps for 2-year olds

2012-03-10T23:45:00.002+09:00

I know what you are thinking. Why in the world would a 2-year old need an app? Even 3 years ago I would have thought myself nuts so keep on thinking that!

Tomorrow is my son's big kindergarten concert. The school is big for a non-Tokyo kindy and each kid has three separate parts to play, plus the PTA and teachers each have two. This will be about 4 hours long. My daughter can sit still a long time but 4 hours is pushing her limits. The kids in the kindy will be backstage doing games and origami and colouring and reading books (that's my job!) but the kids in the audience are going to have a rough time.

So we are bringing my iPod and filling it with new apps and old faves.

The newest one we have found is the Bunny Fun: Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes app by Rosemary Wells. Rosemary Wells is most well known as the creator of Max and Ruby, but in our house we think of her as the woman behind Yoko, the Japanese kitty who lives in the US. One of the best things about Rosemary Wells is that she brings many different cultures into her work. This app is no different, as Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes is presented in 4 different languages; English, French, Spanish, and Japanese! Three cheers for a multilingual app.

This app is super simple, it is just a wee bunny who changes clothes and therefore languages. Kids can choose to play the song or read and hear the word for the body part by touching on the screen. Perfect for 2-year olds.

Another new find is an adaptation of the book I loved as a child: The Monster at the End of This Book. Grover takes the child through this book, and Elmo joins him in Another Monster at the End of This Book. These are really fun books, and not only can it be read aloud by these characters, you can tickle them as well.

The old fave is SUPER WHY! from PBS Kids. Both of my kids love this app so much. How can you go wrong with Whyatt and the Super Readers. Choosing a character chooses a path according to the child's ability, from learning the alphabet to assembling sentences. Fairy tales from around the world are used so it adds another element of excitement. My kids love this and so do I. The best app we have ever bought, hands down.

My daughter also loves the Strawberry Shortcake app, which involves sorting fruit by colour. Not a bad app, but I prefer the old pinafore-wearing Strawberry Shortcake!

I've loaded up the iPod with these English activities, packed a pair of earphones with lots of padding, put them in her Meeabee bag with some snacks, and all I can do is cross my fingers that she doesn't wander onto the stage to play with her big brother like last year. Here's hoping!

Capturing Joy

2012-03-08T12:00:00.000+09:00

Capturing Joy: The Story of Maud Lewis (CAN, JP, US, INT)

Written by: Jo Ellen Bogart

Illustrated by: Mark Lang

Published by: Tundra Books

Published on: May 2011

Ages: 6+

Today is International Women's Day. To celebrate, I wanted to find a picture book that celebrated a Japanese or Canadian woman in history. Quite a few Canadian books to choose from, including Viola Desmond Won't Be Budged, which I reviewed last month. I did not find anything suitable in Japanese though, so I will be looking more. I chose this book because I love Maud Lewis' folk art.

Capturing Joy is a celebration of Canadian folk artist Maud Lewis. It starts with Maud in a rural area in Nova Scotia meeting her future husband, but takes the reader back to her childhood of art and illness. Nothing, not even poverty or great physical limitations, stops Maud from expressing herself with bright colours. Although she was never a financial success during her life, her style influenced artists and Canadians for decades, and this continues to this day.

Last year I reviewed the wonderful Big and Small, Room for All, also by Jo Ellen Bogart, and have kept an eye open for books by her since. In both books Bogart is able to take large concepts and simplify them for young folks but keep the subject interesting.

This book alternates between Maud Lewis' gorgeous paintings and illustrator Mark Lang's pencil sketches. Lang's work is a tribute to her but does not parody her work, so important when chronicling an artist. Lewis' bold palette is especially appealing to children.

I was inspired to learn more about the amazing Maud Lewis and her work ethic, so I found out that The National Film Board of Canada has a short documentary about Maud Lewis called Maud Lewis: A World Without Shadows, from Diane Beaudry in 1976. Definitely worth watching.

This is the 30th book I have read for the 5th Canadian Book Challenge.

What Are You Reading on World Read Aloud Day?

2012-03-07T21:00:00.000+09:00

Today is World Read Aloud Day! What will you read aloud, and who will you read to?

Today I read aloud to a few classes at a kindergarten. I read 3 books; Sora and the Cloud, There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly, and Ofuton Kaketara (Japanese book). They were all hits.

My daughter wants me to read Chirp Magazine's Grandparents Issue. Who am I to say no?

My son, Spinky, chose Where the Wild Things Are. Lovely, classic book.

I needed something lighter after The Letter Opener, so I am reading the very funny Jann Arden's autobiography, Falling Backwards. It's a gas- review to come.

What are you reading this week?

Interview with Kyo Maclear, author of Virginia Wolf

2012-03-06T22:00:00.000+09:00

If you've been reading my blog lately you know that I am going through a little Kyo Maclear phase! There was her first picture book, Spork, which started the fascination, then her novel, The Letter Opener. This week I finally got my hands on her new picture book, Virginia Wolf, and even it exceeded my high expectations. I was thrilled to be able to conduct an interview with Kyo Maclear, and to share it with you. Grab a cup of tea and read on!

Perogies & Gyoza: This is your second children's book, and second collaboration with

Isabelle Arsenault, after 2010's award-winning Spork. How did the second project come about?

Kyo Maclear: When I was in highschool a boyfriend gave me a copy of The Waves and I instantly fell in love (with Virginia Woolf… the boyfriend and I were ill-suited.) I have continued to adore and admire Virginia ever since. A few years ago I came across a childhood photo of her playing cricket with her sister Vanessa Bell and it started me thinking about their relationship. Shortly after, I started working on this story. When it was finished I sent it to my wonderful editor, Tara Walker, who shared it with Isabelle. To my delight, Isabelle signed on immediately.

Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell Stephens

PG: My image of a children's book is that an author writes a book, submits it to the publisher, and then the publisher chooses an illustrator who then develops the second part of the story. However for both of your books with Isabelle Arsenault, I get the feeling that it is more collaborative than that. Can you speak to the process of working with your illustrator?

KM: I consider Isabelle a dream collaborator and artistic soulmate but the funny thing is we’ve never met in person. With both Spork and Virginia Wolf, my editor served as the primary go-between. I think I forwarded a few pictorial notes but the rest was up to Isabelle. At some point in the early stages, she sent us a “Mood Board”——a large page filled with character sketches, Bloomsbury period photos, Liberty fabric patterns and palette swatches. It was so beautiful, the first thing I did was frame it and put it on my bedroom wall. On one page, Isabelle had managed to convey the entire emotion and aesthetic of the book. It is incredibly magical to work with an illustrator with such sensitivity and metaphoric intuition. I’ve been so lucky.

Virginia Wolf Moodboard, copyright Isabelle Arsenault

PG: Was there any difference in the way you approached Virginia Wolf, since it is loosely based on real people, compared to a book like Spork which is all from your ideas?

KM: Yes, “loosely based” is the key word here. Of course, there was more preparatory research with Virginia than there was for Spork. For example, I re-read Woolf’s memoir essays (in particular, On Being Ill and Moments of Being.) But then I set what I read aside. I quickly decided that any references to Virginia Woolf’s real life would need to be as light-handed as possible so as not take away from the story: an imagined episode in which one sister tries to help lift the other out of the doldrums. In the end, there are a few true-life details that may satisfy older readers and Woolf-afficionados but they are extraneous to the plot (and will sail over most children’s heads.) If I set myself any goal of fidelity when it came to my source material, it was to be true to Virginia’s love of language.

PG: Virginia Woolf is perhaps most famous for her struggle with mental illness, as well as being an author. You have tackled that in Virginia Wolf, but that's not a very common theme for picture books aimed at children. Did you specifically want to tackle the issue of mental illness or did it come about organically by showing the relationship between

Vanessa Bell and Virginia Woolf?

KM: I saw the relationship between Vanessa and Virginia as a chance to take both a literal and metaphoric look at depression. As a parent and a former child I know that kids have intense moods and can suffer from lingering sadness. Having said that, I admit I was a bit nervous when I first submitted the story because I knew I was treading on sensitive ground. What amazed me was that no one balked (not the publisher, editor or the illustrator). No one felt the idea was too gloomy for children. (Had I stumbled upon a melancholic pocket of the publishing world?) I have been really heartened by the response so far.* I think people recognize the love and playfulness in the sister relationship and this—along with Isabelle’s exquisite illustrations—helps temper any adult fears of encountering a “difficult subject.”

* I especially liked JuliaDanielson’s Kirkus column.

Black & White Test for Virginia Wolf, copyright Isabelle Arsenault

PG: You have made a trailer for each of your children's books so far. Is this

a necessary part of marketing a children's book today, or just a fun extra?

KM: I love doing trailers. As you may know, writing can be somewhat lonesome. At the risk of becoming socially-inept, I always jump at the opportunity to collaborate, especially with my musician husband. As for the role trailers play in marketing, I think everything helps. (These days, books need a biodiverse ecology to thrive. That means all forms of social media + devoted booksellers + word of mouth, etc.)

PG: What is the difference between writing a children's book and an adult book?

KM: Good question. I think I’d have to say the main difference is economy of language. Believe me, writing shorter is not always easier! I’ve learned so much about distillation through my work for children. The other difference is the place of illustration. In my mind, the best books allow the pictures to do some of the talking. Books where the images are simply parroting the text tend to bore me.

I've become so enamored of visually-driven books that I've found illustration seeping into my adult fiction. My new novel, Stray Love, which will be published this March, features a boy named Marcel who grows up to be an illustrator. The novel includes two gorgeous drawings by Canadian artist Heather Frise.*

*( Kyo Maclear's new novel is published as Stray Love in Canada and appears in Australia/New Zealand as A Thousand Tiny Truths.)

PG: What books did you love as a kid, and are there any kids books you love as an adult?

KM: I loved The Peanuts, Shel Silverstein’s Where the Sidewalk Ends, anything by Richard Scarry (I loved his encyclopedic detail), Dr. Seuss’s Sleep Book, Oscar Wilde’s The Selfish Giant (and any story where children know more than big people.) As an adult, I’m a big fan of The Treehorn Trilogy by Florence Heide Parry, The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip by George Saunders and Lane Smith, The Three Robbers by Tomi Ungerer, and for sheer rhythmic readability Charlie Parker Played Be Bop by Chris Raschka.

PG: Are you multilingual? If so, do you have any tips for parents like me raising multilingual kids on how not to stuff it up?

KM: I speak Japanese like a four year old——i.e. I can ask for toys and cookies fairly fluently. Japanese was actually my first language but growing up in an English-speaking country and a bicultural home, it quickly fell by the wayside. (The wayside is also cluttered with my highschool French and undergraduate Spanish.) In retrospect, I wish I grew up with two languages moving through my brain on a regular basis. That kind of code-switching seems healthy and miraculous to me.

Bloomsberry from Virginia Wolf, copyright Isabelle Arsenault

PG: What's next? Any more collaborations with Isabelle Arsenault in the future?

KM: There may be another collaboration in the future. In the meantime, I am working with Matte Stephens on my next picture book, which will be out next Spring 2013. I’m very excited about this. The story has a 60s vibe and Matte is very retro and smartly stylish in his palette and approach.

Virginia Wolf is in stores now, and Stray Love, Kyo Maclear's new novel, will be released on March 20.

My interview with illustrator Isabelle Arsenault can be found here.

Meltdown!

2012-03-05T21:21:00.001+09:00

Meltdown! (US, INT)

Written by: Fred Bortz

Published by: Twenty-First Century Books

Published on: March 1, 2012

Ages: 9+

Provided by the publisher for review through NetGalley

Since we live in Japan, our news is filled with talk about nuclear power plants and the effects of Fukushima after the 3/11 disaster last year. My kids talk about it too, but nuclear power and the process behind it is difficult even for adults to understand. This book attempts to explain nuclear power to older children, by introducing the scientific process and previous nuclear incidents, as well as safer energy options for the future.

My kids are younger than the recommended age for this book, but I read aloud some parts and it was easy for them to understand all but the part about the scientific process behind nuclear fission. I can see that it will be a useful reference for them in the future. Actually it was pretty useful for me!

I especially enjoyed the introduction of Lise Meitner, a physicist who came up with the theory of nuclear fission while skiing with her nephew. That's a true Eureka moment! This is especially good timing since March is women's history month, and I hope to do more nonfiction books about women in history with them over the next few weeks.

My kids were most interested in the section on safer energy. I think that's partly because there are no nuclear plants online at the moment in our part of Japan, so the news is constantly talking about reduction in energy consumption and alternative energy sources. Also, we have solar panels and can see a wind farm from our kitchen window, so these are more visual for them than nuclear energy (I guess they need to watch The Simpsons more often). This part of the book was well done but there was no mention of reducing power consumption, even though that is probably the easiest way for kids to get involved.

The cover is colourful and eye-catching. The orange as a background inside the book makes the text a little hard to read, however. The part of the book written about the 3/11 disaster was written in the present tense which presents an immediacy which is popular with readers of dangerous non-fiction books about sharks or volcanoes. I was not enamoured of it, however, the disaster is still too fresh. Also, the name of Hiroyuki Kohno, the outspoken member of the Fukushima Fifty, was misspelled as Horoyuki Kohno. Normally I would be harder on this mistake, but I made a mistake of my own last week and understand how it happens (not that I have an editor!).

Overall, this is an okay reference for kids or even adults who are wanting more information about the nuclear disaster at Fukushima with background in the mechanics of nuclear fission.

This post is for Nonfiction Monday, a recurring event in the Kidlitosphere, hosted this week by 100 Scope Notes.

Mrs. McNosh Hangs up Her Wash

2012-03-04T09:21:00.000+09:00

Mrs McNosh Hangs up her Wash (CAN, JP, US, INT)

Written by: Sarah Weeks

Illustrated by: Nadine Bernard Westcott

Published by: HarperCollins

Published on: May 7, 2002

Ages: 3+

Girls' Day has passed, the plum blossoms line the roads, and the weather is warming up. It's spring again in Japan.

For me this means something practical- it is the best season for me to hang up the wash outside. You see, in most of Japan dryers are practically nonexistant. Everyone hangs up their wash outside their house. But where I live, over a small body of water from a very active volcano, dryers are much more common because of the ash that rains down on us in the summer. Winter and spring are usually ash-free, just because of the wind patterns, not because it stops spewing ash! But I hate clothes dried outside in the winter, and I hate having to iron clothes because they go crispy in the cold.

There's nothing like the smell of line-dried clean sheets fresh with the smell of spring blooms.

I think Mrs. McNosh would agree. She likes laundry a lot more than I do though, and even does it by hand on an old laundry board!

This Mrs. McNosh books is a fun read but it makes me feel old. My kids have no idea about handwashing clothes or that hanging up a phone is not just an expression! I better go out and buy one of these.

This book is funny, the verse is well-written and catchy, and the illustrations tickle the funny bones of pre-schoolers whether English speakers or not. What I like best about the book is the word play- great for reinforcing all the different meanings and tenses of to hang- not the easiest verb in the English language!

Virginia Wolf

2012-03-02T21:54:00.000+09:00

Virginia Wolf (CAN, JP, US, INT)

Written by: Kyo Maclear

Illustrated by: Isabelle Arsenault

Published by: Kids Can Press

Published on: March 1, 2012

I feel like I have been waiting for this book for a long time. It's been the sweet anticipation of childhood Christmas Eves revisited; these feelings are rare in adulthood, limited to when I am waiting for the delivery of a new Harry Potter or Diana Gabaldon book- and now for a picture book, all because of how much I loved the first collaboration by this duo, Spork.

A young girl is in the doldrums. Her sister senses the wolfish mood, and wants to do what she can to improve it. Snacks work temporarily but music does not. She tries many things before hitting on the perfect solution - transporting her grumpy sister to an imaginary world filled with all her favourite things - cupcakes and flowers and tiny animals and so much more. The creation of this colourful world cheer her sister up and transport the reader to a dream-like garden.

It just so happens that the sisters in this story are loosely based on famous siblings, author Virginia Wolf and artist Vanessa Bell. But the heart of the story is a sisterly love and the message that giving of yourself and your talent means more to anyone than easily obtained things.

My favourite books from childhood are the ones that I could grow with, that were layered enough that I could understand them superficially at a young age but kept opening more layers as I grew older. This is one of those kinds of books.

What my kids see now is raw emotion which is not dampened by adults, and which is dealth with proactively by a sibling full of love. They see imagination in action, adorable characters, and generosity of spirit.

What I see is a lesson I want my kids to learn, about how to deal with their own swirling emotions and those of the people around them. I see glimpses of Woolf books I have enjoyed, like Kew Gardens and To The Lighthouse. It will be exciting to read those books to my kids when they are older and watch as they connect them dots back to this book. I wonder how they will react when they realize that Virginia Woolf's moods were a different beast to the 2-year old tantrums they associate with Virginia Wolf.

I have gushed before about Maclear's writing, how perfectly chosen each word seems to be. She is able to do the same in her children's books but with vocabulary that is accessible even to kindergarteners. The parallels in this book work exceedingly well for children because they are interested in opposites and also because of the quality of Maclear's words.

Arsenault's mixed media illustrations take these clever words and add detail and historical flavour. The colour palette reflects the turn of the 20th century ver well. What I am especially enamoured of, however, is her transitions, such as from black & white to colour and back, or from a page filled with rolling hills to a bed full of siblings. The illustrations convey emotion very well, not just in facial expressions but also in the order of the world around the characters. It is amazing how a switch in colour and a few brushstrokes in the hands of someone so talented can change your feelings from crabby to happy.

Some sort of symbiotic magic occurs when Arsenault and Maclear work together, and the product is timeless picture books that appeal to children and adults alike. This book should find its way into the libraries of everyone who has ever had a bad mood.

Here is my interview with the author of Virginia Wolf, Kyo Maclear, and my interview with illustrator Isabelle Arsenault can be found here.

February Reading Roundup

2012-02-29T07:00:00.000+09:00

Happy Leap Day! Are you doing something daring today? I'm already married so I think proposing is out, I want to do something daring today. My husband thinks we should have fugu (puffer fish) for dinner. I'm not convinced- I want daring, not stupid!

This was a big month, as it was the first month I hosted the Blogging Carnival on Bilingualism. Despite a few time zone glitches, I think it went well. I feel like every month our little bilingual family comes closer for a bit, even though we are all over the world and speaking many many languages. It was really fun, actually, and I hope to do it again!

On the good news front, I am 29/29 days on my read aloud challenge. This has been a great month. My kids are good at asking in the morning if it is a busy day, and reminding me to read if it is!

Since July I have been doing the Canadian Reading Challenge #5. I didn't read as much this month as last, with 4 Canadian picture books (Viola Desmond Won't Be Budged, Birthday Suit, Franklin in the Dark, and Chicken, Pig, Cow's First Fight) and only 1 adult book. More next month I hope!

Next is the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge 2012. I am at 4/20 books marked off already, having read Viola Desmond Won't Be Budged, and Knockin' on Wood: Starring Peg Leg Bates this month.

I knocked off my first book for the Reading the World Challenge! I hit the Caribbean with Birthday Suit, which made me long for warmer weather.

The Read to Me Picture Book Challenge is pretty hard to keep track of, but between here and Goodreads I think I have been able to count most of what we have read!
This month we read Valentine's Day, Pinkalicious Pink of Hearts, Bosley Sees the World, Viola Desmond Won't Be Budged, Press Here, Birthday Suit, The Snow Day, Knockin' on Wood: Starring Peg Leg Bates, Franklin in the Dark, and Chicken, Pig, Cow's First Fight to make 20/120.

How was your reading this month? Are you doing any challenges? February is a short month so it's easy to fall behind.

The Letter Opener

2012-02-28T21:38:00.000+09:00

The Letter Opener (CAN, US, INT)

Written by Kyo Maclear

Published by: Harper Perennial

Published in: 2007

In The Letter Opener, Naiko works in the Undeliverable Mail Office, sifting through both objects belonging to people across Canada that have not reached their intended destination, and sifting through the memories of those around her and those who have left her. The myriad of objects she encounters all trigger memories for her and people who have affected her - not just things but guardians of the past.

There are so many parallels in this story- her coworker Andrei joins Naiko in sorting through belongings, just as his grandmother was assigned to do in Birkenau. Separation from belongings is a special sort of inhumanity seen in the Japanese internment camps in Canada, in the Holocaust, in Eastern Europe for Jews who survived, and for those forced to flee from behind the Iron Curtain.

Naiko is an old-fashioned name. Its bearers were usually born in the Taisho era, so they were of the same age as Naiko's mother would have been. Normally the name Naiko is expressed in katakana rather than having a kanji or hiragana as is common for women's names now. But if it had a kanji it would probably be 内 which is read nai or uchi and means inside, very befitting for an introspective character who provides insights into so many universal experiences.

At first I was upset that I hadn't read this the moment it was released. However I think that it is more poignant to have read it this year, as the Arab Spring parallels the uprisings in Prague and Romania chronicled in this story set in 1989. Last year's tsunami and the work still going on trying to reunite people with their belongings has given me a sense of how important belongings truly are. I imagine the quilt Naiko has been able to pass to her mother's friend, a remnant of belongings stolen from her aunt and uncle by the government in WW2, to be a link with people she loved and will never see again. I think of the work being done in Tohoku right now, scrubbing Butsudans of mud and fixing family photos and then trying so hard to find out where the owners are, if they are.

Maclear is also the author of Spork, the book I read last year that I enjoyed the most. The trademark of Maclear's work, whether for adults or for children, is the sense that every single word is perfect, that there is no better word that could replace it. The writing is absolutely beautiful. She makes me want to be a better writer, as if just enjoying and learning from the presentation of her craft is not enough, I need to take her inspiration and do something with it. Alas, all I really have is my poor blog.

This is the 28th book I read for the 5th Canadian Book Challenge.

Short Story Monday: Love Right on the Yesterday

2012-02-27T13:07:00.000+09:00

Until recently, I would say that about 4 in 5 of the stories I've read set in Japan have been clunkers.
Part of this is just me as one of the expats in Japan who engages in that terrible oneupmanship that involves comparing numbers of kanji learned and thinking that we all know Japan more than the next expat. When Heroes began the internet was awash in people picking apart the Japanese characters' accents and vocab. Does this happen in other countries?

The other problem is that there are people who have important stories that need to be told but they have spent their adult lives in a non-English speaking world and seem to have lost their ability to write in English. I'm not sure how some of these get published, other than those that are self-published. I get antsy sometimes and start reaching for my red pen when reading the worst of these. Everyone needs an editor when they publish, and some need more than one.

But something in 2012 has gone very right, and so far everything I have read on Japan has been awesome. The writing is great. The Japan facts are right on. Plus I haven't felt like anyone is using Japan as a gimmick because it is weird.

I include in this the short story I read for this Short Story Monday, hosted by John at The Book Mine Set, in this list of winners. Love Right on the Yesterday is a coming of age story written by Wendy Nelson Tokunaga for the Tomo Anthology of young adult stories related to Japan, which is to be released next week as the first anniversary of the 3.11 disasters nears.

Love Right on the Yesterday is a story about a teen and her passion and how it affects her relationship with her parents. Yumi is a teen who loves singing and her idol, Rie Ando, and wants to push that love to the next level by becoming the next Rie Ando. She puts all her effort into this dream, and although her parents seem to thwart her at every turn, they relent when she gets her big break.

Tokunaga's characters are all sympathetic. How can you not feel for the daughter who just wants to do what she loves, the mother who wants her child safe, or the overworked father? Because of this, although you want to cheer when Yumi gets permission to start her idol career, there is a niggling doubt of worry set in your mind by Yumi's mom, that this could be a disaster.

Tokunaga is a long-time resident of Japan, and her attention to detail is excellent. Just the names of the characters are enough to show the generations to which they belong. She also chronicles the life of a pop star in the way it truly is in Japan. Yumi might think that this is all about her singing and fashion, but we can see that it is her youth and naiveté which are really the product. Her singing voice is decent, but it's the number of stuffed animals she owns that will delight young girls and otaku alike.

Love Right on the Yesterday is a delightful introduction to a book of short stories which has high aims. Holly Thompson selected at least one fantastic story for her anthology, and I can't wait until March when I find out if they are all as good. I have a feeling my luck will hold.

Chicken, Pig, Cow's First Fight

2012-02-26T22:17:00.000+09:00

Chicken, Pig, Cow's First Fight (CAN, JP, US, INT)

Written and Illustrated by: Ruth Ohi

Published by: Annick Press

Published on: January 19, 2012

We've read Chicken, Pig, Cow, the first in the series, and this is a particular favourite for my kids, especially my daughter. So the newest book in the series was highly anticipated and not only by me.

Chicken, Pig, Cow's First Fight did not disappoint. Despite not having read the other books in the series between the first and this one, we are able to jump right into the story. Chicken, Pig, Cow, and Dog still exhibit the same distinct personalities as in the first book.

Chicken, Pig, and Cow are playing amongst a block city when one rambunctious member of the trio bowls down Chicken's masterpiece. Just like my own children, doing something wrong puts Pig on the defensive, and he gets as grumpy as Chicken. They play the blame game before Pig puts himself in timeout. When he returns he makes up with Chicken, and they all, even Dog, put things to rights.

I like how realistic the fight was- certainly this occurs more often in my house than someone apologizing right away. Pig also shows that it is okay to remove yourself from a situation if emotions are running high, instead of standing and squabbling forever. My kids all had their own ideas for how Chicken and Pig should settle their argument, here's hoping they use these themselves soon!

I love the block Chicken they all made at the end. Ohi is a master of textures and of showing deep feeling on faces drawn with only a few brush strokes. That's what will keep her books on our "must-buy" list.

This is the 27th book I read for the 5th Canadian Book Challenge.

February Blogging Carnival on Bilingualism

2012-02-23T06:02:00.000+09:00

Welcome to the February Blogging Carnival on Bilingualism! This is my first time hosting, and I am so excited to share all the fantastic posts I have received!

Are you new to the Blogging Carnival on Bilingualism? This is an event for those who blog about multilingualism issues that recurs monthly. It is coordinated by the lovely Letizia at Bilingue per Gioco. Please get in touch with her if you want to be on the mailing list or if you'd like to volunteer to host.

Erik at Kid Book Ratings offers up a bilingual book I know my daughter would love. Dora's Opposites introduces a few Spanish words and the concept of opposites, which is great for preschoolers. Check out all of the bilingual books he has reviewed on his site.

More books are offered up by Tamara at Non-Native Bilingualism in Fun.Bilingual.Literary.Life. You might be aware that books are a passion of mine, and she has almost convinced me to rush out and buy all the books she mentioned. But I don't think my long-forgotten high school German will do them justice. I will buy her husband's book when his story is published though!

Kate at German in the Afternoon touches on how important it is to incorporate culture with our language lessons, and she starts with my favourite, food! In Eating Our Way Through German Cuisine, she talks about all the lecker (which even sounds like a word that means lip-smacking good!) dishes she plans to make and gives us a recipe for the Swiss dish Rösti. It's now on my weekend menu, how about yours?

HiraganaMama hits close to my home in her post Is Raising Bilingual Children Worth The Costs? I'm sure all of us would say yes just by being invested enough to participate in the Carnival, but there is a lot of time and effort and even money that goes into our multilingual dreams for our kids. Do you agree with her assessment?

At Our Non-Native Bilingual Adventure, Nic celebrates an anniversary in One Year On- Oh How Far We Have Come. Please join me in offering her congratulations! I hope this is only the first of many years to come!

At Gato and Canard, Annabelle spends time with a family who isn't using their second language with their child and wonders what the reason for that could be, in Suppressed Languages.

At BabelKid, Jan engages in a language showdown with a trilingual youngster in Not Mixing Languages - Extreme Edition. Who's your money on?

Reb at Uh Oh SpaghettiOs writes about the differences in language acquisition between her two kids this month in Bilingual Siblings: A Different Story. I certainly found this to be the case with my two! Are your kids more similar than different?

Lulu at Cherry Blossom Adventures talks about how they don't follow a prescribed method for raising their 2 sons bilingually in No Method, they just do what works for them. That works for me!

Tracey at Native Tongues ponders the benefits of bilingual nursery school, and wonders about sourcing minority language materials in Bilingual Nursery or Not, That Would Be the Question.

Maria at Busy as a Bee in Paris shows that raising bilingual children, even if they don't live with you, can succeed despite other people's intentions in Why I Ended the English/Spanish Immersion with my Daycare Children. I'd like to give her coworkers a piece of my mind!

Tatjana at PebbleMeddle talks about the language choices she makes and the support she wants from others in Why Do I Switch from Serbian to English and Why I Need Non-Serbian People Around Me to Continue to Speak Serbian To My Son. I think we all need support from our communities- do you get enough?

Elizabeth at La Mother Tongue proves that the apple doesn't fall far from the language nerd tree in Musings of a Language Nerdo Mami (and I cannot be along in wanting links to Mickey Mouse Club in Portuguese, can I?).

Amanda at The Educator's Spin On It gets her kids to act out a famous Russian story in Bilingual Babies- Acting Out A Story "Repka". This seems like a great activity! This story is in many cultures now, is there a version in yours?

I posted about what I am doing to help my son become literate in both his languages, by giving him household vocabulary in Environmental Print Part II.

I hope you all enjoy visiting these posts and if you are like me you will start trawling through their archives! I hope you all comment on each others' posts as well, I find the comments is where we build our little bilingual community.

March's Carnival will be hosted by PebbleMeddle. If you would like to be a host, please contact Letizia at her page.

What Are You Reading Wednesday?

2012-02-22T06:27:00.000+09:00

We can't let hump day go by without you all convincing me to buy something new, can we?

I am reading Peeps by Scott Westerfeld. I read his Uglies series last year, so far I'm enjoying it but not as much as the previous series. I'm always like that, I get so attached to characters!

My son is reading this magazine called Terebi-kun (Little TV). It's not at all the kind I like. Basically, it's a magazine dedicated to fighting tv characters. Blegh. The Japanese version of Power Rangers changes every year at this time. Last week it was pirate Gokaijer and from Sunday it will be Gobusters. My son gets so mad at me when I call them Ghostbusters! I guess I better rent him the Ghostbusters movie so he gets a little English in there.

Domba is interested too. He got this mag for his birthday yesterday, and they spent the evening laying on their tummies on the living room rug with this open in front of them while Spinky reads it out loud. Why oh why do they have to bond over this?

As a bit of blog business, I am taking part in Playing by the Book's Edible Book Festival. Better put my ~~nonexistant~~ kyaraben skills to work! I am still undecided as to what to make. I'm looking for something that is suitable for those with no artistic skill, that involves something yummy, like chocolate. And suggestions? Or do you have an idea you want to do yourself? Definitely take part! There are international prizes!!!

What are you reading this week?

2012-02-21T07:00:00.000+09:00

Franklin in the Dark 25th Anniversary Edition (CAN, JP, US, INT)

Written by: Paulette Bourgeois

Illustrated by: Brenda Clark

Published by: Kids Can Press

Published on: February 1, 2011

I won this book during a monthly roundup for the 5th Canadian Book Challenge, hosted by The Book Mine Set. It soon became a household favourite.

We have a number of Franklin books, including Franklin and the Thunderstorm which was one of the first books I reviewed on this blog. But we'd never read the one that started it all!

Franklin has many skills, including the ability to button buttons and count forwards and backwards. The problem is that even though Franklin is a turtle who is supposed to enjoy the comfort of his shell, he is afraid of the dark!

But Franklin wasn't going to just stay afraid. Pulling his shell behind him, and wearing a rainbow shirt almost all of us 80s children also had, he visits other animals for help. A duck offers him water wings, and a polar bear offers him a snowsuit. But none of these help.

What does help is knowing he is afraid but pushing on forward anyway. Franklin finds courage inside himself, and the reader finds a very special meaning and a very endearing character.

The 25th anniversary edition has some extras, including letters from the illustrator and author, a summary of Franklin's personality and adventures, and pictures of all the Franklin goods that have been produced. My kids are particularly enamoured of a brown backpack and lunchbox set with Franklin's visage.

It's easy to see why Franklin became a classic, he is absolutely adorable as well as being plucky. I love this little vignette, I'm not sure if this is new for the 25th anniversary edition or not. My daughter wants that turtle doll for her birthday!

This is the 26th book I read for the 5th Canadian Book Challenge.

Knockin' On Wood: Peg Leg Bates

2012-02-20T07:00:00.000+09:00

Knockin' On Wood, Starring Peg Leg Bates (CAN, JP, USA, INT)

Written and Illustrated by: Lynne Barasch

Published by: Fitzhenry & Whiteside

Published on: February 25, 2005

My daughter loves to dance. She sings to herself to dance, she dances whenever she hears music, and sometimes she dances to a tune I know she only hears in her head. She loves to dance to Baby Rotation by AKB48, one of the most horrifying examples of J-Pop and inappropriate sexualization of young girls in this country, which I wouldn't listen to for anybody but her. I want to get her into classes when she's older, but all the classes I have found seem to be during the day, and since I work we are automatically ineligible.

I've been looking for books about dancing for her, most of which come from the fantastic blog Picture Books and Pirouettes. Personally I have an interest in tap, which I have never seen in Japan, but which I like because you make your own music. So I set out to find a tap book and got this one.

This is a picture book biography of Clayton "Peg Leg" Bates (1907 - 1998). Clayton was born to a sharecropper but would do anything to get out and dance. He took a job the local cotton seed mill when he was twelve and soon lost his left leg in an accident. This didn't stop him dancing though, he recovered and went on to be better than the two-legged tap dancers.

That's doesn't mean Peg Leg, as he was now known, would get his happy ending from his talent and drive. Because when he was at the height of his popularity segregation still abounded in the US. After performing to a sold-out theatre he would have to leave to have a meal in the black restaurants. But Bates was not one to take anything, even the loss of a leg, lying down, and he eventually opened up his own Peg Leg Bates Country Club where he performed and welcomed guests no matter their colour.

The illustrations in this biography show great depth in the backgrounds, which gives kids a feel for the early 20th century, on poor farms or in vaudeville theatres. The weak point is that the faces of the characters have the same expression at all times.

This is food for a lot of conversation. My son remembered reading Viola Desmond Won't Be Budged a couple of weeks ago, and asked why Peg Leg didn't just leave and go to Desmond's hometown. It was an interesting conversation and we touched on a lot of issues, and I think he has figured out that I don't know everything now as I don't know where there would have been less racism at that time. We also talked about Bates' mothers faith and how her "Lord" is different from the gods he has been introduced to by Buddhism and Shinto.

I was curious to see Peg Leg's dancing after this, and found this video. He's 60 in his last performance on the Ed Sullivan show.

Peg Leg Bates is truly inspiring. He got up and danced no matter the obstacle, and he brought smiles to millions.

It's time for me to stop making excuses. In this day and age, with music everywhere, and Wii games and Youtube videos that will teach you to dance, my daughter can do anything she wants even without lessons, and I will support her to do that.

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday, a weekly event in the kidlitosphere, hosted this week by Lori Calabrese.

The Snow Day

2012-02-19T23:10:00.000+09:00

The Snow Day (CAN, JP, US, INT)

Written and Illustrated by: Komako Sakai

Published by: Arthur A. Levine Books

Published on: Jan 1, 2009

I have been saving this book for weeks! I thought that there would be snow by now. Last year there were 4 days with snow that stayed on the ground, but this year, nada. When I picked this up in January at my local bookshop I hid it from my kids hoping to have something to read to them on the inevitable snow day. You see, when it snows so much it sticks on the ground (like in October in Canada) people don't even think of driving and school is cancelled. As much as I like to make fun, we had our own snow days in Canada, and I don't want to be on the road with a bunch of people with summer tires and no winter driving experience!

Today there were flakes of snow, and I think this might be our last snow of the year. There was not enough to do much other than make the light look pretty, which means no snow angels but also no shoveling!

Still, we had a lazy day at home that included board games, hot cocoa, and curling up in front of the fan heater with this book.

A snow day keeps a kindergarten student home in his apartment with his mother. No matter the excitements she plans, nothing takes away the yearning of this little bunny to go outside when it stops snowing. Even a trip to snowy the balcony cannot cure the bunny's case of cabin fever. But eventually the snow stops and the bunny gets to step into the night and enjoy his freedom for a moment.

Sakai's illustrations are adorable and show some real love between the mother and child. Funny how she captures the urban Japanese lifestyle so well even without much time our and about in the city!

I personally love this little vignette- in Canada we'd be curled up in front of the fire but here in Japan it's a fan heater just like this one. Mama Rabbit is sitting properly on her knees in seiza but little Bunny has his legs whatever way is comfy. No sofa-sitting either, that takes you too far away from the heat!

It seems that this book is translated from the original Japanese book called ゆきがやんだら (Yuki ga yandara, When it Stops Snowing). I'll be looking for that in my local library.

This has been a relatively warm winter, have you had a snow day? Do you have memories of snow days as a child?

Environmental Print Part II

2012-02-18T17:36:00.001+09:00

Last month I talked about my search for environmental print in our neighbourhood for my son to read. I was a little surprised when it actually turned out that there was more English around than hiragana, the first Japanese syllabary kids in Japan learn in school.

I've decided to take things into my own hands. I got a pen and a pack of sticky labels and went to work. Half an hour later I had a hundred labels stuck all over items in our house.

I tried to keep the hiragana words a little separate from the English words just so he can work on one at a time. Also because it is just plain easier to read hiragana. If you know the name of the character, you know how to read, no letters with 5 different readings!

When possible I put the Japanese word on the opposite side of the English word.

Also, I neglected to realize that my eye level is not my son's eye level. Since I did this at night I took a tape measure up to his futon, checked his eye level, and then redid about 12 of my stickers. Thank goodness for pealable labels!

Spinky was really interested when he woke up the next morning, it's kind of like a literacy Easter Egg hunt. He likes finding and reading them, and to make another game out of it sometimes I set him tasks- like find a word with g or d, or two words with e. The first time we did that he took them all down! Now he just has to tell me that it is the toilet door or the egg in the fridge.

I'd say that in the week we've had this up he has learned about half the 50 words I put up in English, and about 3/4 of the Japanese words. I add these words into his daily writing practice and if he can read it without sounding it out I think he knows the word.

I have purposely avoided saying anything about the Japanese, but he hasn't asked me any questions about it either. I'm not sure if that's because the hiragana is self-explanatory or if it's because he associates me with English by now. He has had some English questions (why are there two o's in door?) that have been hard for me to answer though!

I really recommend this environmental print activity for anyone with an emerging reader. We did it in two languages, but I think that it would be fine for monolingual families or just to do in the heritage language for multilingual families.

I wonder if there are any other countries in which the first syllabary children learn is hard to find in which this would be a good activity?

See the first post on Environmental Print here.

*This post is for February's Blogging Carnival on Bilingualism, which I am hosting! Please comment here or email me if you want to participate, and definitely check back on Feb. 23 for the best blog posts about bilingualism this month!

Birthday Suit

2012-02-17T07:05:00.000+09:00

Birthday Suit (CAN, JP, US, INT)

Written by: Olive Senior

Paintings by: Eugenie Fernandes

Published by: Annick Press

Published on: January 19, 2012

Ages: 3+

Provided by the publisher for review through NetGalley

I have a nudist toddler. I am sure you know a nudist toddler. They seem to be everywhere. Their numbers explode in Japan's hot summer, and they can be seen in almost any weather in parks around the country with water installations.

Who can blame them?

Johnny is happier in his birthday suit splashing through Caribbean waves than anything else. His mother, however, has a goal to get him in clothes, and his father helps guide him in that direction. He shows him the fun of clothes, even when they are on the wrong parts.

Senior is a renowned poet and her skills have been put to excellent use creating pages of text that is just plain fun to read aloud.

Johnny's jellyfish squirming/ slippery worming/jump-about jostling/ writhing and tossing/ find him free, with a POP!

Fernandes' illustrations carry an amazing sense of movement, from the waves of the ocean and the life with which it teems to the laundry swaying in the wind.Her intricate backgrounds take this from a beach story that could take place anywhere in the world to something specific to the Caribbean. It is especially amazing that she could illustrate a book about nudity without either showing off the front bits of the little boy or delving into the slapstick comedy used by Austin Powers.

I especially like the sun looking down from the top of each page- it makes me feel that this friendly sun is the narrator for the book.

This book should make it onto the bookshelves of all homes with a kindred nudist spirit.

This is the first book I read for the Reading the World Challenge, and it is set in the Caribbean.

This is the 25th book I read for the 5th Canadian Book Challenge.

Press Here

2012-02-16T13:08:00.001+09:00

Press Here (CAN, JP, US, INT)

Written and Illustrated by Herve Tullet

Published by: Chronicle Books

Published on: March 30, 2011

Ages: 2+

I thought I had learned my lesson from Ginny Weasley's mistake in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. As we are told in that book, "Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain."

I guess this book doesn't actually think for itself. But it told me what to do. And I did it.

It wasn't just me though. My kids did it too. Wonder of wonders, so did my husband. Then we did it again.

There's just something irresistible about this charming book that consists of only white pages, primary-coloured dots, and instructions.

I think that this book would be the perfect book for English as a Foreign Language Teachers. If my friends in ELT have no book but one, I hope this is it. Easy enough for beginners, engaging enough for even the most advanced adults, this book would be a perfect conversation starter.

What Are You Reading Wednesday?

2012-02-15T21:03:00.000+09:00

Last week's WAYRW was a blessing and a curse. So many great books. Which of course means I bought so many great books. Don't tell my husband!

I am still reading The Letter Opener by Kyo Maclear. I am on the last chapter, but trying to draw it out before it ends. I do the same thing with a good meal, rush into it and then savour the end.

My kids each got a new book yesterday for International Book Giving Day. My son got Mama Panya's Pancakes. My daughter got another Michael Rosen, Little Rabbit Foo Foo, thanks to a comment on last week's WAYRW by Polly from The Little Wooden Horse.

I have to share this as well. I've posted before about how excited I am for the release of the picture book Virginia Wolf. Now the trailer is out and I am even more excited! Only 14 more sleeps!

What are you reading? What are your littles reading?

Happy International Book Giving Day!

2012-02-14T21:18:00.000+09:00

Oh and Valentine's Day too!

Last week I posted about my plans for International Book Giving Day. I've almost completed them. I gave books to my kids, gave Sora and the Cloud to my son's kindergarten, made a donation to The Book Bus, and bought some used Japanese books to place in doctor's waiting rooms. I haven't actually gotten those books into waiting rooms as the doctor I called told me wandering into a waiting room at the height of flu season was a bit silly. So that will get done later.

Instead of getting my husband and colleagues books, I warmed them up to the idea by presenting them with book chocolates.

This is Kaguyahime, the protagonist of a Japanese folk tale called The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter.

I gave my kids their first Valentines! Not chocolate, but a big hit! Maybe next year I'll shoot for handmade. Maybe!

Okay, probably not.

A couple of weeks ago we took the kids to a big department store with a huge Valentine's chocolate display. They each got 500 yen and wandered through picking out chocolates for each other. There were hundreds of chocolates, but they chose the exact same ones!

Hope you have a fabulous day full of love and reading (or love of reading!).

Short Story Monday: Georgia Coffee Star

2012-02-13T21:18:00.000+09:00

For Short Story Monday, hosted by John at The Book Mine Set, I read Georgia Coffee Star, written by Kerry Clare. Clare blogs at Pickle Me This, definitely a blog worth subscribing to.

Georgia Coffee Star is the story of a couple on their way home from backpacking through Asia, staying in Tokyo on their last night. They have spent a bit too much time together and it has taken a toll on their relationship.

Then a typhoon hits, surprising them, but not enough to comfort each other. Even a sign falling and crashing into their window doesn't shock them into each other's arms.

Clare is deft at describing the complacency this couple has fallen into, and their relationship rings true. Even in this short format Clare is able to show two character voices and both of their views on the relationship and each other.

Expats in Japan are notoriously hard on English fiction set here, and I am no different. But this is the second time this year that I have had the pleasure of reading something set in Japan that I don't want to tear apart (after Sora and the Cloud). I quite enjoyed the descriptions of the typhoon I didn't have to experience. I too was caught unawares by a typhoon soon after arrival and it was quite surreal.

This is one of the best short stories I've read in the last year, no wonder it won the UofT Alumni writing contest.