A great story can lead a reader on a journey of discovery—especially if it's presented in two languages! Beautifully illustrated in a traditional style, Japanese Stories for Language Learners offers five compelling stories with English and Japanese language versions appearing on facing pages. Taking learners on an exciting cultural and linguistic journey, each story is followed by detailed translator's notes, Japanese vocabulary lists, and grammar points along with a set of discussion questions and exercises. The first two stories are very famous traditional Japanese folktales: Urashima Taro (Tale of a Fisherman) and Yuki Onna (The Snow Woman). These are followed by three short stories by notable 20th century authors: Kumo no Ito (The Spider's Thread) by Akutagawa Ryunosuke (1892-1927) Oborekaketa Kyodai (The Siblings Who Almost Drowned) by Arishima Takeo (1878-1923) Serohiki no Goshu (Gauche the Cellist) by Miyazawa Kenji (1896-1933) Reading these stories in the original Japanese script--and hearing native-speakers read them aloud in the accompanying free audio recording--helps students at every level deepen their comprehension of the beauty and subtlety of the Japanese language. Learn Japanese the fun way—through the country's rich literary history.

**Winner of the 2016 Creative Child Magazine Book of the Year Award** **Winner of the 2015 Gelett Burgess Award for Best Multicultural Book** When wily animals, everyday people and magical beings come together in a collection of Japanese fairy tales, wonderful things are bound to happen! Each story is brilliantly illustrated by a different talented Japanese artist. The tales recounted here are among Japan's oldest and most beloved stories. Entertaining and filled with subtle folk wisdom, these retold stories have been shared countless times in Japanese homes and schools for generations. Like good stories from every time and place, they never grow old. Kids (and their parents!) will enjoy hearing these stories read aloud on the accompanying downloadable audio. The fairy tales and classic stories in this collection include: The Wife Who Never Eats--the story of a man who learns the hard way the evils of stinginess. The Mill of the Sea--the story of how a greedy man was responsible for the saltiness of seawater. The Monkey and the Crab--the crabs teach a tricky monkey a lesson in fairness and honesty. The Magical Hood--an act of kindness reaps great rewards. Sleepyhead Taro and the Children--a story about what can be accomplished at the right time, and with the right help and the right spirit. The Fox and the Otter--how a fox pays the price of deceit and selfishness. The Gratitude of the Crane--a story about the rewards of kindness and the danger of curiosity. The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter--a girl who starts life very tiny turns out to be big in many ways.

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Includes 75-minute audio CD Playful goblins with long noses, magic tea kettles, and a delightfully brave hero who just happens to be one inch tall-these are some of the wonderful characters you'll meet in this collection of the 20 best-loved Japanese children's stories. Drawn from folklore and passed down for generations, these classic tales speak of the virtues of hard work, humility, kindness, and good humor. "Once upon a time . . ." has never sounded so inviting.

My First Japanese Kanji Book is an inventive and unique introduction to kanji for children. Written by the mother-daughter team of Eriko and Anna Sato, this lovely book introduces 109 kanji characters to children with poems and illustrations. It includes all the Japanese Government-specified first-grade level kanji characters and a sprinkling of simple second to sixth-grade characters. The kanji are introduced in the context of 36 colorful paintings and poems by 14-year-old Anna Sato, herself a kanji learner. Each of the poems is presented in both Japanese and English, and all kanji are accompanied by furigana (small hiragana letters), stroke-order diagrams, sample vocabulary and boxes for writing practice. A charming and educational volume, My First Japanese Kanji Book can be used as a self-study text, a supplementary material in Japanese language schools or a gift book for family or friends. An MP3 audio CD reinforces learning and ensures correct pronunciation.

A little yellow dog wants ever one more thing before he'll go to sleep.

This colorfully illustrated multicultural children's book presents Philippine fairy tales and other folk stories--providing insight into a rich oral culture. Filipino Children's Favorite Stories presents thirteen well-loved myths and tales from the Philippines. These stories will enchant six to ten-year-old readers around the world with their wit and charm. Many of the tales have been transmitted from mother to child over centuries, and cover classic childhood themes--such as the forces of good triumphing over evil, children rebelling against adults and the weak prevailing over the strong. They make perfect new additions for story time or bedtime reading. Narrated with an international audience in mind and illustrated with whimsical watercolors by award-winning artist Joanne de Leon, this is a must-have collection of tales for anyone interested in the Philippines. Featured Filipino stories include: Why Mosquitoes Buzz Around Our Ears The Magic Lake The Deer and the Snail Why the Cock Crows The Prince's Bride The Children's Favorite Stories series was created to share the folktales and legends most beloved by children in the East with young readers of all backgrounds in the West. Other multicultural children's books in this series include: Asian Children's Favorite Stories, Indian Children's Favorite Stories, Indonesian Children's Favorite Stories, Japanese Children's Favorite Stories, Singapore Children's Favorite Stories, Favorite Children's Stories from China & Tibet, Chinese Children's Favorite Stories, Korean Children's Favorite Stories, Balinese Children's Favorite Stories, and Vietnamese Children's Favorite Stories.

Mine Okubo was one of 110,000 people of Japanese descent--nearly two-thirds of them American citizens -- who were rounded up into "protective custody" shortly after Pearl Harbor. Citizen 13660, her memoir of life in relocation centers in California and Utah, was first published in 1946, then reissued by University of Washington Press in 1983 with a new Preface by the author. With 197 pen-and-ink illustrations, and poignantly written text, the book has been a perennial bestseller, and is used in college and university courses across the country. "[Mine Okubo] took her months of life in the concentration camp and made it the material for this amusing, heart-breaking book. . . . The moral is never expressed, but the wry pictures and the scanty words make the reader laugh -- and if he is an American too -- blush." -- Pearl Buck Read more about Mine Okubo in the 2008 UW Press book, Mine Okubo: Following Her Own Road, edited by Greg Robinson and Elena Tajima Creef. http://www.washington.edu/uwpress/search/books/ROBMIN.html

Tales originally written in English by author Yuri Yasuda based on her interpretations of twelve traditional Japanese stories. Japanese versions of each tale include simple kanji with furigana pronunciations to help learners recognize the characters.