If you’re getting ready to travel as a family to Japan or just want to learn more about the country, here are Storybook List’s picks for children’s books featuring Japan.
All About Japan. A fun introduction to Japan and Japanese culture, Uniquely Japan: Discover What Makes Japan The Coolest Place on Earth! is a comic-illustrated guide that includes fun details such as electronics vending machines and fun food facts. All About Japan: Stories, Songs, Crafts and Games for Kids includes stories featuring festivals, songs, poems and includes recipes and craft projects. Both of these books are great for elementary and middle-grade readers.
Japanese Artists. For early elementary readers, Yoyoi Kusama Covered Everything in Dots and Wasn’t Sorry tells the true story of Kusama and her contemporary Japanese art.
Stories Set in Japan. Winner of the Caldecott Medal, The Funny Little Women is set in old Japan with a woman who pursues her runaway dumpling and is appropriate for early elementary readers.
Japanese History. The Peace Tree from Hiroshima: The Little Bonsai with a Big Story is the true story is the journey of a little bonsai tree from Hiroshima that ends up being donated to the National Arboretum in Washington DC.
Baseball in Japan. Take Me Out to the Yakyu accompanies a young boy and his grandfathers (one American, one Japanese) to learn about the culture of baseball in each country. This book is good for pre-school to early elementary readers.
Tokyo. The Sound of Silence is the story of Yoshio who lives in noisy Tokyo and his search for silence.
The complete list of books is below, and if you or your family have other favorites, please let me kknow!
3. Yayoi Kusama Covered Everything in Dots and Wasn’t Sorry
4. The Peace Tree from Hiroshima: The Little Bonsai with a Big Story
7. All About Japan: Stories, Songs, Crafts and Games for Kids
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