Chibi: A True Story from Japan
(Sandpiper-1999)
By: Barbara Brenner & Julia Takaya
Illustrated by: June Otani
Grade: Primary & Intermediate
Chibi: A True Story from Japan is set in modern day Japan. It is about a duck family who lives in downtown Tokyo. The people in the city grow a liking for the smallest duck (who hatched one day after his brothers and sisters). Mr. Sato is a news reporter who comes every day to take picture and report on the adventures of the duck, specifically Chibi. It is such a cute story because children can relate and the setting in Tokyo is very similar to a city setting here so they can compare/contrast. This is a great book for multicultural literature because you can teach students that similar things happen in other parts of the world.
Theme/Skills Taught: Acceptance/Similarities & Differences between different areas
About the Authors: Barbara Brenner is an author of both fiction and nature books and is an active member of Bank Street College of Education. She went to Seton Hall College while she worked as a copy editor. Working as an artist's editor helped to prepare her for her literary life. She has written a lot of other books including On the Frontier with Mr. Audubon which won a "Best of the Best" award. As her two sons grew older, a lot of her books were based on their interests and careers. She is still writing and lives in Hawley, PA. More about Barbara Brenner
Julia Takaya is a teacher and a writer. This book is actually based on an experience Julia had when she saw the brave mama duck attempting to raise her brood in the hubbub of the city.
About the Illustrator: June Otani has illustrated several books for children including Oh Snow! by Monica Mayper. She is also a printmaker whose work has been exhibited at galleries throughout the New York area. She lives in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY (from book)
Pre-Reading Activities: What do you think Tokyo, Japan is like? Based on the front cover, what do you think the book is about? Give your students a background of the authors, especially Julia Takaya and explain that this is a true story.
Post Reading Activities: Compare and contrast Tokyo with a city nearby. Is it really that different? Look at the pictures and see if you notice anything familiar?
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