I really enjoyed I Live in Tokyo. I enjoyed how the Mimiko walked through every aspect of her life. While this may seem tedious at first, there are tremendous culture differences between Japanese and American people. I enjoyed how Mimiko explained little things like how the homes in her neighborhood were close together and small because there are so many people living in Tokyo, the neighborhoods had to be that way to accommodate all of the people living there. I also enjoyed seeing the differences in dinner customs. The colors and illustrations are a great asset to this book because you do not have to use your imagination trying to figure out what Tokyo looks like. The vibrant colors and patterns are a great added feature. The big idea of the book was just letting the readers know about day to day life in Tokyo. While the book was realistic fiction, it could also be categorized as informational. It was a good, easy to understand book that I would enjoy reading again. ( )

I picked this book out because I love Japanese culture and I know some of the language. I thought that I had known everything there is about Japan but after reading this book I can tell you that I was wrong. This book is very informative, as it does not really have a “normal” story. It follows a Japanese family in everyday life and goes through each month explaining traditions and customs of that the country. The point of this book is to introduce Japanese culture and language to its reader in a way that is entertaining and fun. I personally really enjoyed it because I plan to go to (maybe even live in) Japan at some point. I especially liked the words written in Japanese throughout. For example, on each page the month that was being talked about was written in Japanese. Also in the back of the book there was a page with Japanese to English translations on how to introduce yourself. This book is great for anyone wanting to learn more about different cultures. ( )

While I found this book to be informative, I did not find it all that interesting. In was interesting as the story explained traditions that would young readers would already know as well as Japanese traditions that young readers may be unfamiliar with. For example, the Doll's Festival is explained as being a festival in which people pray for the growth and happiness of young girls. However, I did not like the sexist depiction for Valentine's Day where only men were receiving gifts from mostly women. I also would have liked captions to explain what pieces were being added in the how to wear a Kimono illustration. Although this realistic story lacks a sincere plot, the main idea would be to embrace your culture's traditions and values and learn the meaning behind them! ( )

I Live in Tokyo was such an interesting and informative read. I was able to learn so many different traditions that the Japanese celebrate each month. I liked how each page talked about a different month and what they celebrate during that month. There was lots of colorful pictures for the reader to see what everything looked like and there was also a translation for everything that was written out in Japanese. It's good to know about different holidays and traditions celebrated by different cultures around the world other than just what we know and celebrate. It was also fun to compare what they do what we are use to in America. For example, on Valentine's Day, in Tokyo, the girls give the guys chocolates. They like to decorate Christmas trees, but don't celebrate Christmas. This book will definitely help readers get an understand of the different traditions and cultures they celebrate in Tokyo. ( )

The book is divided into twelve sections, one for each month of the year, and in each section the narrator gives information about what she does in that month. In March, she celebrates "Hinamatsuri," the doll's festival, and in May she celebrates "Tango no Sekka," the boy's festival. The book provides information about traditions, holidays, and festivals, and it also provides the reader with many Japanese vocabulary words. I liked the small, colorful images defining and describing Japanese words related to each month's tradition or celebration. These terms include items that are incorporated into Japanese celebrations, like "otoshidama," New Year's gift money given to children. I also liked that the narration itself provided a great deal of vocabulary in a way that felt natural and conversational. For instance, when talking about visiting her grandmother, the narrator says, "my grandmother is a master of sado, the tea ceremony," and when describing the first day of the school year, the narrator explains that "kanji are Chinese characters, based on pictures, that are used in Japanese writing." One thing that I especially liked about the inclusion of the Japanese vocabulary was that not all of the terms are defined outright. Rather, the meaning of the words is revealed through context. When the narrator is talking about her kimono and says "I can't run, and the obi around my belly starts to itch," I assumed that she is referring to a belt or a sash. I liked that the narration was not interrupted to explain the terms whose meaning could be inferred, because it made the writing flow nicely. I also really liked at the end of the book how there was a glossary of all the Japanese words I just read about throughout the book all in one place. I loved the book's beautiful, brightly-colored watercolor artwork, and I think it gives the book a happy, cheerful feel. I think the "big idea" of the book is simply to convey information about Japanese culture to readers and to show readers that Japan has many exciting cultural traditions. ( )