Say, Allen. 2009. Erika-San. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN: 9780618889334.
PLOT SUMMARY:
Inspired by an old print of a small house that she saw as a child in her grandmother’s house, Erika spends her life learning Japanese. After graduating from college, she travels to Japan to take a position as a teacher. She travels from Tokyo, to a small city, to a quiet, isolated settlement. Here, she finally finds the home she has been searching for.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
In a review by School Library Journal, Erika-San is described as a “charming fairy tale with a contemporary, feminist twist,” complete with a quest, three challenges and a prince. Although I would not have picked up on this comparison on my own, I agree with it. A sweet and unexpected love story concludes this book about a woman searching for her heart’s desire. Although the story has a leisurely pace, the reader is pulled along by Erika’s determination to pursue her goals. You can’t help but smile at her enthusiasm: “Sayonara, everybody -- I’ve got a teaching job in Tokyo!”
Aside from her enthusiasm, Erika’s sincere interest in Japan is another endearing trait. She does not stop at superficial curiosity. She dedicates her studies to learning the language so that she can someday live in Japan. One thing that I found odd, however, is that despite her clear infatuation with Japan, she doesn’t seem to have taken much time learning about the country itself. She is completely shocked and overwhelmed by the crowds of people in Tokyo. She sees a bullet train and thinks, “Now I’m in a space station.” It appears that her research about the country stopped with the picture books her grandmother read her as little girl. However, once she is confronted by the fact that the cottage she has envisioned living in her entire life is not actually a home, but a teahouse, she embraces the new knowledge. Her decision to learn the tea ceremony, rather than mourn the loss of her castle in the sky, makes amends for her previous ignorance.
The realism of Say’s watercolor illustrations combined with the white space surrounding each image gives the impression that the reader is flipping through a scrapbook documenting true events, rather than reading a picture book. Each character depicted, American or Japanese, is given distinctive features that set them apart. Although the students that Erika teaches dress in identical uniforms, they are each given unique hairstyles, features, and expressions.
REVIEWS:
School Library Journal: “Say's soft-colored paintings, detailed but not busy, contain just the right amount of nuance to build the story. He nicely contrasts the busyness of the cities with the verdant landscapes of the country, casting a happy-ever-after glow to the tale.”
CONNECTIONS:
Suggest this book to kids who are interested in other countries and cultures, particularly Asian cultures. For additional reading, suggest nonfiction books and DVDs about other countries. For kids particularly interested in Japan, point them to the Kids Web Japan website, http://web-japan.org. It provides information about life in Japan, language lessons, and games.
PLOT SUMMARY:
Inspired by an old print of a small house that she saw as a child in her grandmother’s house, Erika spends her life learning Japanese. After graduating from college, she travels to Japan to take a position as a teacher. She travels from Tokyo, to a small city, to a quiet, isolated settlement. Here, she finally finds the home she has been searching for.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
In a review by School Library Journal, Erika-San is described as a “charming fairy tale with a contemporary, feminist twist,” complete with a quest, three challenges and a prince. Although I would not have picked up on this comparison on my own, I agree with it. A sweet and unexpected love story concludes this book about a woman searching for her heart’s desire. Although the story has a leisurely pace, the reader is pulled along by Erika’s determination to pursue her goals. You can’t help but smile at her enthusiasm: “Sayonara, everybody -- I’ve got a teaching job in Tokyo!”
Aside from her enthusiasm, Erika’s sincere interest in Japan is another endearing trait. She does not stop at superficial curiosity. She dedicates her studies to learning the language so that she can someday live in Japan. One thing that I found odd, however, is that despite her clear infatuation with Japan, she doesn’t seem to have taken much time learning about the country itself. She is completely shocked and overwhelmed by the crowds of people in Tokyo. She sees a bullet train and thinks, “Now I’m in a space station.” It appears that her research about the country stopped with the picture books her grandmother read her as little girl. However, once she is confronted by the fact that the cottage she has envisioned living in her entire life is not actually a home, but a teahouse, she embraces the new knowledge. Her decision to learn the tea ceremony, rather than mourn the loss of her castle in the sky, makes amends for her previous ignorance.
The realism of Say’s watercolor illustrations combined with the white space surrounding each image gives the impression that the reader is flipping through a scrapbook documenting true events, rather than reading a picture book. Each character depicted, American or Japanese, is given distinctive features that set them apart. Although the students that Erika teaches dress in identical uniforms, they are each given unique hairstyles, features, and expressions.
REVIEWS:
School Library Journal: “Say's soft-colored paintings, detailed but not busy, contain just the right amount of nuance to build the story. He nicely contrasts the busyness of the cities with the verdant landscapes of the country, casting a happy-ever-after glow to the tale.”
CONNECTIONS:
Suggest this book to kids who are interested in other countries and cultures, particularly Asian cultures. For additional reading, suggest nonfiction books and DVDs about other countries. For kids particularly interested in Japan, point them to the Kids Web Japan website, http://web-japan.org. It provides information about life in Japan, language lessons, and games.
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