ABCs of Countries: Japan

by Des O'Gorman

An ABC alphabet picture book for kids - to help children learn the English alphabet at the same time as letting them see the people, places, and culture of Japan. Part of a series of ABC books that focuses on countries. Having children of our own that are growing up in a different country to where their parents and grandparents are from, we see the need for having some early cultural awareness and word recognition of other places that may be significant to their family. We hope this book promotes discussion at family reading time into what it means to live a in different country.

28 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 1, 2020

About the author

I am a budding author illustrator of children's books, with a passion for producing content that will entertain as well as provoke thought in our young readers.

I believe in challenging children and giving just enough information for them to ask a question or fill in the gaps themselves. Reading a children's book should be a collaborative exercise between parent and child, with pauses for questions and creative discussions.

So far I have produced two story books (The Lonely Squid and The Rock Squad), and two multi-book series of alphabet picture books.

Please check out my books on amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B084VR8WT9
or
https://www.amazon.com/author/desogorman

Reviews

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have two books from this author based on two different series and chose reading this book in the sun would be a nice break.

ABCs of Countries: Japan takes readers mostly on a journey of cultural components, a bit of trivia for the country itself, a bit of history and some geography with each letter sharing a different small comment for each element whether it is the purpose of zen gardens, providing readers with why flowering cherry trees are celebrated and how kawaii or the various martial arts came about.

There is no pronunciation guide for readers, though, who may be meeting these words for the first time, which is a bug to me. Otherwise I love the inclusion of Japanese words to make the book more authentic and informative.

Otherwise for illustrative purposes the book presents readers with a capital and lowercase letter outlined in red. The illustrative components are a mix of colored photographs along with a few graphics when photos cannot be used.

All in all it is a great educational starter book about Japan and one that will allow readers of all ages to get a taste of Japan and its contributions to the world.

[Jamie Bee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some Nice Pictures from Around Japan

I read this book not long after checking out the American installment of ABCs of Countries. Perhaps because I'm not Japanese, I didn't have as much difficulty appreciating this book like that one. There were certainly some beautiful pictures around Japan, as well as some photos and illustrations of Japanese objects. I preferred the pages with photos rather than illustrations because I didn't feel like they were well done. Sometimes the author also had to stretch a bit to fulfill a letter requirement because, of course, not all English-style letters are represented in Japanese sounds. While I know that X can be a difficult letter for any ABC book to fulfill, I thought this one was certainly a stretch, as bento box was chosen. That letter, too, tried to squeeze other Japan facts in as well, which came across a little awkward. If your child has an interest in Japan or has a new classmate who is from there, this book might be a good introduction to Japanese culture.

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

[Elizabeth McDaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This ABC picture book is full of interesting pictures of animals, objects and places that are indigenous to Japan. The pages are bright and colorful and the information is interesting and educational.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great way to learn the alphabet and about countries. Getting facts about different countries and learning the alphabet is fun for kids. Wonderful illustrations to go with the facts and alphabet. Would recommend!