Konnichiwa! I Am a Japanese-American Girl

by Tricia Brown

Presents the activities of Lauren Kamiya and her family as they prepare for and participate in the Cherry Blossom Festival in San Francisco, an event that combines elements of both Japanese and American cultures. By the author of Chinese New Year.

Hardcover

First published September 1, 1999

Reviews

[Taressa Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This narrative provides an introduction to Japanese traditions and Japanese-American culture. The narrator, Lauren Seiko, is a Japanese-American girl and she narrates the events that take place before and on the day of the Cherry Blossom Festival (ex. practicing the taiko drums for the parade and rehearsing for her dance performance). The main characters were younger sister Sherry and Grandma Kamiya. As a teacher, I will use this text to teach japanese terms used throughout the book. The students will interact with the book through the photos provided because it will take them on a trip to Japantown without actually being there. I love that Arai himself is Japanese, which draws the audience in because the photos are so up to scale with the text.

[James Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very cute book for young kids. It has some very pretty pictures in it, and describes the life of a young Japanese-American girl. At the same time, it covers a lot of the Japanese traditions and cultural activities, so it's also a good introduction to Japanese culture for young people.