Customer Reviews

Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A heart-warming, and delightful collection of true stories of young Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, a famous television personality in Japan. It begins when Totto-chan ( Tetsuko's nick name) was expelled from the first grade because of her disruptive behaviour. She was then transferred to a very unique school ran by a headmaster who had his own teaching philosophy. The school itself was not in a building but in discarded railroad cars. The book also includes other adventures Totto-chan had been involved in, and also previews what life had been like as a small child in Japan during the outbreak of World War II. I recomend this book to parents, and teachers because of Mr. Kobayashi- the headmaster's philosophy of education. It also makes fun reading for children, as I myself have had this book since I was twelve years old.

I received this book as a gift from a pen pal in Japan about fifteen years ago, and recently found it on Amazon - so I had to buy copies of it for all of my friends. This is a very sweet, simple book and it is also a true story of the author, who is a famous television personality in Japan. The story is written very simply, and it would not be inappropriate for a child, yet not too simplified for an adult. The story begins when Totto-chan, the heroine of the story, is on her way to a new school after being expelled from her old school (she does not find out about the expulsion until years later). The new school is a progressive school which does things in a different way, and treats children differently, teaching them to see the world in a new way. The book is filled with side splitting funny stories, and a few touching ones as well. When you finish reading it, (it won't take long) it will bring a tear to your eye, but make you smile, and make you feel better for having read it. Check it out - I promise you won't be disappointed.

Totto Chan is my favourite book! I mean it! My first encounter with Totto Chan was in a book of short stories during a literature lesson. I was deeply amazed by the fact that how a first-grader could be expelled from school. Reading about Totto Chan's experiences really tugged at my heartstrings. Even her new school Tomoe Gakuen exuded a charm of its own. I simply love the atmosphere of the school and the song that the students dutifully sing before meals. While reading the book, I could almost imagine myself attending classes in abandoned railroad cars and the euphoria of going to school everyday. Definitely not a chore, not anymore. I would recommend this book to everyone who wants to relive their childhood memories. This book is worth every penny! What are you waiting for? Go get it now!

It is an ausome book which features the life of a young, innocent Japanese girl during World War 2. She was expelled from her first school when she was in Grade 1, for disrupting the class by making lots of noise in many ways. The girl left for another school (Tomoe) thinking that her very understanding mother had chosen to leave the school on her on will. Her new school was very unique as its classrooms were actually discarded railroad cars. The headmaster himself was very different from other headmasters. He had looked at education from a different angle altogether. He understood children very well and was a father-figure to Totto-Chan and all the children of the school. The book is divided into many chapters and nearly every chapter teaches a lesson. The book can be read by anybody as it has a mixture of elation,sorrow and adventure.

Totto-chan is a wonderfully-woven book written through the innocent point of view of a little child. Her looking at the window, whether to the musicians or to a better school, symbolised her imaginative nature and hope for what she wants. Tomoe Gakuen is a unique school and the headmaster is a perfect example of a person who promotes freedom of speech. Although this book is rather simple, I like the way the story slowly unfolds, just like the slow revealing of a curtain to see what's outside the window. It teaches us the importance to be child-like.

This is a beautifully written piece of work as it tells the story from a child's point of view. Most of us have been dulled by our daily routine. Thus, Totto-chan makes us open our eyes and realise beauty in things we never really noticed before. The simplicity of the book is not one which is shallow, but rather one which brings out lucidly what the author wants to put across.

A simple, yet elegantly written novel. Definitely recommended.

This simple, funny, and moving collection of memories of an elementary school in WW2 Japan tells the story of a headmaster's boundless and unshakeable love for children, and of his unorthodox approach to educating them. The author (the grown-up Totto-Chan) was a student in the "classroom train" at Tomoe Gakuen, and is now a popular talk show host in Japan. She has written about the escapades and life's lessons she experienced in elementary school. The simple and ingenuous style affects the reader physically (goosebumps, a lump in the throat, blinking away tears, and things of that nature). The illustrations, which were made years before the book was written, are not just beautiful but also amazingly apt. The translation does not jar - remarkable feat for a book that so liberally recalls haiku, lyrics, and folklore. Besides the headmaster's love for children and Totto-Chan's love for talking, the book is also about the students' love for their headmaster, their deep gratitude for his vision, and the author's efforts perpetuate that vision through her book. This book is for readers of all ages and cultures.

I want.. everyone read this book. After that, everybody will be happy.. and love her.. I LOVE TOTTO, SO MUCH..

There's a certain essence that distinguishes Japanese authors from others. I'm not sure what but it's probably the way the sentences are phrased. You don't get curtness in Japanese dialogue. Totto-chan, although seemingly childish, is not a very easy book to write. It is structed in short segments - each depicting an experience in Kuroyanagi's childhood.

Small sutff which we probably don't realise can acutally make an impact - such as climbing a tree or getting hurt.

Totto-chan can be considered Japan's Harry Potter, minus the supernatural elements.

Everytime I read it, my heart is filled with joy! The book shows what was possible and instead we ruined it all through the world war 2 :( If only!!