book review on totto-chan

THE LITTLE GIRL AT THE WINDOW

Reviewed by Rita Elisha Mering

27 Oct 2011

TOTTO-CHAN

The book

• Collection of articles published in Kodansha’s Young Woman magazine from 1979-1980.

• Book published in 1982.

-Japanese’s bestseller’s, 5 million sold.

• A memoir on Tetsuko’s childhood.

• Genre: children book (I beg to differ, it’s an adult too!)

• Translated into English in 1984 by Dorothy Britton.

• Also translated into other languages including Malay and Indonesian -Gadis cilik di jendela.

Tetsuko Kuroyanagi alias Totto-chan(born 1933)

• Japanese TV personality (Oprah Winfrey/Barbara Walters equivalent)

• Voted Japan’s most popular television personality 14 times!

• UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador

The Girl Behind the Book

To spot her –Kabuki doll look alike!

The Story

• Tells from the perspective of a child (Totto-chan).

• Recollection of her childhood, mostly about her days as a student in a unique school, Tomoe Gakuen.

• Short chapters. Interesting tales.

It’s a true story!

Setting

• When: during World War II;

Totto-chan six – seven year old

• Where: Tokyo, Japan; Elementary school

The Plot -2 parts to it.

• Expelled from the old school.

-stood at the window –talking to street musicians, swallow.

-opened and shutting desk countless of times.

-drawing Navy flag instead of Japanese!

The Plot Thicken, or Silver Lining Point

• Transferred into special school, Tomoe Gakuen.

-Met Mr. Sosaku Kobayashi, new classmates, new classrooms, unique lessons and exciting adventures.

Key Actors

Totto-chan Mr. Sosaku Kobayashi, Headmaster

Mother& Daddy

Tomoe Gakuen’s Teacher & ClassmatesRocky

New School, New Fun Things

1. The Headmaster

2. The Classroom

3. The Lessons

4. The Adventures

The headmaster• Personality: kind, wise educator, compassionate about children and

education.

• Introduced novel education approach:

-inspired by Europe and foreign countries

-based on children’s interests, in free atmosphere

-taught English where it was considered devil’s or enemy’s language.

The Classrooms

• Classroom in train. Six old discarded trains. How about that?

-Blackboard at front of the car

-Seats replaced with school desks and chairs, facing forward.

The Lessons

• Conventional school

-assigned seat

-scheduled lessons

-memorize

• At Tomoe

-allowed to sit anywhere at anytime

-anyone could study any subject of his chosen at one time

-farming projects, field kitchen, dancing, drama, music (Eurythmics)

The Lessons

-wear worst clothes

-climb trees

-music (Eurythmics) –feel the music with heart and feeling & dancing

-scrawling time at school with chalk

The Adventures

• Camping in School

• School walk

• School sports day

• School song

• Swimming at pool

• Climbing trees

• Bravery test

• Trip to hot spring

Fun Lines

Something from the ocean and something from the hills

Itadakimasu –I gratefully partake

Fun Lines

Chew, chew, chew it well,

Everything you eat;

Chew it and chew it and chew it and chew it,

Your rice and fish and meat!

(set to the tune of row, row,

row your boat)

Qs to Ponder

1. What would happen to Totto-chan if she did not study at Tomoe?

2. What would happen if there was no headmaster like Mr. Kobayashi?

3. What would happen if Totto-chan’s mother put the blame on Totto-chan instead? And gave up on her?

4. What would happen if she remained at the old school with un-encouraging teachers?

Now, replace that with you and anyone

‘strategically’ positioned in your life

Postscript

Tells you what happened to some of Tomoe’s students.

BECAUSE OF YOU!

(Mr. Kobayashi, mother, father, friend, boss, colleague, ….., …..,)

Fun things to learn from

As Children

• be children

• enjoy and live childhood as children, play, get dirty, explore, have fun, commune with nature, respect nature & elders.

As Adult

• be adult

• be responsible, caring, love, support children.

• set right example.

Fun things to learn from

Unconventional teaching method –in.no.va.tive

Traditional breaker –against Japanese orderly , discipline setting

Develop your true potential to the fullest

-parents role in children, employer in their employee

-Totto-chan likes to talk –> TV talk host

Enjoy and fun doing things you love most with people you love and like at place you feel comfortable with

Fun things to learn from

The book offers more than academic success

-how children consideration for others

-how they react to death, ie. Yasuaki-chan

-how they treat those who are different

Recommendation

• Mr. Kobayashi values and approach can be applied at home, workplace, school.

-Teacher – student

-Boss – subordinates

-Parents –children

• Highly rated this book.

• Recommend this book to all!

end…To laugh often and love much;To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;To earn the approval of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;To appreciate beauty;To find the best in others;To give of one’s self;To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;To have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation;To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived…THIS IS TO HAVE SUCCEEDED.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

get the book now:

@Kinokuniya @November 2011

@RM39.00

or download from 4shared.com or http://www.arvindguptatoys.com/arvindgupta/Tottochan.pdf