Download - Book Review on Totto-Chan
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THE LITTLE GIRL AT THE WINDOW
Reviewed by Rita Elisha Mering
27 Oct 2011
TOTTO-CHAN
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The book
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• 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.
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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!
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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!
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Setting
• When: during World War II;
Totto-chan six – seven year old
• Where: Tokyo, Japan; Elementary school
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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.
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Key Actors
Totto-chan Mr. Sosaku Kobayashi, Headmaster
Mother& Daddy
Tomoe Gakuen’s Teacher & ClassmatesRocky
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New School, New Fun Things
1. The Headmaster
2. The Classroom
3. The Lessons
4. The Adventures
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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.
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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.
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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)
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The Lessons
-wear worst clothes
-climb trees
-music (Eurythmics) –feel the music with heart and feeling & dancing
-scrawling time at school with chalk
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The Adventures
• Camping in School
• School walk
• School sports day
• School song
• Swimming at pool
• Climbing trees
• Bravery test
• Trip to hot spring
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Fun Lines
Something from the ocean and something from the hills
Itadakimasu –I gratefully partake
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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)
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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
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Postscript
Tells you what happened to some of Tomoe’s students.
BECAUSE OF YOU!
(Mr. Kobayashi, mother, father, friend, boss, colleague, ….., …..,)
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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.
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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
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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
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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!
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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
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get the book now:
@Kinokuniya @November 2011
@RM39.00
or download from 4shared.com or http://www.arvindguptatoys.com/arvindgupta/Tottochan.pdf