Erika-San

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Say, Allen. 2009. ERIKA-SAN. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. ISBN 9780618889334.

PLOT SUMMARY
Erika fell in love with Japan after seeing a picture her grandfather had taken when he was in Japan. She studies about the country and language all throughout school and accepts a job in Tokyo after she graduated from college. It took her a while to find what she considered “Old Japan,” but when she did she immersed herself in the culture and her job.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)
The plot of this story moves very slow and at times tells years of the story on a single page. For example, one page is used to explain that Erika studied Japanese from middle school through college and moved to Japan after she graduated from college. I was confused by the fact that Erika didn’t know what to expect when she got to Tokyo. Most foreign language classes also include a study of the history and the culture of the people who speak the language. For Erika to think Tokyo still looked like “old Japan” would mean that she hadn’t learned much about modern day Japan.

There are a few Japanese words used in the book and they are directly translated for the reader. Examples are “konnichiwa,” which means hello, “sayonara” which means goodbye, and “komome” which means seagull. The illustrations add authenticity to the story. When Erika first arrives in Tokyo and is greeted by a sea of people, they do not all have the same skin tone and they are dressed in modern clothes. When Erika goes into the Kamome restaurant the menu on the wall is written in Japanese and many things in her classroom are also written in Japanese. In the town she considers “old Japan” the buildings have thatched roofs. On her tour of the town, Aki showed her the rice paddies and a traditional tea house.

Erika takes it upon herself to learn more about the tea ceremony. Although there isn’t much information included about the tea ceremony we learn that you have to wear a kimono and that it takes a lot of practice to get the ceremony just right.

I don’t think this story will hold the attention of children who are between the ages of 4 and 8. There seems to be big gaps in the story that will confuse young children. I think this book is more suited for older readers.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: “With luminous watercolors and economical text, Caldecott Medalist Say (Grandfather's Journey) tells of an American girl whose ingenuous hopes of reaching old Japan are finally realized…Although the plot may prove slow going for many in the target audience, aficionados of Say's tranquil work will find both the message and the delivery deeply satisfying.”

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “Say's exquisite paintings provide backdrop for a charming fairy tale with a contemporary, feminist twist…More romantic and idealistic than many of Say's stories, Erika-San will find readers beyond the usual picture-book crowd.”

CONNECTIONS
-Have students write about a time something wasn’t how they expected it to be

Other books by Allen Say:
MUSIC FOR ALICE. ISBN 9780618311187
HOME OF THE BRAVE. ISBN 9780618212231
GRANDFATHER’S JOURNEY. ISBN 9780395570357