Japanese and English Nursery Rhymes: Carp Streamers, Falling Rain and Other Favorite Songs and Rhymes (Downloadable Audio of Rhymes in Japanese Included)

Acraman’s graphics combine a polished digital aesthetic with playfully anthropomorphic characters, including three stylized birds perched on a tree and endearing rabbits wearing “hachimaki” bandannas. Accessible verses and bright, welcoming pictures should have cross-cultural appeal while aiding in language learning.”—Publishers Weekly

“They include authentically childlike celebrations of rabbits dancing, carp streamers “swimming happily in the air” and falling rain. There are also wistful memories of “My Hometown” and a festival song that begins, “Our village guardian god’s generosity / Is what we celebrate on this joyous day / Boom boom, whistle whistle.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Fifteen rhymes, one per spread, celebrate the changing seasons, flora and fauna, and idyllic rural life, providing an enchanting window into a culture that cherishes its close relationship with nature. […] This collection holds appeal for anyone interested in the country and would be a wonderful addition to an international-themed storytime.”—School Library Journal

“The spacious format gives the art a chance to perform its magic. Pure saturated colors—honey yellows, tomato reds, and heavenly blues—are the backdrops for pictures that have the effect of woodcuts. The poems themselves showoff the charm and delicacy Wright discusses in her introduction.”—Booklist

“Danielle Wright first began collecting nursery rhymes from around the world for her son in 2005. In this colorful collection of fifteen verses, she includes an audio CD with children and parents singing along in both Japanese and English. Helen Acraman’s delightful illustrations perfectly complement the songs and bring them to life.”—The Children’s Book Review