Colors of Japan by Holly Littlefield, Helen Byers (Illustrator)

Children's Literature

Japan's land, history, and culture are explored using colors. For example, red in the Japanese flag represents the sun and evokes the facts that Japan is sometimes known as the Land of the Rising Sun and traces its first emperor to the sun goddess. Each color's significance in Japanese life is explored. The Japanese letters for each color are printed on each page that describes the color. Beautiful watercolor illustrations enhance the information presented. The introduction includes a map of Japan as well as a world map showing Japan in relation to the rest of the world. This book can be a useful elementary school social studies text as well as an informative introduction to Japan. The illustrations make this an appealing factual book.

School Library Journal

Gr 3-4This picture book uses colors to describe some aspects of Japanese culture. Each double-page spread gives a color, the Japanese word for it, calligraphy symbol(s), and phonetic pronunciation, along with a brief description of one thing that the color symbolizes. For example, there is a red circle in the center of the Japanese flag. Sometimes it isn't clear why the particular object has been selected, but there are interesting choices, such as the white gloves that the subway workers wear to push the crowds of people into the cars. Watercolor illustrations face each page of text, with a bit of detail spilling over to the opposite page. The soft, fluid, in some cases almost monochromatic pictures suit the narrative. While there is mention of some items of interest to children, such as the statue of Sadako Sasaki and the brief inclusion of the Ninja and Samurai, there is not enough information here for reports. The book will be more useful for children wanting to know a little about Japanese customs and traditions.DeAnn Tabuchi, New York Public Library

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