Aoki by Annelore Parot

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Hardie Grant Egmont, 2011. ISBN 9781742970035.
Aoki is a kokeshi - a little wooden doll from Japan - and she undertakes a journey to Tokyo to visit her friend Yoko. Through a richness of interactive pages, peepholes and lift-the-flaps we share her journey and are introduced to a variety of aspects of life in Japan from helping her to pack her suitcase to enjoying the tranquillity of a Zen garden. There are snippets of language to learn and opportunities to compare lives and lifestyles which would spark further investigations. Why does the bed fold up like a cupboard? Where is Mt Fuji?
On the surface, this looks like a book for little girls, but, in reality, it is the ideal foundation for introducing a study of Japan or the Japanese language. It is engaging on so many levels and its unusual cover and glossy paper make it very tactile. A very special book.
Barbara Braxton

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