Have you ever been to Tokyo, Japan? Far away, in the Pacific Ocean, Tokyo is a busy city of color, activity, celebrations, gigantic buildings, and much more. Seven-year-old Mimiko lives in Tokyo, and here you can follow a year’s worth of fun, food and festivities in Mimiko’s life, month by month. Learn the right way to put on a kimono and see Mimiko’s top ten favorite meals—just try not to eat the pages featuring delicious wagashi!

"Bright, bustling illustrations abound in this pictorial peek at Japanese life and customs through the eyes of a Tokyo schoolgirl. Mimiko takes readers on a journey through the calendar year, highlighting each month's important traditions. Takabayashi (Marshmallow Kisses) devotes a two-page spread to each month, filling it with petite, concentrated watercolors (many of them captioned in Japanese and English). Pictures of Mimiko's 10 favorite meals (curry rice and tempura top the list) fill one page, while 20 appealing wagashi cakes for a tea ceremony occupy another. Takabayashi marks the start of school in April with intricate pictures of school uniforms, Japanese notebooks and school lunches. On the facing page, she acquaints readers with Japanese writing and forms a clever border by pictorially showing how 10 kanji characters (Chinese characters used in Japanese writing) evolved from the pictures they represent. Such versatile artwork demonstrates the text's examples throughout the book. Though the busy layout may be visually overwhelming at times, it invites readers to slow down and savor each picture. A glossary of Japanese words and numerals plus some simple phrases conclude this informative volume. From Ichigatsu (January) to Junigatsu (December), Takabayashi accessibly and handsomely gives children a taste of life in Tokyo. Ages 4-8." Publishers Weekly (Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Mari Takabayashi was born in Tokyo, Japan, and studied at Otsuma Women's College. She moved to New York in 1990, where she lives with her husband and their two children. Ms. Takabayashi is also the illustrator for Flannel Kisses and Marshmallow Kisses, both by Linda Crotta Brennan.