Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window

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Summary: Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window
Review: A heart-warming, and delightful collection of true stories of young Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, a famous television personality in Japan. It begins when Totto-chan ( Tetsuko's nick name) was expelled from the first grade because of her disruptive behaviour. She was then transferred to a very unique school ran by a headmaster who had his own teaching philosophy. The school itself was not in a building but in discarded railroad cars. The book also includes other adventures Totto-chan had been involved in, and also previews what life had been like as a small child in Japan during the outbreak of World War II. I recomend this book to parents, and teachers because of Mr. Kobayashi- the headmaster's philosophy of education. It also makes fun reading for children, as I myself have had this book since I was twelve years old.

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Summary: I have read this book 20 times
Review: Everytime I read it, my heart is filled with joy! The book shows what was possible and instead we ruined it all through the world war 2 :( If only!!

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Summary: A simple story that leaves you wishing for more
Review: I read this story when I was 10 years old, and I cannot imagine 10 years down the road, I enjoy the story as much as I did 10 years ago. I remember smiling when Toto showed her dog her report card, crying when her dog died. The simple language is sufficient to present the thoughts of a little girl, innocent and pure. I love this book, and 10 years down the road, I am going to let my child read it too, and I am sure he/she will enjoy it as much as I do.

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Summary: Can I give it more than 5 stars please???
Review: I received this book as a gift from a pen pal in Japan about fifteen years ago, and recently found it on Amazon - so I had to buy copies of it for all of my friends. This is a very sweet, simple book and it is also a true story of the author, who is a famous television personality in Japan. The story is written very simply, and it would not be inappropriate for a child, yet not too simplified for an adult. The story begins when Totto-chan, the heroine of the story, is on her way to a new school after being expelled from her old school (she does not find out about the expulsion until years later). The new school is a progressive school which does things in a different way, and treats children differently, teaching them to see the world in a new way. The book is filled with side splitting funny stories, and a few touching ones as well. When you finish reading it, (it won't take long) it will bring a tear to your eye, but make you smile, and make you feel better for having read it. Check it out - I promise you won't be disappointed.

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Summary: What a wonderful book!!!
Review: It is an ausome book which features the life of a young, innocent Japanese girl during World War 2. She was expelled from her first school when she was in Grade 1, for disrupting the class by making lots of noise in many ways. The girl left for another school (Tomoe) thinking that her very understanding mother had chosen to leave the school on her on will. Her new school was very unique as its classrooms were actually discarded railroad cars. The headmaster himself was very different from other headmasters. He had looked at education from a different angle altogether. He understood children very well and was a father-figure to Totto-Chan and all the children of the school. The book is divided into many chapters and nearly every chapter teaches a lesson. The book can be read by anybody as it has a mixture of elation,sorrow and adventure.

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Summary: An unforgetable timeless story i've ever read!
Review: It's really a good book! Tetsuko Kuroyangi (Totto Chan) is so impressed by her former unusual elementary school which were classroom trains and its headmaster who taught the students in different ways and had a vision of child's education in different angle. She wants to share her memories, during World War II, to all readers how she and her friends really enjoyed being in that school and how very kind and wise her headmaster was. First day in that school Totto Chan began to like the headmaster for he can be the one she could trust to. Totto Chan also learnt many things in her childhood's life such as happiness, love, curiousity, friendship, appreciating nature and music, separation, and also sadness. It's such an enchanting book for all ages and all times and so inspiring for educators. Thanks to Dorothy Britton as the english translator who successfully maintains the sense of Japanese in the story.

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Summary: The sweetest collection of chilhood memories!
Review: The book is enchanting, a tale of a little girl who gained so much lessons in her early years. Despite all of the chaos other people might had at that time (pre-World War II), she could managed to live her life to its full extent. With helps from people around her, in a really simple way, Totto-chan surely got a really beautiful childhood worth to remember for the rest of her life.
This book gave me a new point of seeing my life as it is. This book absolutely will lead you to Totto-chan's world of sincerity and simplicity, make you laugh for its naivette and shed tears for its bittersweetness at a time! It will also tell you about the importance of letting yourself loose in your dreams and efforts to make them come true. It will evoke your spirit to change the world to be a better place to live.
I'll keep this book as a legacy to my future children. I really will. And you should too.

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Summary: A book full of love
Review: This beautiful, evocative book really gives one a sense of what it was like to grow up in prewar Tokyo. Add to that Tetsuko Kuroyanagi's extraordinary memories of Mr. Kobayashi and the children of Tomoe school, and you have a gorgeous book that will delight adults and children alike.

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Summary: I feel like flying....
Review: This is a great book. I first heard about it when I read an excerpt from my Primary 6 textbook. Anyway, this book takes you to adventure with Totto-chan, who doesn't realise she was a hyperactive girl. And boy was that fun! This book teaches about freedom, the best education methods and self-esteem...but I don't quite agree that swimming naked infront of people promotes high self-esteem and respect for other people's bodies. But the illustrations are a plus...I would definitely add another 5 stars for them.

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Summary: A book full of love
Review: This simple, funny, and moving collection of memories of an elementary school in WW2 Japan tells the story of a headmaster's boundless and unshakeable love for children, and of his unorthodox approach to educating them. The author (the grown-up Totto-Chan) was a student in the "classroom train" at Tomoe Gakuen, and is now a popular talk show host in Japan. She has written about the escapades and life's lessons she experienced in elementary school. The simple and ingenuous style affects the reader physically (goosebumps, a lump in the throat, blinking away tears, and things of that nature). The illustrations, which were made years before the book was written, are not just beautiful but also amazingly apt. The translation does not jar - remarkable feat for a book that so liberally recalls haiku, lyrics, and folklore. Besides the headmaster's love for children and Totto-Chan's love for talking, the book is also about the students' love for their headmaster, their deep gratitude for his vision, and the author's efforts perpetuate that vision through her book. This book is for readers of all ages and cultures.