Yoko Writes Her Name

I really loved this book! I loved it for many reasons. The first of which being the pastel-like illustrations. Unlike many of the books I have read lately, the illustrations in this book were more subtle, and less bright/bold. I also loved how this book had a multicultural aspect. At first, I was puzzled as to why the girl's mother said her handwriting was so good, and yet, her classmates thought otherwise. I quickly realized that it was because she was writing in another language. I loved how the teacher decided to make Japanese the class's second language and for everyone to learn to write their name! I really enjoyed this book, and would certainly keep it in my classroom library.

Yoko writes her name perfectly - in Japanese. Her classmates Sylvia and Olive call it "scribbling" and say she won't graduate from kindergarten. Yoko's classmate Angelo, however, asks Yoko to show him her "secret language" and he helps her with English. The teacher, Mrs. Jenkins, says that Japanese would be the class's second language. Soon, the whole class learns to write their names in Japanese - except Olive and Sylvia, until Yoko helps them.

Book for early readers about what literacy really is and means. Yoko is in kindergarten and knows how to write her name in Japanese. Some of the other students don't recognize the Kanji and think she is not smart enough to graduate from her class. They tease Yoko. However, Angelo recognizes that her ability to write in Japanese make her special and together they teach one another English and Japanese.

Great introduction to inclusion and acceptance as well as viewing what you think you know (what is literacy) through another lens. Can be used as a conversation starter about sensitivity and true intelligence.

This is a story about Yoko, a girl cat in kindergarten who is learning to write in English and who can write in Hiragana and Katakana. Some of her classmates make fun of her Japanese writing and customs because they don't understand them. Yoko successfully graduates from kindergarten and teaches her friends to write their names in Japanese too. This is a fabulous book about cultural differences. It tells about overcoming jealousy and exclusive behavior from classmates. The main character is a lovable cat who only wants to share her gifts. Many children will identify with her and will want to read the other books in this wonderful series. My own daughter loves this series so much, that she named our kitten Yoko. It was fun to show her show more this newest book in the series as she appreciated the beautiful frames in which she could read the Hiragana and Katakana. show less

Yoko Writes Her Name is the story of a young girl (kitten) from Japan who has come to the United States and started going to school. All of the students are learning how to write their name, and Yoko begins to be made fun of because she is "not writing her name, she is just writing signs and symbols!" The teacher eventually realizes that students are making fun of Yoko for the way she writes, so she has Yoko give a lesson to the class on writing in Japanese. The two girls that were making fun of Yoko immediately stop because they are now afraid that they will be unable to write their names in Japanese.

Yoko writes her name in Japanese and is teased by the other students because she does things differently. By the end she is teaching others how to write their names in Japanese. Cute story, has English, then Japanese words in upper corners of pages. Could teach the idea of respecting others and individuality.

This book is about a little kitten who is really excited about the first day of school because she can already write her name. The problem comes along when she goes to school the none of the other children believes that she is writing her name because it is in Japanese. Before long every student is wanting to learn to write their own name in Japanese and all of her worries are gone.

Great book to use as a read aloud if you have non English students in the classroom.