Tsunami!

Such a nice story about a natural disaster that doesn't bring good memories to people. "Tsunami" is based on a true story with the main character's name changed, but with the same heroism. The illustrations were made from cut and torn paper and a bit difficult to appreciate at first, but I marveled at them as the story progressed. A beautiful book about heroism.

Ojiisan, the oldest and wealthiest man in the village, doesn't join the others at the rice ceremony. Instead he watches from his balcony. He feels something is coming; something he can't describe. When he sees the monster wave pulling away from the beach, he knows. Tsunami! But the villagers below can't see the danger. Will Ojiisan risk everything he has to save them? Can he? Illustrated in stunning collage by Caldecott winner Ed Young, this is the unforgettable story of how one man's simple sacrifice saved hundreds of lives.

Tsunami! is a folktale-style story told in a simple form by Kimiko Kajikawa and accompanied by beautiful collages done by Coldecott award winning artist Ed Young.
Tsunami! is a fictional retelling of a nineteenth century disaster that struck a moderately prosperous coastal farming village. The village of the story is surprised when the ocean suddenly recedes farther than any low-tide they can recall. The oldest and wealthiest man in the village, Ojiisan, recalls tales of the disaster that follows the phenomenon that has attracted the entire village down onto the ocean floor. Ojiisan knows that he must make the villagers return to the farming highlands that are the source of his wealth, but how?
The story is adapted from the nineteenth show more century story that is cited as the first that used the word ‘tsunami’ in an English book. The collage that accompanies this simple tale is reminiscent of the style used on history scrolls of the orient. The publisher also provides online resources to facilitate using this story to teach elementary students. show less

Tsunami is about a rich man named Ojiisan who lived at the top of the mountain and everyone would seek him for advice. The village was having a rice harvest celebration but Ojiisan gad a bad feeling and stayed home with his grandson. Ojiisan's feeling was right and they had an earthquake. The shock wasn't so bad to the villagers so they continued their celebration, but once again, Ojiisan knew something strange was going on. Then he noticed THE SEA WAS RUNNING AWAY FROM THE LAND. He goes down to warn the village and everything was swept away. No one died, Ojiisan's house away still standing and he said there was plenty room for everyone. They were forever grateful. I think this book is a lovely example of being selfless. Ojiisan show more could've tried to only save himself but he went down to the bottom of the mountain, knowing a tsunami was coming, to warn the to others and risking his life. This can teach students to care for others when in need. It's a great book and the main theme to me is: some things are worth sacrificing. The illustrations in the book are very strange but definitely jump off the page and it is very colorful. show less

This is a powerful Japanese folktale about how one person's sacrifice can save many. Wealthy rice farmer Ojiisan sacrificed his rice fields in order to save his villagers from a deadly tsunami. The illustrations are also beautiful and full of texture and interesting detail. This would be a good read aloud to spark a discussion of selflessness and helping others and could also be used in a unit on different types of folktales.

I really enjoyed this book for a few reason. First off it had really unique illustrations. They were very textured and collage like. I also liked the plot of the book. I thought it was a very different story. I felt like story that you would hear some tell around a family gathering as you learn about your family history. It was very easy to read. It was one of those books where things start to make more sense the more you read. The way it was written in order to find out why the wisest man in the village set his rice fields on fire you just have to keep reading. The title does kind of give it away, but I wouldn't have thought to set the crops on fire as a warning. This book does make me curious to think if this is a common practice when show more tsunamis come in, or if they have come up with a better system now that technology is more available. On another note,I think that the main message that children will get from this is that sacrifices are sometimes necessary in order to better the group. show less

The main idea of this text was a village was celebrating a festival when an earthquake occurred. Only the old man understood that the earthquake was a warning to an impending tsunami. He saved the village by setting fire to his rice fields. I enjoyed this text for three reasons. First, the illustrations were intricate and textured. The illustrations through the book looked as if they were paper maché; he was able to create moment with different pieces of paper and layering. The second reason I enjoyed this was the story line itself. The author went into depth by telling the back story of the grandfather and the respect the village had for him. This helped with the story because when the rice field set aflame everyone came to his aid. show more If the backstory was left out then, it would not make sense for people to come to his aid so quickly. Lastly, the story give a hidden meaning for the children to understand. The grandfather even though he was the wealthiest man in the village he lived in a humble home. He then set aflame his wealth to save everyone. It showed how wealth is not always about money and saving a life is worth a fortune. show less