Erika-San - Allen Say

Published: Jan., 2009
Rating: 4.5
For: Any age
$17.00
Endpapers: Dark grey

This is a lovely book with a lovely story and wonderful illustrations. (I can't say lovely three times in a row!) I didn't rate it a 5 because the story seems a little implausible, though who knows, it may even be based on a true story. It doesn't mention that anywhere, though.

When Erika, an American girl, is young, she sees a picture of a lovely cottage perched on the water's edge on her grandmother's wall. She is told the picture was something her grandfather brought home from a visit to Japan. She loves this picture, and as she grows up she studies Japan and learns Japanese, always thinking about the beautiful picture. As soon as she graduates from college with a teaching degree, she heads off to Japan, for she has a job in Tokyo. But when she arrives in Tokyo she is overwhelmed by the crowds and finds a job three hours away. There she is still overwhelmed by too many people and takes the last teaching job available, one on a remote island. She loves it there. She immediately meets a young male teacher and he takes her exploring the island. And guess what. She sees a cottage that reminds her of the picture on her grandmother's wall. It is a tea house. The ending is very, very cute and satisfying, but I loved the good feeling it gave me, so I won't tell it here.

The illustrations are just delicious, showing modern Japan with so many details - people all looking down as they descend the stairs - all sorts of tiny touches that make me look and look. I probably should have given it a five. I enjoyed this book immensely. I can't wait to read it to a kid somewhere to see how he/she would enjoy it. Is it a kid book, an adult heart-tugger, or something in between?