“Ruraru-san no Hondana,” written and illustrated by Hiroshi Ito (Published by Poplar Publishing Co. Ltd., 2005)
Story outline
Mr. Ruraru’s bookshelf (the title of this book) is filled with many books. While he is reading, a cat knocks on his window and asks what he is doing. At the cat’s request, he reads a book to the cat and to the animals that follow. They listen to the story of a journey to the underworld through a crevice in the ground. While everyone is engrossed in the tale, suddenly a mouse says, “I know this hole.” Mr. Ruraru and the animals then go outside and begin their adventure into it.
This book is the fifth in the “Mr. Ruraru” series, which currently has 10 titles. The series depicts the various daily happenings that occur to Mr. Ruraru and the animals that live nearby. After reading one book, young readers will be tempted to read the rest of the series.
Vocabulary, culture tips
Boken — This word means “adventure.” In this picture book, Mr. Ruraru is reading an adventure story to the animals, who actually go on an adventure of their own. A word with a similar meaning is “tanken,” which refers to “exploration.”
Dokidoki — This is an onomatopoeic word that describes intense palpitations and is often used to express feelings of excitement, fear or nervousness. In this picture book, it is used in the scene where Mr. Ruraru thinks that the hole found by the mouse might continue all the way to the underground world after everyone enters it.
Unazuku — This verb means “nod,” indicating assent or agreement. The nodding motion is often used with the word “un,” which is more colloquial than “hai,” meaning “yes.”
What books are on your bookshelf?
In the picture book “Ruraru-san no Hondana,” Mr. Ruraru’s bookshelf is introduced at the beginning. No specific titles are mentioned, so I asked my children what kind of books they thought would be in the lineup.
My eldest son, 8, said, “An animal encyclopedia and a science book. Then maybe ‘Captain Tsubasa’ and ‘Doraemon.'” “Captain Tsubasa” is a Japanese soccer manga series whose anime adaptations he has been watching a lot lately. “Doraemon,” meanwhile, is one of Japan’s most famous manga series. Meanwhile, my second son, 6, said, “A maze book. Also, stories about Mr. Ruraru catching a thief and Mr. Ruraru becoming a king.”
It is a pleasure to look at the bookshelves to see what books are there, whether in bookstores, libraries or anywhere else. Just the other day, my 8-year-old and I visited the museum of Fujiko F. Fujio, the creator of “Doraemon,” in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture. There, his workroom was recreated, with many books lined up on shelves surrounding his desk. My son was very happy to find a book he recognized, saying, “Oh, there’s Osamu Tezuka’s ‘Princess Knight.'”
The bookshelves for my children have already exceeded their capacity, and books are placed here and there, including in a cabinet in the hallway and by their bedsides. I am very curious to see what books they will take from our bookshelves when they grow up and live independently. At this point, my oldest son says he will take the latest Pokemon encyclopedia. I wonder what other books will end up on his shelf in his adventure into the future.
(By Risa Koshiba, The Mainichi Staff Writer)
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(This is Part 22 of the “Learning from Japanese picture books” series, which introduces recommended Japanese picture books, along with related terms and culture that foreigners living in Japan may find useful. Most titles can be found in bookstores or libraries throughout Japan. The next issue will be published on Feb. 7.)
Profile: Risa Koshiba is a mother of two boys and loves picture books. She believes that picture books can help improve literacy, and says they helped her children learn how to read and write Japanese. She is also interested in teaching Japanese to foreigners, and tutored students in Japanese and taught the language to children when she was a university student in the United States.
This post was originally published on here
