Jimi's Book of Japanese: A Motivating Method to Learn Japanese

Encyclopedia : J : JI : JIM : Jimi's Book of Japanese: A Motivating Method to Learn Japanese

Jimi's Book of Japanese: A Motivating Method to Learn Japanese is a popular multi-book series by Peter X. Takahashi with illustrations by Yumie Toka. Two of four planned books have been published to date. The series teaches basic Japanese through a unique "Triple Bubble" method that incorporates reading, writing and pronunciation guidance in a series of interconnected bubbles.

First published in 2002, Jimi's Book of Japanese: A Motivating Method to Learn Japanese (Hiragana) teaches readers the hiragana syllabary. The second book, Jimi's Book of Japanese: A Motivating Method to Learn Japanese (Katakana) was published in 2005 and teaches the katakana syllabary. PB&J Omnimedia, the series' publisher, has confirmed a third book, Jimi's Book of Japanese: A Motivating Method to Learn Japanese (Kanji), will be published in late 2007.

Reviews

Booklist

Gr. 3-6. This colorful book will appeal to children who want to learn Japanese, particularly those who are studying how to speak the language but want to know how to write it as well. As the introduction states, "Instead of an alphabet Japanese uses kana." Each page features one large figure of a kana, a symbol representing a syllable, with directional arrows showing how to make each stroke. Also on the page is a pronunciation key, a vocabulary word that includes the kana, a description of the word's meaning within the context of Japanese culture, and a few small illustrations. The closing pages feature a chart of the kana and their sounds, a chart of numbers, and a word list with translations. Recurring, cartoonlike characters, including a simply drawn monkey called Jimi, give the pages child appeal, but even older students beginning to learn Japanese may find this well-designed book useful. Carolyn Phelan Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Daily Yomiuri "Jimi's Book of Japanese" is an excellent introduction to Japanese and a well planned and executed hiragana handbook."

I.D. Magazine, July/August 2003 ...an interactive Japanese language book, [J.B.O.J] features friendly graphics, inviting colors and easy-to-understand instructions for speaking and writing Japanese.

Awards

The Jimi's Book of Japanese series has received a number of awards:

WINNER* 2003 Parents' Choice Award
WINNER* 2003 Independent Publishers' Association "IPPY Award", Best Education/Teaching/Academic Book
WINNER* 2003 I.D. Magazine Design Distinction Award
WINNER* 2003 Print Magazine Design Excellence Award
WINNER* 2005 AIGA Seed Award, Book Design

Sources: Asia For Kids; I.D. Magazine; Independent Publishers's Association; Print Magazine;

From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.