Yoko Writes Her Name: 08/10/09

A month before my son began the emersion program at his new school, the latest Yoko book by Rosemary Wells was released: Yoko Writes Her Name. It's the story of Yoko now old enough for kindergarten and full of excitement. Unfortunately two of the other girls thinks Yoko is still a baby because she's writing and counting in Japanese and everyone else is doing it in English.

Rather than this book being about Yoko conforming, it ends up being a perfect introduction to emersion programs. My son happens to be in a Chinese / English program but Yoko's experience parallels the experience of one of Sean's classmates. Now they didn't tease her like Olive and Sylvia tease Yoko she did come to the dual emersion program to learn English while the other students were there to learn Chinese. Just as Sean learned Chinese from his classmate, she learned English from him.

In Yoko Writes Her Name the kindergarten class ends up being a dual emersion English / Japanese class. The other students learn some basic Japanese and Yoko learns the basics of English.

To entice children who are being read the story, the top of each pair of pages is the English and Japanese version of a number of words, like top, box and so forth.

We borrowed this book from our local library but I might have to get a copy for our personal collection.

Other books in the series include:

• Mama, Don't Go
• The School Play
• Halloween Play
• Be My Valentine
• Doris's Dinosaur
• The Germ Busters
• Bubble-Gum Radar
• The Secret Birthday
• Make New Friends
• When I Grow Up
• Read Me a Story Practice Makes Perfect
• Yoko Writes Her Name

Comments (2)

Comment #1: Saturday, August, 15, 2009 at 11:16:18

Carrie, Reading to Know

Hmm, interesting! I hadn't heard of these books before but they sound as if they serve an excellent purpose!

Comment #2: Sunday, August 16, 2009 at 18:02:32

Pussreboots

Rosemary Wells also writes the Max and Ruby series of books but my kids prefer the Yoko books.