Totto-chan, the Little Girl at the WindowThis engaging series of childhood recollections tells about an ideal school in Tokyo during World War II that combined learning with fun, freedom, and love. This unusual school had old railroad cars for classrooms, and it was run by an extraordinary man-its founder and headmaster, SosakuKobayashi-who was a firm believer in freedom of expression and activity. In real life, the Totto-chan of the book has become one of Japan's most popular television personalities-Tetsuko Kuroyanagi. She attributes her success in life to this wonderful school and its headmaster. The charm of this account has won the hearts of millions of people of all ages and made this book a runaway bestseller in Japan, with sales hitting the 4.5 million mark in its first year. |
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Common terms and phrases
Aiko Saisho Assembly Hall bark began Benkei called chan chew child classroom CRUZ The University decided denbu desk dress elementary school Emile Jaques-Dalcroze eurythmics eyes face felt flowers Forty-seven Ronin ghosts going grade grown-up haiku hair hand happy head headmaster headmaster's hot spring inside Isadora Duncan Japan Japanese Jiyugaoka Kamakura knew Kuhonbutsu laughed listened looked loved lunch lunchtime Maruyama matter Miyazaki Miyo-chan morning Mother and Daddy Mount Haruna never nice ocean Osaka play polio pupils railroad car realized replied Rocky Rosenstock Ryo-chan school grounds seemed shouted singing smiled someone song Sosaku Kobayashi Sports Day started station stood stopped street musicians Swan Lake Tai-chan Takahashi talk tears tell Tetsuko Kuroyanagi things Tokyo told Tomoe Gakuen took Totto Totto-chan thought train tree University Library UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA/SANTA voice walk wanted watching Yasuaki-chan Yoshitsune