Reading Aloud: Yoshi’s Feast
On April 8th, author Christine Kohler (Turkey in the News: Past, Present and Future) read the book Yoshi’s Feast to a first grade classroom at the Ballinger Elementary School in Ballinger, Texas. Today we are thrilled to have her share her experience with us, as a guest blogger.
Yoshi’s Feast by Kimiko Kajikawa, illustrated by Yumi Heo (DK Publishing, 2000)
I love Yoshi’s Feast as much for the rich tale of two squabbling stubborn neighbors who learn to cooperate and develop a friendship as for the intricate fall-colored Japanese illustrations (and I’m not talking about just any illustrations, but Yumi Heo’s exquisite oil, pencil and handmade paper collages!).
Before reading the book to a class of first graders, I practice on a three-year-old. Yoshi’s Feast is best read with props, and since I lived in Japan, Guam, and Hawaii, I have the perfect ones (a fan, a small wooden box, chopsticks and a Japanese tea cup). My audience of one is enthralled. He sits still for the duration of the reading. He wants an encore. All signs that I will be able to capture and keep the attention of a class of six- and seven-year-olds (I only wish I had more than 20 minutes… I imagine with a longer session I could take chopsticks and sticky rice for the children as well).
The day of the reading I dress in a kimono-style jacket. I want the loose sleeves to give a nice effect for the dance I’ve incorporated into my reading. Besides, Yoshi dresses in his best kimono when he dances.
When setting up to read, I place a chair beside my chair for the props. With one hand, I hold the book open, facing the children. With the other, I click black lacquer chopsticks together to indicate the parts where Sabu is eating broiled eels or Yoshi is eating rice.
In scenes with Yoshi’s fan, I flutter my fan in circles, and when Yoshi shakes his money box at Sabu, I shake my box to the refrain:
Chin chin jara jara…chin jarra jarra…
The refrain is what calls me to let go of the book for a moment. I get swept away in the marvelous musical refrain:
Chin chin jara jara…chin jarra jarra…chin…
I rise from my seat, fan circling and fluttering wildly, money box shaking faster, my voice growing bolder, louder. I rise as if I am Yoshi coming to life from the page.
And I dance.
Chin chin jara jara…chin jarra jarra…Chin!
Chin chin jara jara…chin jarra jarra…Chin!As if a cymbal has sounded a crescendo, I sit back down and quietly read the last two pages.
The teacher orchestrates the children to thank me. But the real thanks comes as I gather my props to leave. I hear a child taking up the chant:
Chin chin jara jara…chin jarra jarra…
And another tells me he liked best the dance.
Thanks, Christine, for sharing this lovely moment with us and for inspiring children to fall in love with books!
PaperTigers welcomes accounts from anyone who has ever helped bring books alive for children through storytelling, so please share your experiences with us!
April 14th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
I’d have loved to be there!
April 15th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
Christine’s account is so lively that I feel like I WERE there!
April 20th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
Kimiko Kajikawa has a new book out, “Tsunami!”, illustrated by the incredible Ed Young. We just requested a review copy and will be featuring it on PaperTigers soon. Keep your eyes peeled!
April 20th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
I love this quote, featured on Kimiko’s website, from a review of Yoshi’s Feast by The Horn Book:
“[Yoshi's Feast] resonates on several levels: the evolution of the neighbors’ relationship from foolish separatism to cooperative friendship models the way sharing resources and know-how can benefit communities, or countries, as well as individuals. Still, the primary focus of this perfectly paced tale is on the fun, especially in Yumi Heo’s handsome multimedia illustrations… Told with memorable humor, visually harmonious, Yoshi’s Feast is a feast indeed.”