Hachiko Waits

Written by Lesléa Newman

Narrated by James Yaegashi

Every morning in the Japanese town of Shibuya, Professor Ueno awakens and is greeted by his loyal Akita dog, Hachiko. They enjoy a breakfast together before the professor leaves to catch the train to the school where he teaches. And Hachiko sits at the station eagerly awaiting his master's return. Then one afternoon Professor Ueno does not return. And Hachiko waits. Days and weeks pass and still no one-not even the young boy Yasuo who comes to care for him-can persuade the faithful dog to leave his post. Years go by and yet still he waits. In time, Hachiko will come to be remembered and honored throughout Japan for his singular devotion. Poet, author, and animal advocate LesleA Newman earned an ASPCA Henry Bergh Children's Book Honor and scores of other accolades for this touching tale based on a true story. Sprinkled throughout with Japanese vocabulary words, this audio production serves as an excellent introduction to a different culture while simultaneously illustrating the universality of human emotions.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9781470356590

Lesléa Newman

LESLÉA NEWMAN has written many books both for children and adults, including Where Is Bear?, Cats! Cats! Cats! and Hachiko Waits. She lives in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Reviews for Hachiko Waits

[Heidi Alexander · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It was awesome, so moving and emotional.I fell in love with Hachilo.

[fingerpost_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Hachi is accustomed to waiting for his master at the train station when he is due home. One day the master dies. Hachi continues to wait faithfully for him for the next ten years.This is a wonderful, heart warming and sad story, based on a true story. Unfortunately, there just isn't enough story for even a short book length novel. There is only material for a short article in a magazine really.

[hillcrestgarden · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The story of Hachi, the Akita dog, who met the 3:00 train everyday for ten years in hopes that his master would finally step off and come home. This story about devotion and loyalty, is based on true events from Japan's Shibuya Station where a statue of Hachiko still stands today. The book includes a glossary to aid in pronouncing Japanese words used in the story.

[robincar-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Hachiko is an Akita dog owned by Professor Ueno who tells Hachiko that he is the best dog in Japan. Hachiko starts accompanying his master to the train station every morning and meeting him there every afternoon at three o’clock. One day, the professor does not arrive on the train at three o’clock. Hachiko waits. Every day for ten years Hachiko waits at the train station at three o’clock. A boy tries to take care of Hachiko, but Hachiko will not live with the boy or give up his daily vigil. This book written for middle grade readers is based on the true story of the loyal dog Hachiko who waited every day from 1925 until his death in 1935. The story of Hachiko has become a national legend about loyalty and faithfulness in Japan. There is a statue honoring his memory and his loyalty near the train station where he waited. The book features Japanese inspired black and white illustrations. It also includes a glossary of Japanese terms used in the book. This book allows American children to experience the story of Hachiko and be inspired by his devotion. However, as the story is sad sometimes, this may not work for children who are sensitive to character death in books. The book is best suited for kids between 8 and 11.

[fuzzi_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"Hachiko Waits" is the true story of an Akita dog who accompanies his master to the train station every morning, and then comes back to meet him at the 3 o'clock train. But one day, Hachiko's master does not arrive as usual...and Hachiko waits...Very nicely written book, with lovely illustrations and a sweet story to tell.

[benuathanasia · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What a heart-wrenching story. Even though I already knew what was going to happen, I couldn't help crying when it did. I wish the author had included the explanations of Japanese words as footnotes, rather than a glossary (would have helped with the flow), but I'm grateful that a glossary was included at all.

[leighanne85_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of the best books I have ever read. I read it well before the movie came out. In fact, I read it to my 3rd and 5th graders every year and cry the whole time.

[mmpvppl · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Bittersweet story. Very sad, but in an uplifting sort of way. It's heartwrenching to watch the dog wait for his owner, who's passed away. Grades 1/2 and up.

[rebecca401 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

He waits every day for the professor, his master. He meets him at the train station exactly at 3pm when he comes home from the university. One day the professor doesn't come home, and he never comes home again, but his dog waits faithfully for him every day. Hachi won't let anyone else adopt him, but the boy Yasuo, whom he has watched grow from a young boy to a young man, is a loyal friend. Will his loyalty be rewarded?

[nmkimdykstra · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Your personal response to the book:I absolutely loved the movie "Hachi," so I was very excited to read this book. This book is a very easy read, but yet it is a profound story. The movie was extremely emotional, very heart-wrenching, so I wasn't sure how this book would be for kids. However, this story seems to have a lot more hope, and the addition of the character Yasuo makes it more kid-friendly.Curricular connections (how you might use it with students in a classroom or school library) or programming connections (how you might use this book in a public library setting):I could see integrating this book with a geography unit that covers Japan. This would also be a good springboard for discussing the virtue of loyalty with kids.

[gayldashersmith · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My son visited Japan just before I read this and brought me a carp flag. He saw the Hachiko statue but I had the better story of its origin. Every dog lover would embrace this.