Suki’s Kimono

By Chieri Uegaki and Stéphane Jorisch

The joyful story of a young girl who dances to her own drumbeat, and in doing so teaches others about the richness of diversity.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kids Can Press
• Release date: Jul 4, 2013
• ISBN: 9781554538508

Book preview

Reviews for Suki’s Kimono

[rudeeporn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful!, a short story book with beautiful paintings. Just Love.

[Hồ Uyên · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very educational and inspiring for children. Also quite culturally reflective!

[sweetiegherkin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Over the summer Suki's grandmother visited and together they attended a festival. Now it's the first day of school and Suki wants to wear the kimono her grandmother gave her, but her older sisters tell her it's not appropriate for first grade. What should Suki do?This is a very sweet story that has so many positive aspects to it. For starters, I loved that the glossary of Japanese words is at the front of the book instead of the end, so anyone reading this aloud to children will right away be able to help the listeners to define words and can feel comfortable themselves in pronouncing the unfamiliar nouns. (It's worth nothing that pretty much all of the definitions could be inferred in the context of the story anyhow, but it's still nice to have a direct translation readily available.)Without being heavy-handed or didactic, the book talks about how cultural norms may vary and how being true to oneself is the best route to go. Suki displays perseverance and wins over her critics as a result of her gentle but strong stance. The watercolor illustrations are a perfect match for this book -- somehow they are both airy and substantive at once. The beautiful colors and the dancer-like movements to the lines are appealing and draw the eye in to each page. Little details like the family's cat or the teacher's decorative scarf further pull the viewers in and engage them in the story.All of the named characters are female, which is nice in a world where women and girls tend to be secondary characters only. However, I know I would be unhappy if the only female characters were unnamed ones, so I could see how men and boys might not like that being the case for them here.

[sommerkirk-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a great example of a realistic fiction text. This story was about a girl names Suki who wanted to wear a Kimono to school, but her sisters told her the other kids would laugh at her. While her sisters were correct at first, Suki stayed strong because she had pride in her heritage. Suki dances in her kimono for the class and everyone absolutely loves it. I would definitely use this text in my classroom, especially to introduce other cultures to my students. I might begin a different culture project with this book. Something also interesting in this book is that they offer definitions for certain vocabulary words which was really helpful. I think this is an appropriate book for the early developmental readers, however for independent reading I think it wold be better for maybe fourth or fifth graders.

[tammie14-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book. I especially loved Suki. Such a young girl so confident in who she is. Suki’s sisters warn her not to wear the kimono, but Suki doesn’t care. She likes her kimono and she wants to wear it, so she’s going to wear it. I also love this story, because it carries so many great life lessons. It teaches the reader to be who you are, regardless what people say or think. The book teaches us that we should take pride in our heritage and that sometimes “fitting in” isn’t the most important thing in the world.

[robincar-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Suki wants to wear her kimono to school on the first day of school. Her Japanese grandmother gave it to her. Suki’s older sisters think her classmates will laugh at her, but Suki doesn’t care because her kimono reminds her of her grandmother and the fun they had at a festival together. How will Suki’s teacher and classmates react to her kimono? This is a story of a little girl who loves her grandmother and who doesn’t mind being a little different. Suki is confident and spirited character who ought to charm those who read her story. This story is best for kids in kindergarten and first grade. This book would be good for kids who are a little nervous about the first day of school. It would also be suited to show that being different can be fun and that people should have pride in their heritage.

[larisaawhite · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A young Japanese-American girl wants to wear her favorite thing in the world on her first day of school: a kimono given to her by her grandmother. In the face of taunting by siblings and peers, she finds the courage to be herself anyway, winning admiration from all by the end of the tale. A heartwarming story.

[angie7patterson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Uegaki, Chieri. Illustrated by Stephane Jorisch. Suki’s Kimono. Tonawanda, NY: Kids Can Press, 2003Characters: Suki; Mari and Yumi (her older sisters); Suki’s obachan (her grandmother); the girls’ mother; Penny (Suki’s classmate/friend); Mrs. Paggio (Suki’s teacher)Setting: somewhere in an urban Japanese-American community in the United StatesTheme: Cultural celebrations; Japanese culture (Asian and Asian American); respect and remember one’s cultural heritage; individuality; be yourself no matter what others say, do, or think about you; character and valuesAsian and Asian AmericanGenre: Children’s fiction; children’s picturebookGolden Quote: “Suki stopped and looked around. Some of the children turned and stared at her, and others giggled and pointed at her kimono. But Suki ignored them.”Summary: Suki’s very favorite thing is her blue cotton kimono. A gift from her obachan, it holds special memories of her grandmother’s visit over the summer. And Suki is going to wear it on her first day back to school—no matter what anyone says. Suki’s Kimono is the joyful story of a little girl whose spirit leads her to march—and dance—to the beat of her own drum.Audience: age level: 5 to 8 years of age; grade level: K – 2nd Curriculum ties: (BEFORE READING, LOOK AT...) The Cover: Have students make predictions about the text based on the title and front and back cover illustrations. Is Suki the girl on the cover? What is a kimono? Why is Suki wearing one? What kind of shoes is she wearing? Where do you think she’s going? The Pictures: Take a brief picture walk through the book. What do the pictures tell you about the settings of the story? Where and when does it take place? Purpose: Revisit the purpose: How do we know that Suki is self-confident? What does it mean to be self-confident? Extending Thinking: Think about presents you have gotten from either your grandmother or someone else. Are they “cool”? Are they “weird”? Have you ever gotten a present that you think is cool but your friends think is weird? How did that feel? What did you do? Prior Knowledge: Show the students a map of the world. Point out Japan and the United States. Explain that people who live in the United States come from many cultures. The little girl in this story is a Japanese-American who celebrates both cultures. Purpose for Reading: Students can practice inference. “As we read, think about how the author shows that Suki is self-confident…”(MONITORING COMPREHENSION/POSSIBLE QUESTIONS TO ASK STUDENTS) What does each Japanese word mean? How do you know? Why don’t Suki’s sisters think she should wear her kimono to school? What are they wearing? Where did Suki get her kimono? Where did she first wear it? Why is it important to her? How does the author describe the taiko drums? How do you think Suki felt when she was teased about her kimono? What clues tell you this? Have you ever been teased for wearing something different? What clues tell you that Penny was already Suki’s friend? How do Suki’s classmates feel about her kimono at the end of the book? THE ARTS: DANCE Create a dance that represents something in Japanese culture. Perform the dance for the class or a small group; MAKE A KOI FISH; MAKE A KOKESHI DOLLWRITING ACTIVITIES: 1. What is your favorite outfit? Describe the outfit and tell why it is your favorite.2. The illustrator dedicated the book to “spunky little kids everywhere.” What does that mean? Why do you think he chose this for his dedication? Is Suki “spunky”? How so?3. Interview one of your grandparents or another older adult. Ask them to tell you about something special they remember about growing up. Write their answers to share with your classmates.Awards: NonePersonal response: Great book celebrating not only Japanese and Japanese-American culture, but self-confidence and individuality as well. Suki is a little girl who doesn’t care what anyone thinks about her. She does what she wants and she does it with dignity and fun too. She is so proud of her kimono that her grandmother gave her; she decides she is going to wear for her first day back from school. Even when the other kids stare and giggle, she ignores them and wears her kimono loud and proud. Aside from Suki’s spunky character, the best part of the book is when she shares her experience at the Japanese festival with her grandmother during the summer with her class. She acts out the whole ritual of Japanese dance and instead of getting laughed at by her classmates; they clap for her with joy and excitement for her enthusiasm. The artwork is great as well. The illustrations are rendered in watercolor; emulating traditional Japanese art with a modern yet whimsical twist.

[trillium242 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This story is a bout a girl named Suki. Suki got a new Kimono and rather than wearing the new hip clothes to her first day of school she wears her Kimono. Suki runs into rough patches at school but in the end she is celebrated for wearing her Kimono. This story doesn't delve very deep into culture but I'd say it is a good book for celebrating differences and confidence in being different. -Read Aloud -Multicultural studies -Compare yourself to the character

[lquilter_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A little girl stands up to her sisters, in deciding to wear her favorite outfit -- a kimono that her grandmother gave to her -- on her first day of school. She braves the mockery of her classmates and shows the kids the Japanese dance that she remembers.Very sweet and touching. The child's affection for her grandmother, and the evocative description of her dance and memory of the dance she saw, stand out.

[dayehsensei · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a darling tale about a little girl named Suki who insists on wearing a kimono and geta sandals (given to her by her grandmother) on the first day of school (presumably at a new school). Kids laugh at her and ask her questions about her clothes, but she doesn't care. Suki proud, brave attitude will serve as a model for students everywhere. This story also teaches children a little bit about Japanese culture (dancing, clothes). Very well done!

[carriedold_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great to introduce chinese-american culture. First day of school. Promotes originality.

[conuly · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a cute story about a little girl who wants to wear her kimono (full of good memories from her grandmother's visit) to the first day of school. And she does, despite what her status-conscious sisters think. Naturally, nobody noticed their carefully-chosen outfits, but of course everybody saw Suki's kimono and heard her story of how she got it.

[nmkimdykstra · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Your personal response to the book:This book reminded me so much of Mary Hoffman's "Amazing Grace." In "Amazing Grace" Grace is told that she can't be Peter Pan because she's black and a girl. However, she doesn't let that stop her. She tries out for the play and gets the part. Similarly, in this book, Suki is told that she shouldn't wear her kimono because other people are going to think she is weird. However, Suki doesn't pay attention to that either, and ends up wearing her kimono to school. She tells her story to her classmates and demonstrates her Asian dancing. The other kids are amazed. I appreciate both of these stories because they demonstrate a strong child who does not let the opinions of others tear them down. 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 think this book would be great for a compare contrast activity with "Amazing Grace." I also think these books could be used as a spring board for inviting kids to talk about their own cultures.

[tshrum06 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a good example of realistic fiction. It displays very believable characters and interactions. The sisters reactions to Suki are something, I think a lot of kids with siblings can relate to. Also how Suki was courageous and stuck to what she wanted are traits students will admire and want to emulate.Age Appropriateness: PrimaryMedia: Watercolo