Jimi's Book of Japanese: A Motivating Method to Learn Japanese

by Peter X. Takahashi

*WINNER* Parents' Choice Award *WINNER* IPPY Award, Education/Teaching/Academic *WINNER* I.D. Magazine Design Distinction Award *WINNER* Print Magazine Design Excellence Award Designed to appeal to a wide age range and a variety of attention spans, "Jimi's Book of Japanese" is for everyone who is learning Japanese and for anyone who has an inquisitive brain. Put your kutsu on, grab your keitai denwa, and join Jimi, Akiko, and Robotto-san on an exciting insider's journey to learning basic Japanese. Along the way, you'll discover the secrets of using (o)hashi, how to find a unagi shop-even how to practice ojigi through eye-popping illustrations and simple explanations. Designed to appeal to a wide age range and a variety of attention spans, Jimi's Book of Japanese is for everyone who is learning Japanese and for anyone who has an inquisitive brain. Read, write, pronounce. Trace, fliplaugh! This friendly book's Triple Bubble Learning System(TM) makes the 46 most important hiragana stick in your brain. Plus, you'll learn over 125 useful vocabulary. On each page, there's giant kana with stroke order arrows, an illustrated pronunciation key, and vocabulary in Japanese and English. All words are matched with authentic descriptions and colorful characters whose lively expressions make learning Japanese unforgettable. Additional features include a helpful introduction with tips on Japanese language basics, a large word list with definitions, and a numbers page. There's even a color-coded hiragana table! Prepare your brain! Highlights -Master the 46 most important hiragana -Learn to read, write, pronounce kana from A to WO -Learn to count from ichi to gojuni PLUS -More than 250 full-color illustrations -Over 125 up-to-date vocabulary, simple definitions -Quick-reference visual library -Color-coded hiragana table -Ready-to-use culture tips, greetings, and MORE! -BONU

Genres: Japanese Literature, Language, Japan, Childrens, Manga, Nonfiction

72 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2002

Reviews

[Morten · Rating 2 out of 5]

Seems to be targeted at younger children. If you want to learn the hiragana efficiently, I would rather recommend the book Let's Learn Hiragana. It does provide some relatively interesting information about words and concepts related to each character, though.

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Challenge 2018: A Book I started but did not finish. Since we moved to Japan, I have had the desire to learn Japanese. This cute little book was great to read with my kids so that we could familiarize ourselves with the hiragana characters, the sounds, and some vocabulary. It was easy to make my own flashcards for further study.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice start to help learn hiragana while learning simple vocabulary while learning a bit about Japanese culture and customs. It could use some advice on how to remember the different symbols a bit more, possible through techniques involving more mnemonics.

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining read; I especially liked the cultural nuggets. Not sure if it really helped my katakana progress though...

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent! What a unique and fun way to learn Japanese Hiragana characters. Bright, colorful pages with plenty of examples of practise words allow for easier retention. Best book around for learning how to write Japanese. The only drawback is they do not explain the use of the dakuten and hand dakuten for some of the other characters, and they do not show all of the full set. Still, really excellent way to practise and learn Japanese characters.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in the Jimi series is instrumental in helping to learn the Japanese Katakana.
Although probably best used in conjunction with other Japanese learning materials the book is fun and colorful and therefore aids in memorization of the characters.

[Amanda B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes you just need a cute monkey to teach you a new language.

[Joseph Weatherly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for beginners, can be enjoyed by both old and young alike.