Library Visit

            Welcome to the second week of our summer school. A warm welcome to Ad and Mi (welcome back!) who are joining from today. As planned, we visited Azabu library and had an opportunity to see many books! A huge thanks to T-san, the librarian who toured us around the library and informed us the types of books available. We were surprised to see huge board books and cloth books that have snaps, buttons, and Velcro tapes on them. Then, there was a collection of special story “books” called kamishibai or picture story show. Our teachers borrowed three of these and read one for today’s story time.

 Morning Activities

            For morning activities, we enjoyed playing with puzzles, K’nex rods and connectors, as well as matching pictures game. For morning table activity, we had an interesting drip and paint activity. We filled up a small dropper with paint and then squeezed it out on top of a paper pinned on an easel board.  We found ourselves giggling and laughing at times when we saw the paint dripping! Hi said, “Crying this one!”. Indeed, they looked like tears falling! Do you what these painted papers would turn into? They will be our shopping bags for tomorrow’s shopping! Yay! We can’t wait to shop with our friends and teachers tomorrow😊

 Question of the Day (Have you been in a library?)

            Before heading out for a library visit, we talked about our question of the day.

 Vieda: What’s a library?

Ky: Lots of books

H: Library is toshokan.

Ma: It’s umm… a library is where there’s lots of books.

Vieda: What do we do when we go to the library?

Mi: We can borrow books.

M: We cannot buy the books… we can borrow them and read them.

H: I go to library with mommy every day.

  Looking at our question of the day board, we could see that we had some friends who haven’t been to a library yet. So, we discussed what we must do when we are inside the library.

 Hi: Quietly.

Vieda: Hi’s right… why do we need to read books quietly?

K: Because people are sleeping!

 Vieda: When it’s public what does it mean?

Mira: For everyone.

 Library Visit

          At the library, T-san showed us the specific areas to go to when we want to read something about cars, food, and animals. There’s also a spot for English books and other languages. We found the huge, carpeted area for big board books so relaxing that some of us could not help but to lie down! We explored and moved around the different areas and had a wonderful time reading many books. Before we left, we got excited when Vieda told us that we could pick ONE book to borrow! We did not waste any minute as we rushed to the shelves and chose one book that we really wanted to take with us. We saw a self-checkout counter that scans books that are being borrowed. H tried and unfortunately, the service was unavailable for our school library card. Not a problem at all! The librarian told us that we could go the counter where she was to borrow the books. We formed a line toward the counter and patiently waited for our turn. When our turn came, we handed the book over to the librarian and said “thank you” as we took the book from her. Sa looked at her and said, “Arigato!”. Thank you so much for a lovely library time at Azabu library!

 Circle Time

Vieda: What did you think about the library?

M: Good!

Vieda: What was good about it?

M: The reading! The “Witch” book. The three witches found the chest. I like the strawberry book.

Vieda: How about the cloth book? What do you think about it?

Rh: I put it back (*some parts of the book are attached by snaps, buttons, and Velcro tapes. Rh enjoyed putting them back on the book.)

Rh: Bird, dog, rabbit

Mi: I like the book about people.

Vieda: What about the people?

M: About body parts and everywhere.

Ky: I see it the big book, but I have small book at home. 

Vieda: Question- what do we call the lady wearing a white top and was showing us around, what do we call her? 

Mi: Librarian!

Vieda: What else do you think they do?

Kyi: They show you where you can go to read a book.

Mi: They show us what books are in the different languages

Vieda: Can you remember the books in different languages available in the library?

Ky: Japanese

Mi: Korean

Rh: English

Hi: Nihonggo

Rh: Germany

Mi: French

   When Vieda showed us the stickers that are found on the books that we borrowed from the library, Kyosei said, “This sticker and…. Sticker! (Pointed to Flowers Class library books) You have to ask the teachers first.

 Story time (The Rolling Rice Ball)

          We got so excited when we saw a special box for today’s picture-story show or “kamishibai”. Today’s story is an English version of a famous Japanese story called Omusubi Kororin. It was an interesting story that featured different foods from different countries.

 Vieda: This is the Italian mouse. What do you think do they eat in Italy?

Mi: Lasagna

Ky: Pasta

Sa: Pizza

Vieda: What do you think do they eat in China?

H: Apple

K: Watermelon

Ki: Duck

Mi: Spicy food

Vieda: Which country does curry come from?

Ad: Korea

M: Japan

Kyi: Bangladesh

Mi: India

Ad: I have normal curry.

Hii: My mommy and daddy is going to eat spicy.

Vieda: Which country do you think this mouse is from?

Everybody: America!

Vieda: Where do you think tea came from? Hint- Sa speaks the same language.

Everybody: France!

  After lunch, we enjoyed reading the books we borrowed from the library. We love all of them! Ky asked, “Library books only until today?”. When Pauline told him, “Not only today! Maybe we can keep them for one week!”. Everyone said, “Yay!”.

          We are looking forward to our shopping activity tomorrow! See you all tomorrow!

 Love,

Flowers XOXO