Celebrate Children’s Day with Richy and Grandpa

Join Richy and his grandpa as they celebrate Children’s Day (こどもの日) together in Japan through authentic photographs and engaging illustrations.

Written using simple です・ます sentences, this reader introduces learners to the traditions of Children’s Day, including koinobori, kabuto, kashiwa mochi, shōbu-yu, special family meals, and other authentic Japanese customs. While the main story remains accessible for developing readers, speech bubbles throughout the book provide additional cultural explanations and introduce more advanced vocabulary and expressions.

Authentic photographs form the background of every page, while charming illustrations of Richy and his grandpa create a warm and engaging reading experience. Photo captions, speech bubbles, and extra cultural information encourage learners to explore beyond the main text, making this reader ideal for classroom discussion and developing a deeper understanding of Japanese culture.

Language Features

Students will practise:

• Reading descriptive sentences using です・ます
• Learning authentic vocabulary related to Japanese festivals and family traditions
• Reading speech bubbles to extend vocabulary and cultural understanding
• Using authentic photographs and illustrations to predict meaning
• Developing reading confidence through descriptive texts

Details

Japanese Reader Level: Main text: Level 4 | Speech bubbles & cultural notes: Level 8
Recommended for: Developing learners, with optional Level 8 speech bubbles for extension.
Language Focus: Descriptive です・ます sentences with optional advanced cultural explanations.
Vocabulary Theme: Children’s Day, Japanese festivals, family traditions, food, traditional objects, and celebrations
Cultural Theme: Celebrating Japan’s Children’s Day through authentic family traditions, with optional Level 8 speech bubbles that explain the meaning behind each custom.

Character Count: 628  (Main Text: 221; Captions: 407)
Pages: 20
Product Type: A5 saddle-stitched booklet
ISBN: 978-1-925808-07-0

Perfect For

• Learners progressing from simple readers to longer descriptive texts
• Primary school Japanese programs
• Beginning and lower secondary school students
• Adult learners
• Home learning
• Japanese language classrooms
• Exploring authentic Japanese culture through family traditions

 Teaching & Learning Resources

Every reader includes free access to our Resource Library.

Included with every reader:

•  Audio recordings narrated by Mariko Sensei
•  English translation
•  Quizlet vocabulary activities

Also available for schools and teachers:

•  Class Sets with Online Flipbooks

 A Note from Mariko Sensei

Children’s Day has always been one of my favourite Japanese celebrations because it is a special time for families to spend together and celebrate children’s happiness and a healthy future.

In this story, Richy and his grandpa celebrate Children’s Day together while exploring the traditions that make this festival so unique. Through authentic photographs, colourful illustrations, speech bubbles, and cultural explanations, learners discover not only what Japanese families do on Children’s Day, but also why these traditions have been passed down for generations.

I created this reader to help learners experience authentic Japanese culture while building confidence in reading Japanese through meaningful stories, beautiful visuals, and real family traditions.

Happy reading!

— Mariko Sensei

📖 Your Next Japanese Reader

Now that you’ve explored one of Japan’s most treasured family celebrations, continue discovering Japanese culture with these readers:

• ぼくの にほん — Continue exploring Japan through Richy’s family adventures, authentic photographs, and descriptive Japanese.
• つるしびな — Discover another beautiful Japanese tradition while building reading confidence through descriptive texts and authentic cultural photographs.
• スイーツ  — Explore traditional and modern Japanese sweets while expanding your cultural vocabulary through authentic photographs.

© Mariko Earle. All rights reserved.

These Japanese readers are intended for individual use and extensive reading (tadoku).