Suki's Kimono - by Chieri Uegaki (Paperback)

About the Book

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

Book Synopsis

Suki's favorite possession is her blue cotton kimono. A gift from her obachan, it holds special memories of her grandmother's visit last summer. And Suki is going to wear it on her first day back to school --- no matter what anyone says.When it's Suki's turn to share with her classmates what she did during the summer, she tells them about the street festival she attended with her obachan and the circle dance that they took part in. In fact, she gets so carried away reminiscing that she's soon humming the music and dancing away, much to the delight of her entire class!Filled with gentle enthusiasm and a touch of whimsy, Suki's Kimono is the joyful story of a little girl whose spirit leads her to march --- and dance --- to her own drumbeat.

Review Quotes

A fine choice for multicultural units as well as youngsters dealing with differences. Suki's story will appeal to other independent-thinking girls as well.--Booklist

A wonderful story about being yourself, with the added bonus of teaching readers a little about Japanese culture.--Kirkus Reviews

An absolutely delightful tale ...--Asian Week

Jorisch's watercolours creations capture the spunk of the free-thinking Suki.--Montreal Review of Books

Overall, this is an appealing story of courage and independence.--School Library Journal

The story, written for ages four through eight, rings true on many levels.--ForeWord Magazine

The title character in the appealing story is a free spirit who wavers only briefly in her dedication to her own feelings.--The New York Times

Uegaki's first picture book is a joyful tribute to a little girl's inner and outer sense of style. Uegaki conveys Suki's determination to honour her grandmother and remember a favourite day with language as colourful as the all-important kimono. Suki's Kimono successfully achieves that delicate balance between plot, language, illustration, and design that is so critical when creating memorable picture books.--Quill & Quire, Starred Review

About the Author

Chieri Uegaki is a graduate of the creative writing department at the University of British Columbia. Suki's Kimono is her first published work. She lives in Sechelt, British Columbia.

Stéphane Jorisch's work has won many awards, including three Governor General's Awards for Illustration. He lives in Montreal, Quebec.