Sunny Seki

This story is about a young girl who is blind named Yuko-Chan. She saves her village by creating a Daruma doll. I really liked this book because of the plot, the characters, and the illustrations. I really enjoyed the plot of this story because it was very engaging and organized. I wanted to keep reading because the overall plot was very informative on the Japanese culture and practices. The characters in this story were very well-developed and easy to relate to. I really liked the main character Yuko-Chan because she is very outgoing, brave and confident in herself. She doesn't let her blindness define who she is and what she is able to accomplish. For example, though she isn't able to go to school, she still sits in the classes to memorize the scriptures they recite everyday. Yuko-Chan is still very involved in the everyday activities within the culture. I believe the big idea/message of the story is about being confident enough in yourself to accomplish your goals. The illustrations in this story were very engaging and they went right along with the theme of the story. The illustrations were very bright, and they appropriated the Japanese culture by displaying the Japanese writings.… (mehr)

There are three reasons I like this book. First, the character in the book is believable and relatable. The text states, “In the village of Takasaki, there lived an orphaned blind girl who stayed at the Daruma Temple… she had a warm, gentle personality and fought to save her village.” The reader can relate to and understand the main character if he or she is orphaned, blind, or knows someone who is. Also, the reader can relate to the main character since he or she probably has joined and supported a cause that the reader was passionate about. Due to this fact, the reader will have a connection to the text and be able to understand it more effectively. Second, the plot is organized. The book begins as the main character learns “her village needs to find ways to get money” to survive the loss of crops, and it continues as she “designed a Daruma-san doll” to save the village. It ends as the “people flocked from far and wide to buy the clever Daruma dolls.” The reader will comprehend this book due to its chronological sequence of events. Third, the illustrations enhance the story. The picture in the book shows the main character and her dog moving through deep snow and bad weather into the mountains as the text states, “As they traveled, it started to snow. Yuko-chan became disoriented by the weather. She took a wrong path that led into the mountains.” From looking at the picture, the reader is easily able to understand what is happening within the text. Overall, the main idea of the story is that it is important to not let a disability define a person. Although a person may have a disability, he or she is capable of wonderful things.… (mehr)