Yuki in the Snow

Name and Nature in Japanese

Yuki is a little girl who moved to Japan from Hawaii. This is the story of her first experience with snow and the significance of her name

I originally created this story for an assignment in the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) Assistants training course. I took some of the Montessori principles into consideration: reality, nature, and culture. Dr. Montessori said children from 0-6 years old have an absorbent mind which means they absorb everything around them. I believe reading books about people from different cultures will be a great opportunity to appreciate diversity. If they have a chance to experience other cultures even through books, they can absorb the world.

When making the book, I wanted to add another element, an eye to beauty. I was honored to work with an amazing illustrator, Lilla Vincze! I believe her adorable artwork will give children an appreciation for art.

In my career as a Japanese tour guide, I had the chance to talk to international tourists. Many of them were familiar with Japan, and this made me believe that everyone knew a lot about my country. However, after I came to the U.S., I noticed that many Americans around me didn’t know about Japanese culture. My hope is that this book will be a door to my home country, Japan, whether through language, culture, or the people, anything is fine.

Arigato (Thank you)!