Kazue Takahashi

This is the third book in the Kuma-Kuma Chan series, which has been quietly gaining popularity here in North America. Kuma-Kuma flies off to a south sea isle where he lies in the sun and drifts into a lazy snooze, he climbs to the summit of a mountain and views the sunrise while drinking a cup of hot chocolate, and he flies up into the sky like a bird and looks down on the earth below. Instead of physically setting out for one place or another, Kuma-Kuma travels freely all over the world - inside his head. And on days when he finds it impossible to travel even in this way, he climbs up onto the roof and gazes up at the passing birds and changing clouds all day long. Kuma-Kuma sends the accounts of his travels to his friend the narrator, who looks forward to the day when he will get to see Kuma-Kuma again--somewhere on his travels. Once again, Kuma-Kuma Chan charms as he exemplifies the joy of a simple, peaceful, life. The book with its spare text and delightful illustrations invites both children and their parents to dive deeper into their own imaginations, and to create their own travels.

Kuma-Kuma Chan's Travels

Speculates on what Kuma-Kuma Chan the bear does all day.

Kuma-Kuma Chan, the Little Bear

Upon receiving an invitation, a boy goes to visit Kuma-Kuma Chan, a bear who lives far away, and although they have little to talk about they enjoy spending the day together.

Kuma-Kuma Chan's Home

Kyoko Hara

Tell Me a Story, Please

While spending a vacation with her grandparents, Mayu, a Japanese first-grader, finds a mysterious mailbox in the forest near their house. She writes a letter and leaves it in the box. The next day she is surprised to find a letter addressed to her. She responds and a friendship develops between the two letter writers. But who could this mysterious friend be? Mayu discovers who he is, and discovers the joys of writing and receiving letters. And when the time comes to go back home, she and her forest friend find an unexpected way to exchange letters and to continue their friendship. Illustrated in the whimsical style that won Kazue Takahashi accolades for her Kuma-Kuma Chan books, The Mailbox in the Forest offers a delightful look into the everyday life of a Japanese girl—with a little magic added!

The Mailbox in the Forest

Alex Child

The narrator imagines how his friend--a bear named Kuma-Kuma Chan--fills his solitary days with chores and seasonal activities.

Mariko Shii Gharbi

When a boy receives an invitation in the mail from Kuma-Kuma Chan, a friendly bear who lives far away, he travels by train, bus, and finally on foot to reach Kuma-Kuma Chan's home. Kuma-Kuma Chan welcomes him and serves tea. Even though the two don't have a lot to talk about, just by spending time together, sharing the day's activities they bond and create a friendship and enjoy each other's company. This heartwarming tale once again immerses children of all ages, in Kuma-Kuma Chan's peaceful, simple world.

M. J. Engebretson

"This volume is the result of an AGU Chapman conference held September 14-18, 1992, in Williamsburg, Virginia"--Pref.

Kazue Takahashi

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