Book Review - Totto-Chan : The Little Girl at the Window

Author: Tetsuko Kuroyanagi

Original Title : Madogiwa no Totto-Chan

Language: English( Originally published in Japanese)

Publishing Year:1984

Central Character: Totto-chan

Rating: 4.8/5

 " Having eyes, but not seeing beauty; having ears, but not hearing music; having minds ,but not perceiving truth; having hearts that are never moved and therefore never set on fire. These are the things to fear"

                      -Tetsuko Kuroyanagi (Totto-chan)

            Totto-Chan : The Little Girl at the Window is an autobiographical novel written by Japanese television personality and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Tetsuko Kuroyanagi. Totto-Chan was originally published as a series of articles in Kodansha's Young Women magazine . The articles were then collected into a book in 1981 and became an instant bestseller Japan. The English edition was published in 1984. The book is based on Kuroyangi's experience in Tomoe Gakuen , an elementary school in Tokyo founded by Sosaku Kobayashi. A little girl named Totto-chan is the central character in the story.  The story take place between 1940-1945 during the time of World War II. 

               Totto-Chan is expelled from her school because she disturbs her class .She always stand near the window and call the street singers to school and she always make noise in the class. so, she is expelled from the school. Then her mother decided that Totto-chan needs a school which have more freedom and creativity. Her mother is upset but she doesn't take it up to her child, she does not even disclose to Totto-chan that she is expelled from school. Then she find a new school for Totto-chan , Tomoe Gakuen found by Sosaku Kobayashi. Tomoe Gakuen is very different from her previous school. Instead of buildings ,train bogeys are converted to classrooms .In new school she climb tree and she write music notes on floor. In Tomoe Gakuen she is permitted to do all things which she is punished old school. In every morning they can worked on subjects of their choice, they don't have a regular timetable for subjects. They go for long walks on afternoons. They camped on the school at night . 

                 Kobayashi master believed in freedom of expression and activity. so, all activities in Tomoe is rare and unusual. Master asked children to bring something from hill and something from ocean for lunch , to bring a balance in what they ate.  Master allowed young children to swim naked in the pool to avoid curiosity of their bodies. He also want Handicapped or disabled children to accept their body .For this , on sports day master innovated some new games for Handicapped children to increase their confidence. Another speciality  is that winners of sports day is awarded carrot and cabbages as gift . So that children could earn a meal for their family . In Tomoe Gakuen , Kobayashi master taught lessons not just science and literature but also about relationship, friendship and taking care of nature. In 1945 like many other places in Japan ,the school burned down by the bombs dropped by American airplanes. After that master want to build a school like Tomoe Gakuen but in 1963 he died without fulfilling his dream. The story mainly discuss about how the education in Tomoe Gakuen helps in the character moulding of Totto-chan. The book was written by Kuroyanagi  to share her experience in Tomoe Gakuen. In every year on November 3rd Tomoe alumni assembled , the day in which Tomoe used to hold it's sports day. Totto-Chan is a story which touches the heart and soul of the reader.