moonbridgebooks

Speaking of Japanese children’s songs, music teachers and parents who want to have some multicultural fun with their kids should check out Mama Lisa’s great website of international children’s songs at http://www.mamalisa.com/world/ . Here you’ll find songs in many languages, with English translations and audio. Actually, that’s me you’ll hear singing the “Rainy Day” song in the Japan section.

Recently Mama Lisa met a young Amish girl who wrote down a beautiful and old Amish song in the Pennyslvania Dutch (related to German) language, set to the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” I can’t pronounce all the German words, but the translation is a lovely little poem about God. And somehow that reminds me of the fun Japanese “Moshi Moshi” Telephone Song that is sung to “London Bridges.” So take a look at Mama Lisa’s World and see if you can find a song whose words you can pronounce so that you might introduce your child to a part of their heritage. Besides, singing songs in a different language is fun… and that reminds me of the drinking song I learned in France during a high school French trip… “Chevalier, de la table rondi, gouton voir si le vin est bon…” (Don’t tell my parents.)

Linda Austin
“Cherry Blossoms in Twilight”
http://www.moonbridgebooks.com

Last weekend my mother and I went to the Japan Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis. Every year we look forward to this celebration of all things Japanese. Every year I think I don’t need to buy any more Japanese items, but each year I find something I must have. This year it was an antique “music doll” used in the celebration of Girls’ Day…and a cute Pocky Sticks design tote bag. I also could not resist buying a child-size yukata for my youngest daughter so I can retire to strictly decoration the one her grandmother made long ago. Every year I take this daughter and one friend of her choosing to the festival for the fun educational experience. I have tried to teach both my children about the Japanese culture. Although my high school child is not at the moment interested in learning about any culture besides the current teen culture, the youngest is still curious and I like to encourage her.

In these wonderful times when diversity is celebrated here in the U.S., it is easy to find festivals that teach about different cultures… Greek festivals, Scottish days, Chinese New Year parades, native American gatherings, international festivals, even Renaissance festivals — so many to choose from. I think it is important to learn about one’s own heritage in particular. Even if you are so American that you feel totally disconnected from your family’s beginnings, it is still part of your history and worth learning about. In my opinion, it is a shame to totally lose one’s history and culture as that adds a depth and richness to who we are and where we came from, and can be a source of pride. Heritage and tradition are the strings that connect one generation of a family to another. Someday my oldest child may come to appreciate her Japanese background, and when she does I will have all these wonderful items I’ve collected from the Japan Festivals and other places that I can tell her stories about.

Linda Austin
“Cherry Blossoms in Twilight”
http://www.moonbridgebooks.com