Totto-chan: the little girl at the window book review

Totto-chan, the Little Girl at the Window is a children's book written by Japanese television personality and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Tetsuko Kuroyanagi. The book was published originally as "Madogiwa no Totto-chan" in 1981, and became an instant bestseller in Japan.

The book is about the values of the unconventional education that Kuroyanagi received at Tomoe Gakuen, a Tokyo elementary school founded by educator Sosaku Kobayashi during World War II, and it is considered her childhood memoir.

The book begins with Totto-chan's mother coming to know of her daughter's expulsion from public school.

Her mother realizes that what Totto-chan needs is a school where more freedom of expression is permitted. Thus, she takes Totto-chan to meet the headmaster of the new school, Mr. Kobayashi. From that moment a friendship is formed between master and pupil. ...

عنوانهای چاپ شده در ایران: «مدرسه ی رویایی: توتوچان دختر کوچکی آنسوی پنجره»؛ «مدرسه ی رویایی: توتو-چان دختر کوچکی پشت پنجره»؛ نویسنده: تسوکو، کورویاناگی؛ روز نخست ماه دسامبر سال1994میلادی

عنوان: مدرسه ی رویایی: توتوچان دختر کوچکی آنسوی پنجره؛ نویسنده: تسوکو، کورویاناگی؛ مترجم: سیمن محسنیی؛ تهران، نشر نشر نی، سال1373؛ در194ص؛ چاپ دوم سال1393؛ شابک9789641852575؛ موضوع: داستانهای نویسندگان از سرگذشتنامه مدیران مدارس ابتدایی - شخصیتهای تلویزیونی از نویسندگان ژاپن - سده 20م

عنوان: مدرسه ی رویایی: توتو-چان دختر کوچکی پشت پنجره؛ نویسنده: تسوکو، کورویاناگی؛ مترجم: سوسن فیروزی؛ تهران، نشر قطره، سال1391؛ در221ص؛ فروست هنر و ادبیات جهان، جهان داستان، چاپ دوم سال1392؛ شابک9786001195693؛

در مدرسه ی «توموئه (توموئه در زبان ژاپنی معنی ویژه ای ندارد، یک شکل است، دایره‌ ای با علائمی شبیه کاما در درون دایره)» دانش‌آموزان اجازه داشتند روی هر موضوعی که به آن علاقمند هستند، کار کنند، آنجا آموزگاران درس نمی‌دهند، و هیچ دانش آموزی شعر تکراری نمی‌خواند؛ جاذبه و انگیزه بچه‌ های مدرسه ی «توموئه» به سوی چیزهای تازه است؛ از هر تجربه تازه‌ ای به شدت پیشواز می‌شود؛ تمرکز روی محیط پیرامون است، نه آنچه که در کتاب‌های درسی نوشته شده است؛ آزادی ذهن در مدرسه، تا آنجا پیش می‌رود، که حتی کلاس‌ها هم، همانند واگن قطار چیده شده‌ اند؛ به این ترتیب همه ی دانش آموزان توان گزینش دارند؛ در واقع مدرسه ی رویایی داستان واقعی شیوه ی آزاد آموزش و پرورش «ژاپن» را روایت می‌کند؛ نویسنده در چنین مدرسه‌ ای درس خوانده است؛ «تتسوکو کورویاناگی» که نام رسمی «توتوچان» نویسنده ی همین کتاب است، یادمانهای خویش را در کتابی با عنوان «توتوچان؛ دخترکی آن سوی پنجره» گردآوری کرده اند؛ «توتوچان» کتاب را به مدیر مدرسه هدیه می‌کند؛ در آن زمان مدارس زیر نظر آموزش و پرورش «ژاپن» قرار داشتند، اما «کوبایاشی»، مدیر و طراح مدرسه، طرحی نو درانداخت؛ مدرسه‌ ای آزاد را بنا نهاد، که در آن به سرشت و طبیعت پاک کودک، بها داده می‌شود؛ کتاب راهنمای جالبی برای والدین، معلمان و مدیران است؛ این کتاب، نه تنها در «ژاپن» پرفروش بوده، بلکه در سراسر جهان، به چند زبان برگردان شده، و جزو کتاب‌های پرفروش است؛ کتاب، راهنمای عملی مفید است، و می‌توان ایده‌ های نو و جذابی برای کودکان از آن برداشت کرد

نقل از متن: (ایستگاه قطار: آنها در ایستگاه «جی یوگااُکا» از قطار «اُای ماچی» پیاده شدند و مادر در حالیکه دست توتوـ چان را گرفته بود او را به طرف در خروجی راهنمایی میکرد؛ توتوـ چان به سختی به یاد میآورد که قبلاً سوار قطار شده باشد؛ از اینرو دلش نمیخواست بلیت گرانبهایی را که به دست آورده بود، از دست بدهد؛ او از مسئول جمع آوری بلیت پرسید: «میتوانم بلیت را نگه دارم؟»؛ مرد در حالیکه بلیت را از او میگرفت پاسخ داد: «نه، نمی توانی.» او به جعبه ی مرد که پر از بلیت بود اشاره کرد: «همه ی اینها مال شما است؟» مرد در حالیکه با سرعت بلیتها را از مسافران میگرفت، پاسخ داد: «نه، اینها مال ایستگاه راه آهن است.»؛ توتوـ چان با اشتیاق به جعبه خیره شد و گفت: «اوه، وقتی بزرگ شدم میخواهم بلیت فروش راه آهن بشوم!»؛ مردی که بلیتها را جمع میکرد برای اولین بار به او نگاه کرد و گفت: «پسرکوچولوی من هم شغلی در ایستگاه راه آهن میخواهد؛ پس میتوانید با هم کار کنید.»؛ توتوـ چان چند قدمی برداشت و نگاه دقیقی به مرد کرد، چاق بود و عینک داشت، و خیلی مهربان به نظر میرسید؛ دستانش را بر پشتش گذاشت و با خودش فکر کرد: «هوم، من اصلاً به کار کردن با پسر شما فکر نکرده بودم؛ آن را بررسی میکنم؛ اما حالا سرم شلوغ است زیرا میخواهم به یک مدرسه ی جدید بروم.»؛ او در حالی که فریاد میکشید، به طرف جاییکه مادرش منتظر بود، دوید: «من میخواهم یک بلیت فروش بشوم!»؛ مادر تعجبی نکرد اما گفت: «فکر میکردم می خواهی یک جاسوس بشوی!»؛ توتوـ چان همین که دست در دست مادر به راه افتاد، به یاد آورد که تا روز قبل کاملاً مطمئن بود که میخواهد یک جاسوس بشود؛ اما مسئولیت داشتن یک جعبه ی پر از بلیت نیز جالب خواهد بود! «همین طور است!» یک فکر دلپذیر از ذهن او گذشت؛ به مادر نگاه کرد و با صدای بلند او را از فکر خود آگاه کرد: «میتوانم یک جاسوس بلیت فروش باشم؟!»؛ مادر جواب نداد؛ صورت دوست داشتنیش زیرکلاه نمدیش که گلهای کوچکی داشت، جدی بود.؛ در واقع او خیلی نگران بود.؛ اگر توتوـ چان را در مدرسه ی جدید نمیپذیرفتند، چه میشد؟ دخترش را نگاه کرد که در طول خیابان ورجه ورجه میکرد و با خودش حرف م زد؛ توتوـ چان نمیدانست که مادرش نگران است؛ از اینرو هنگامی که نگاهشان تلاقی کرد، با شادابی گفت: «نظرم را عوض کردم، فکر میکنم، بهتر است عضو یکی از آن گروههای موسیقی خیابانی بشوم که برای فروشگاههای جدید تبلیغ میکنند!» مادر با ناامیدی گفت: «بیا، دیر میرسیم، نباید مدیر مدرسه را منتظر بگذاریم، وراجی بس است؛ جلو پایت را نگاه کن و درست راه برو.» در مقابل آنها در دوردست، نمای یک مدرسه ی کوچک کم کم دیده میشد؛

دختر کوچکی پشت پنجره : دلیل نگرانی مادر آن بود که با آنکه توتوـ چان تازه مدرسه را شروع کرده بود، اخراج شده بود؛ اخراج شدن از کلاس اول را تصور کنید! این موضوع درست یک هفته قبل اتفاق افتاد؛ معلم مدرسه به دنبال مادر توتوـ چان فرستاده، و مستقیماً سر اصل مطلب رفته بود: «دختر شما نظم کلاس را به هم میزند، باید از شما بخواهم تا او را به مدرسه ی دیگری ببرید.» معلم زیبا و جوان آهی کشید و گفت: «واقعاً توانم تمام شده است.»؛ مادر کاملاً نگران و دستپاچه شده بود؛ از خودش میپرسید توتوـ چان چه کاری کرده که آرامش همه را در کلاس به هم زده است! معلم در حالی که با حالتی عصبی پلک میزد و به موهای کوتاهش دست میکشید توضیح داد: «خب، برای شروع، او صدها بار درپوش میزتحریرش را باز و بسته میکند؛ من گفته ام هیچکس نباید اینکار را بکند؛ مگر اینکه بخواهد چیزی بردارد یا بگذارد؛ دختر شما دایماً در حال برداشتن یا گذاشتن چیزی است ـ برداشتن یا گذاشتن دفتر، جامدادی، کتابهای درسی و یا هر چیز دیگری؛ مثلاً، میخواهیم الفبا بنویسیم، دختر شما در میز تحریرش را بالا میکشد، دفترش را بیرون میآورد و در میز تحریر را از آن بالا ول میکند.؛ سپس دوباره میز تحریرش را باز میکند، سرش را داخل آن میکند، یک مداد بیرون میآورد و سریع در میز تحریر را میبندد، یک «آ» مینویسد، اگر اشتباه کرده باشد، یا آن را بد نوشته باشد، باز هم در میز تحریر را باز میکند، یک پاک کن برمیدارد و در میز تحریر را محکم میبندد، حرف را پاک میکند، بعد در میز تحریر را بازو بسته میکند تا پاک کن را درون آن بگذارد ـ همه ی کارها را با بالاترین سرعت انجام میدهد؛ وقتیکه «آ» را دوباره نوشت، همه وسایلش را یکی یکی داخل میزتحریر میگذارد؛ در میز تحریر را باز میکند و مدادش را درون آن میگذارد و در را میبندد، سپس دوباره در میز تحریر را باز میکند و دفترش را داخل آن میگذارد؛ بعد وقتی میخواهد حرف بعدی را بنویسد، مجددا همان جریان را تکرار میکند، اول دفتر، بعد مداد، بعد پاک کن و هر دفعه در میز را باز و بسته میکند؛ اینکار مرا به سرگیجه دچار میکند و من نمیتوانم او را سرزنش کنم زیرا هر بار به دلیلی در میز تحریر را باز و بسته میکند.»؛

معلم هر چه بیشتر صحنه ها را در ذهنش مرور میکرد مژه های بلندش بیشتر میلرزید؛ ناگهان برای مادر روشن شد که چرا توتوـ چان اینقدر مکرر درپوش میز تحریر را باز و بسته میکند؛ به یادآورد توتوـ چان، روز اول، هنگام بازگشت از مدرسه، چقدر هیجان زده بود، او گفته بود: «مدرسه چقدر شگفت انگیز است! میز تحریر من در خانه، کشوهایی دارد که آنها را بیرون میکشم، اما روی میزتحریر مدرسه دری هست که میتوانم آن را بالا ببرم، شبیه یک جعبه است که میتوانم همه چیز را در آن نگهداری کنم، عالی است!!!»؛

مادر او را تصور کرد که با اشتیاق، درپوش میزتحریر جدید را باز میکند و میبندد، و البته فکر نکرد که این موضوع همه ی نافرمانی او باشد؛ به هرحال زمانیکه تازگی اینکار تمام شود، شاید دیگر آن را تکرار نکند؛ اما تنها چیزی که توانست به معلم بگوید این بود: «در اینباره با او صحبت خواهم کرد»؛

صدای معلم، هنگامیکه به صحبت ادامه داد، اوج گرفت: «اگر فقط همین بود اهمیتی نمیدادم.» هنگامیکه معلم به جلو متمایل شد، مادر خود را عقب کشید: «هنگامیکه با میزتحریرش سر و صدا نمیکند، از جایش بلند میشود، در تمام طول مدت کلاس!»؛ مادر تعجب زده پرسید: «بلند میشود؟ کجا؟!»؛ معلم با بیحوصلگی پاسخ داد: «پشت پنجره.»؛ مادر در حالیکه گیج شده بود پرسید: «چرا پشت پنجره میایستد؟!»؛ معلم تقریباً جیغ زد: «برای اینکه بتواند ارکسترهای خیابانی را به داخل دعوت کند.»؛

جان کلام حرف معلم این بود که توتوـ چان بعد از اینکه یک ساعت تقریباً مداوم درپوش میز تحریرش را به هم میکوبید، میزش را ترک میکرد و پشت پنجره میایستاد و بیرون را نگاه میکرد؛ بعد درست هنگامیکه معلم فکر میکرد تا زمانیکه ساکت است شاید فقط همانجا بماند، توتوـ چان ناگهان یک گروه موسیقی خیابانی رهگذر که لباسهای پر زرق و برق پوشیده بودند را صدا میزد

از خوش شانسی توتوـ چان، و بدشانسی معلم، کلاس در طبقه ی همکف و خیابان، در دیدرس قرار داشت، فقط یک پرچین کوتاه، مدرسه و خیابان را از هم جدا میکرد؛ از اینرو هر کسی در کلاس میتوانست به سادگی با عابران خیابان گفتگو کند؛ هنگامیکه توتوـ چان گروهی را صدا میزد، نوازندگان دقیقاً پشت پنجره میآمدند؛ به گفته ی معلم، سپس توتوـ چان این موضوع را به کلاس اعلام میکرد، «آنها اینجا هستند!»؛ همه ی بچه ها به پشت پنجره هجوم میبردند و ارکستر را صدا میزدند؛ توتوـ چان میگفت: «چیزی بنوازید.»؛ و ارکستر کوچک که معمولاً به آرامی از مقابل مدرسه عبور میکرد با کلارینت، «گانگ»ها، طبل و «سامی سن»، یک آهنگ هیجان انگیز برای بچه ها اجرا میکردند؛ در اینحالت معلم بیچاره کاری نمیتوانست بکند، غیر از اینکه منتظر بماند تا غوغا تمام شود

بالاخره وقتی موسیقی تمام میشد، ارکستر میرفت و همه ی دانش آموزان سر جایشان برمیگشتند، غیر از توتوـ چان؛ هنگامیکه معلم میپرسید: «چرا هنوز پشت پنجره هستی؟» او خیلی جدی پاسخ میداد: «شاید یک گروه دیگر بیاید و به هر حال اصلاً درست نیست که گروههای دیگر بیایند و ما آنها را نبینیم.»؛

معلم با هیجان گفت: «میتوانید مجسم کنید که چگونه اینکارها، نظم را برهم میزند، اینطور نیست؟»؛ مادر میخواست با او همدردی کند که او دوباره با صدای تیزتری شروع کرد: «و بعد به علاوه...»؛ مادر با احساس یک شناگر در حال غرق شدن پرسید: «دیگر چکار کرده است؟!»؛ معلم فریاد زد: «دیگرچه؟!! من اگر میتوانستم کارهایی را که او میکند فقط بشمارم، از شما نمیخواستم که او را از اینجا ببرید.»؛

معلم کمی خودش را جمع و جور کرد، و مستقیماً به مادر نگریست و گفت: «دیروز توتوـ چان، طبق معمول، کنار پنجره ایستاده بود و من در حالیکه فکر میکردم او منتظر یک ارکستر خیابانی است، به درس ادامه میدادم که او خطاب به کسی گفت: «چکار داری میکنی؟» از جاییکه بودم، نمیتوانستم ببینم با چه کسی صحبت میکند و کنجکاو بودم که آنجا چه خبر است؛ سپس او دوباره گفت: «چکار دارید میکنید؟» او به کسی در خیابان اشاره نمیکرد، فقط به بالا نگاه و صحبت میکرد؛ من نتوانستم کنجکاوی خودم را کنترل کنم، و سعی کردم پاسخ را بشنوم، ولی پاسخی نیامد، با اینهمه دختر شما به اینکار ادامه داد، آنقدر که من نتوانستم درس بدهم؛ پس به طرف پنجره رفتم، تا ببینم او با چه کسی صحبت میکند، هنگامیکه سرم را از پنجره بیرون بردم، و بالا را نگاه کردم، یک جفت پرستو را دیدم، که داشتند بالای پنجره ی کلاس، لانه میساختند و او با پرستوها صحبت میکرد؛ حالا، من بچه ها را درک میکنم، نمیگویم صحبت کردن با پرستوها بی معنی است؛ اما احساس میکنم کاملاً نابجا است، که درست وسط کلاس از پرستوها بپرسند که چه کار میکنند!» قبل از اینکه مادر بتواند دهانش را برای عذرخواهی باز کند، معلم ادامه داد: «در کلاس نقاشی از بچه ها خواستم که پرچم ژاپن را بکشند، همه درست کشیدند، اما دختر شما شروع کرد به کشیدن یک پرچم نیروی دریایی ـ میدانید، پرچمی با اشعه ـ فکر کردم اشکالی ندارد، اما او ناگهان شروع به کشیدن یک حاشیه ی ریشه دار به دور آن کرد؛ میدانید، یک حاشیه ریشه دار!؛ مثل آنهایی که در پرچمهای گروههای جوان وجود دارد، احتمالاً در جایی یکی از آنها را دیده است؛ اما قبل از اینکه بفهمم چکار میکند، او یک حاشیه ی ریشه دار زرد رنگ کشیده بود، که از کاغذ بیرون رفته روی میز تحریرش ادامه پیدا کرده بود؛ چونکه پرچم او قسمت عمده ی کاغذ را گرفته بود، و جای کافی برای حاشیه وجود نداشت؛ او مداد شمعی زردش را برداشت و صدها پاره خط دورتادور پرچمش کشید، که فراتر از کاغذ گسترده شده بود؛ به طوری که وقتی او کاغذ را برداشت، میز تحریرش به طور وحشتناکی پر از خطوط و علایم زرد شده بود؛ مهم نیست که چقدر سخت آن را پاک کردیم؛ خوشبختانه خطوط فقط در سه طرف کشیده شده بود.»؛ مادر در حالیکه گیج شده بود فوری پرسید: «منظورتان چیست، فقط سه طرف؟!؛ ...») پایان نقل

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 16/08/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 25/08/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی

Totto-chan, who was labeled as a troublemaker by her teacher, was forced to leave school. Her anxious mother then took her to Tomoe Gakuen, a school ran by headmaster Mr. Kobayashi, who had utterly different views on schooling than the other educators of his time. He was an educator who believed respect, encouragement and freedom are keys to a child's better development than punishment and boxing the child according to adults' own liking.

I first read this book when I was a kid, probably about Totto-chan's age or a bit older. Reading this book/memoir as a kid is the same like reading a fairytale of a little girl stumbling into Wonderland. In a sense, Totto-chan's experience in Tomoe Gakuen really is nothing less than a fairytale comes true: Totto-chan and her friends studied in classrooms made of train-carriages (due to the lack of fund for real classrooms), their teachers taught them to dance, to express themselves freely and gave out nontraditional lessons, their headmaster spent time listening to what the children had to say and talked to them like equals...there're so much more to be explored as we follow Totto-chan making new discoveries about herself and the world around her. And through the writing, you can sense there's always love, so much love surrounding the children: love among parents and children, among Totto-chan and friends, among teachers and students.

But happiness always comes to an end, just like every childhood must. With the approaching of war and food shortage, Totto-chan slowly learnt the harsh truth of life through the death of her friends, etc. The small wonders and adventures of the children was (view spoiler)[slowly and surely engulfed by war, eventually Tomoe Gakuen was burnt to the ground during a bombing, and was never rebuilt.

This is a heartbreaking end to a wonderful story. (hide spoiler)]

And this book of Totto chan is the greatest magic I have come across recently. I don’t think only five stars can truly express my feelings for this book!

Totto Chan, a first grader, Japanese girl lived in a world of her own. She loved to talk, loved to make new friends and always has a heap of questions in her little head about everything! Sometimes she wanted to be a spy and sometimes a stationmaster! Precious little girl Totto chan! But this attitude of her got her expelled from her boring, traditional school! Can you believe it? They actually expelled a first grader!

Young Totto chan had no idea what might have happened while her mother took her to a new school, Tomoe. It was not a bit like the previous one. In that school, the classes were taken in abandoned railroad cars! Yes, real railroad cars! This made Totto chan to fall in love with her new school at the first sight!

When she met the headmaster, Mr. Kobayashi, the first question she asked him was if he was a headmaster or a stationmaster! The headmaster laughed and listened everything Totto Chan had to say without yawning. That made her the happiest person of the world! She couldn’t wait any longer to start her first day at that fun school!

Totto chans days were like dreams in there. The school didn’t force them to study a particular subject. They could start their day with any subjects they liked. They would sing before eating----

"Chew, chew, chew it well,

Everything you eat;

Chew it and chew it and chew it and chew it,

Your rice and fish and meat!"

Fascinating, right?

The teachers would also take them on a stroll after the lunch. They even used their assembly hall as camping site!

But things went bad during the Second World War. People died, got wounded, cities got bombed, there were scarcity of food!

Totto chans happy days also turned into gloomy ones!
At first, she lost her best friend Yasuaki chan died. I was literally crying when Totto chan whispered to Yasuaki-chan

"Maybe we'll meet again somewhere when we're much older. And maybe your polio will be cured by then."

Then she lost her another best friend, her dog Rocky. She was sad, really sad.

But the saddest thing happened later….her school; her beloved school was burned down! The dream of Mr. Kobayashi disappeared amid of flames…..

These are not fantasies! These things actually happened! The little Totto chan herself wrote this book. Yes, it is the story of Japanese celebrity author Tetsuko Kuroyanagi.

At first I thought it’s a fiction. But it turned out to be nonfiction! I love this book so much! Totto chan was really lucky and so were the other kids who had the opportunity to spend their childhood in a school like Tomoe, which taught them to live and laugh.

This book has filled my heart with some innumerable emotions. I laughed, I cried, I felt happy, I started missing my school life! Although it wasn’t as dreamy as Tomoe, I loved it and I still miss it. School life was undoubtedly the best part of my life just like Totto chans! :)

Splendid and awesome, highly recommended to those who are interested in childhood story and education.
Totto chan is a girl that full of passions and very active. With such personal traits it is not easy for a traditional school to educate her. She ended up being expelled from her first school because the teacher just couldn’t manage her, she is such a nuisance to the others. Teachers eventually gave up on her and sadly she was expelled from her first school.

Her mother then sent her to Tomoe, and alternative school where the studying activities done in fun way, the pupils were given so much room to express their creativity, they were encouraged to go out and play, understand the nature, get the first hand experience from the real life practitioner (the farmer). There is no such thing as fixed seating arrangement in this school, children were free to chose in which chair they wanted to seat, and even they can even pick the subject they want to study, in short they were given such luxury of freedom which they wont get it in a conventional school, thanks to head master Mr Kobayashi the person she adored very much. He is children loving - teacher, who traveled and study the education in Europe and came back to Japan to set up the school of his dream.

Tobby Chan enjoyed school life very much, and this book is compilation of the experiences she went through during that school period, the setting was in Japanese world war 2 period.

There are some story that touched me and remind me how innocent we were as a children. When she found coin in the train and felt guilty but somehow she hid the money in the thicket hole only eventually found out later that the money mysteriously disappeared (I still thinking where the hell the money gone). The other time when she jumped onto the piece of paper that laying on the school ground only to find out that it was a temporary cover of a cesspool, and other time she ended up jumping into mixture of wall plaster and get suck in there until mother come to the rescue.

And as a child she had to deal with the feeling of loss. She lost her German shepherd (Rocky, the big one who is very loyal to her yet he once bitten her ear to bleed), lost his buddy Takahashi with whom she climbed her school tree together (this is very sad part). She went to hospital to visit the wounded soldiers, and console them by singing some children songs and yet since she didn’t know the songs she only stood there silence and she eventually sang her heart out the very simple song the used to sing before having their lunch and miraculously brought the soldier to tears (very touching part)

The book is ended with American bombardment, the school was destroyed completely, and until Mr Kobayahi died he couldn’t rebuild the school and it turned out that the very area where the school stood (it consisted of some used car trains) now converted into a shopping mall. Sad ending indeed. But all in all it is very good book to read and worth reading, highly recommended one !!!!

I probably found it because K is next to J and when I’m in a used bookstore, I always look for Tove Jansson books.

On this day at Retold Tales I noticed a little book called Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi. The brief dust jacket description told me it was a person’s true recollections about a school of “fun, freedom, and love” that met in old train cars.

I started reading it there on the floor and knew I’d buy it. I finished it in just a couple days. Tetsuko Kuroyanagi writes her memories of this unusual and special school in Japan during the time of World War II. It’s a beautiful and inspiring little book.

The school, Tomoe, was created by someone named Sosaku Kobayashi who believed children should learn in freedom with much self-expression. He told his teachers “Leave them to nature. Don’t cramp their ambitions. Their dreams are bigger than yours.”

The author writes many beautiful stories of the small and large ways Sosaku Kobayashi crafted a loving space for children of different abilities, interests, and backgrounds. He and his wife made sure each child had enough food to eat, could find and pursue what intrigued them, and felt valued and good. Tetsuko writes about Sosaku’s habit of telling her many, many times “You’re really a good girl, you know.” and how she kept that message in her heart throughout life.

She first came to Tomoe after being expelled from First Grade at another school. At that school, she endlessly opened and closed her desk, ran to the window during class, and other things her teacher just couldn’t tolerate. At Tomoe, her life changed.

The school was not fancy. Instead, it was full of enthusiasm, creativity, and trust that children will follow their interests and learn well if given the right support and freedom. As John Holt much later wrote “All I am saying… can be summed up in two words: Trust Children.”

Totto-chan is a beautiful book showing one model of a school that doesn’t require students to conform, but instead nurtures and celebrates them.

I think you should know going in that things end very sadly. No one is injured in the event, but Tomoe is destroyed by an American bomber and the children must move on to other schools. I appreciated knowing this before reaching that point in the story. Without time to prepare myself, I think it would have been too devastating. The book ends with more information on what each person went on to do in life.

Totto-chan is a book I missed until now and I’m so glad I stumbled upon it. (Aren’t quirky bookstores great?) Let’s take the inspiration of Tomoe and create more and more opportunities for children to grown up in nature, in love, and with the reminder, over and over, that they are good.

Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, I love you for having written this. Your experience at Tomoe is the one I wish every child could have. You have inadvertently kept the promise you made to Mr. Kobayashi, you have taught me more about teaching than any of the professors at my teacher-training institute ever has. Thank you. :)

Everyone else, I would really like you to read this whenever you have time. And most importantly, think about it.

Happy Reading! :)

A nostalgic read, too. Brought me to tears at the near ending.

The Girl at the Window is a memoir written in bits and snippets of the author's real experiences at her beloved school, Tomoe Gakuen. It is no ordinary school. 'Trains' served as the classrooms because of the lack of funds and it was a difficult time with war brewing around the corner.

Sosaku Kobayashi is the headmaster of the school who acts like both parent and teacher figure. Even after his death, he has set a huge impression on the students of Tomoe. He's truly inspirational. He has a huge passion in children and teaching. Even though the book states that Tomoe eventually burnt down and was never rebuilt. I believe the school still exists in the hearts of all 50 students. The memory of Tomoe lived on through this lovely book.

Favorite Quote :
"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."

("Punya mata, tapi tidak melihat keindahan; punya telinga, tapi tidak mendengar musik; punya pikiran, tapi tidak memahami kebenaran; punya hati tapi hati itu tidak pernah tergerak dan karena itu tidak pernah terbakar. Itulah hal-hal yang harus ditakuti" - page 117, Indonesian edition)

Totto-chan is expelled from school (in first grade!) for being disruptive. She's not hostile or violent, just curious and easily bored. I suppose today they'd call her hyperactive or ADD or something like that. In 1939 Japan, she was just impossible. Most Western readers can have no idea how humiliating her expulsion would be, for her entire family. Her mother takes her to a tiny little experimental school where the head teacher loves children and wants them to be just that--children. Not little robots who obey rules and dress alike and chant slogans. We learn that many of Totto-chan's classmates are handicapped, deformed, "slow" or just "different"--like Miyazaki, the boy who was born in the US and doesn't know Japanese customs or have a good grasp of the language.

The school itself is highly experimental--no regimentation, no set times for subjects, no chalk-and-talk (unless the chalk is used on the floor!). The classrooms themselves are train cars, the classes are tiny (just 50 students in all), and the teachers are flexible. Some of the teaching techniques would be revolutionary even today--imagine letting kids swim together naked!--but if a prurient fuss is not made about the naked body, they soon learn that boys are one way and girls another without any nonsense.

The tales are told from a small child's perspective, which adds to its credibility. How else could she be so oblivious to the effects of war on Tokyo, until the bombers came? Because a five or six year old child is usually totally self-absorbed. What doesn't impinge directly on their world is unimportant, if it exists at all. Events may not have been just as presented, however they are what the child-Totto remembers. But not everything is lovely in the Tomoe garden...Totto-chan also has to deal with death and loss. The story of the disappearance of the family pet was heart-wrenching. (view spoiler)[Her family sends her off to spend the summer with relatives, and when she returns her beloved dog is gone. Her mom tells her "Rocky disappeared", but I bet that in wartime Japan they simply could no longer afford to feed him. It reminded me of all my childhood friends whose dogs "ran away"--while they were at school, or summer camp, or whatever. (hide spoiler)]

Tomoe school sounds like a lot of fun, and the book is an excellent read.

I do have to say, I would have finished this much sooner...it is normally a nice, quick read...but life with my 3 kids has been busy lately, so it took longer than normal.

Totto-Chan was very fortunate to be able to go to school at Tomoe.
I wish there were more schools like it.
I love that the headmaster really was committed to these children and their education. Making sure to let Totto-Chan know..."...you really are a good girl, you know." Always giving her that positive reinforcement, which stayed with her throughout her life. What an impact he had on these children.

I really enjoyed every chapter...but a few phrases stood out, more than others. In "Shabby Old School"...when the children linked arms and chanted the song that Totto-Chan made up, defending her school...."It was their hearts that were unison, more than their voices..."
They truly had a special bond at Tomoe.

The author wrote that she would be content if she had made people realize how even a little girl, like Totto-Chan, given the right kind of adult influence, can become a person who is able to get along with others.

I wish we had more educators like Mr. Kobayashi in this world.
What a wonderful tribute to him, this book is.

There is so much more I could write about why I loved this book, and other little details to point out, but why try to re-write the whole book. It was a wonderful treat!

I can see now why this childhood memoir is popular worldwide. It's a wonderful story advocating for respect, joy of learning and being kind to oneself and those around you. The author Tetsuko Kuroyanagi was born in 1933 in Japan. The story of this novel is set around the time when she was five years old, meaning just a few years before the Pacific War erupted.

Kuroyanagi wrote this book in dedication to her headmaster Mr. Kuboyashi. When Kuroyanagi first started her primary education, she was kicked out of school for disturbing class and being too restless and noisy. Her mother searched around for a new school and had a stroke of luck when she found a small school headed by the visionary Mr. Kuboyashi. Mr. Kuboyashi didn't believe in the traditional teaching method of punishing children and forcing upon them a curriculum that is rigid and outdated. Instead, he wanted to foster well-being in every child by advocating independent learning according to your interest, learning about where food comes from during lunch break, and making each child realize that it is alright to be in tune with nature because there's something good in each one of them. One thing I really enjoyed about this book was the narrator's acknowledgement about how much things have changed since then (especially toilets!).

The illustrations were not drawn for the book but they suit it perfectly. Read the interesting preface for information. The translation is clear and seems clean. At a few points I briefly pondered the degree of remove from 'literal' to 'adapted' but I was never troubled and I do believe Britton to be trustworthy.

In the preface the author reports that "children from the age of seven are reading my book with the aid of a dictionary."

I just wish every child could attend a school like Tomoe....

Recommended to parents and other educators, to children, and to the young-at-heart.

We all know that,a child's mind is one of the purest things in this world.Instead of forceing them to go to school with a pile of books,we should guide them to bloom on their own way.We should keep their curiosity awakened.That's the way of making a 'real' human being!

Mr. Sosaku Kobayashi,take a bow.Unfortunately,we don't have more teachers like you.

Totto-chan is a hyperactive little girl in first grade full of excitement and enthusiasm. She gets expelled from first grade shortly after the school year started. Her parents enrolls her to a rather unique school in Tokyo, Tomoe founded by Sosaku Kobayashi, the headmaster who uses creative, practical and unique methods to educate children.

(view spoiler)[Totto-chan follows her first few years in school, until the World War II bombings of Tokyo eventually destroyed it. But it clearly had taught a girl who would frustrate most teaching systems brilliantly and she never forgot it. (hide spoiler)] Kuroyanagi has written the book in part to show how well the school had cared for her.

"Totto-chan" is natsukashiiii to the max and very cutsey-poo. But sometimes a hard edge shows through, certainly as the war approaches, and it's those bit I think I'll remember.

She founded the Totto Foundation, named for the eponymous and autobiographical protagonist of her book Totto-chan, The Little Girl at the Window. The Foundation professionally trains deaf actors, implementing Kuroyanagi's vision of bringing theater to the deaf.

In 1984, in recognition of her charitable works, Kuroyanagi was appointed to be a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, being the first person from Asia to hold this position. During the late 1980s and the 1990s, she visited many developing countries in Asia and Africa for charitable works and goodwill missions, helping children who had suffered from disasters and war as well as raising international awareness of the situations of children in poor countries. Kuroyanagi has raised more than $20 million for the UNICEF programmes that she has been involved in, through television fund-raising campaigns. She also used the royalties from her bestselling book, Totto-chan, to contribute to UNICEF.

In 1997, Kuroyanagi published the book Totto-chan's Children, which was based on her experience working for as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador from 1984 to 1996. Kuroyanagi is a director of the Japanese branch of the World Wildlife Fund.

Kuroyanagi has twice brought America's National Theater of the Deaf to Japan, acting with them in sign language.

For her involvement in media and television entertainment, Kuroyanagi won the Japanese Cultural Broadcasting Award, which is the highest television honour in Japan. Since then, she has been voted 14 times as Japan’s favourite television personality, for the show Tetsuko’s Room.[3]

In 2000, Kuroyanagi became the first recipient of the Global Leadership for Children Award, which was established by UNICEF in the 10th anniversary of the 1990 World Summit for Children. In May 2003, Kuroyanagi received Order of the Sacred Treasure in recognition of her two decades of service for the world’s children.