Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window

Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window

by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi

What a beautiful story in Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi and translated by Dorothy Britton.  It is a true-life story told by the author reflecting on her childhood attending the Tomeo school after being expelled from her first elementary school.  The Tomeo school was run by a gentle man and leader, Sosaku Kobayashi, who believed in a non-traditional way to educate young children. He believes in fewer rules, less structure, and a heightened sense of exploration and creativity.  Tetsuko’s memories are heartwarming in describing how she learned, the students with whom she attended the school, and her wonderful upbringing with loving parents and playful dog.  All of the story takes place with the backdrop of World War II creeping closer to Japan.  The stories flow in a way that highlights the lessons taught through great parenting, a tremendous educational environment, and children who experience love and acceptance for who they are, no matter their abilities nor their physical characteristics.  Tetsuko informs her headmaster that her life dream is to eventually teach at the school, which leads to her desire to write the book years later.  With the war growing closer to Japan, the school is destroyed when a bomb drops on the building.  Tetsuko is reunited with her classmates years later (the group has annual reunions).  In the epilogue, Tetsuko shares updates on many of the children and other people she highlighted in the book.  This was a best-selling book and worth a read for all young children to learn the lessons of dreaming big and learning outside the box.  Highly recommend!