Miss Modest HIRAGANA ONLY VERSION
This story explores the giving and receiving of compliments. Traditionally, in Japan, instead of saying, 'thank you' to a compliment, people were more likely to deny it and say, 'No! Not at all!'
These days, it depends on the person you are talking to, but you will still meet many people who will answer in the traditional way, like Miss Modest does. She knows how to be very polite, no matter how many wonderful comments she hears about herself. Her true character though, is a mystery until the end.
Key Language:
Cultural Point: politely not accepting a compliment
そんなことないです、とんでもないです、まだまだです、いいえ
Adjectives;
きれい （な)
おじょうず （な)
おしゃれ （な）
かわいい
Grammar; ＿＿みたい です。
With free access to bilingual and Japanese-only audiobooks and hiragana chart bookmark, this picture book has been written for primary aged beginners of Japanese, (ideally Year 3 to 4 or late entry Year 7 to 8 strand of the Australian Curriculum).
Each colourful page is firstly presented in hiragana only. Once the page is turned, children can then see the same page with both the English meaning and also each hiragana character decoded in romaji above, so that readers are able to check on the accuracy of their hiragana reading as they go.
The book is generously sized at 20.6cm by 20.6 cm making it easy to hold and images and words clear and easy to see. Printed locally in Australia on quality paper, this book has been made to last in a classroom, library or home with long term use in mind.