The Kamishibai Classroom: Engaging Multiple Literacies Through the Art of "Paper Theater"

The Kamishibai classroom is a well organized curriculum that introduces,the art of Kamishibai performances. Step by step, hands on and interactive lessons are provided to ensure many successful performances across a curriculum and for all ages. It covers a variety of techniques used by the kamishibai story tellers in Japan past and present. It shares early traditions of picture story telling in Japan .
I could easily incorporate this hands on story telling technique in my kindergarten classroom . It is engaging , exciting and multi -sensory . I would add music and student created puppets.
This story telling technique can also be used by a variety of grade level. I recommend this curriculum.

I was pleased that I chose to review this curriculum. I had never heard this term before. As a kindergarten teacher, I love the idea of bringing paper theater into my classroom. I know that I am able to introduce this to my class and my students will be engaged and excited. I am pleased that this is a hands-on and interactive activity that will involve my students in fun and concrete learning.
This curriculum book has clear illustrations and step by step directions which were easy for teachers to understand. The illustrations were useful and made it so younger students would be able to understand as well.
For older students, I see the paper theater as a tool to improve and grow students writing skills. Students will be able to create stories and develop them for an audience. The appendix provides teachers and students simple and clear instructions to build their own Kamishibai box stages used recycled materials. This would really pull in the students and create an all around excitement.
I recommend this book to all teachers. This would engage students in the arts, the writing process and public speaking.

Book Review: The Kamishibai Classroom
Isabel Espino de Valdivia
Subject: Japanese and Spanish
Grades: 9-12
Pittsburgh Allderdice High School
The Kamishibai Classroom: Engaging Multiple Literacies through the art of “paper theater” is one of the most comprehensive books in English on Kamishibai (Japanese paper theater) that I have ever read. It also provides detailed instructions and illustrations on how to integrate Kamishibai in the classroom to support and develop literacy skills and interactive performance across all disciplines.
The Kamishibai book consists of six chapters, the first chapter deals with the history of kamishibai including some precursor formats, such as etoki (picture story telling) and utsushie (Projected pictures storytelling). The author explains that Kamishibai originated from a combination of visual techniques taken from silent movies and “etoki” or Japanese picture story telling traditions. Chapter two tackles the mechanics and procedures to perform Kamishibai including a lot of illustrations and step-by-step explanations easy to understand by any one including younger students. The third chapter highlights the importance of kamishibai as a versatile technology to improve and develop writing skills. In the process of writing their Kamishibai story, students learn to revisit their ideas, extend and adapt them for an audience. This process is crucial not only for writing but for developing language acquisition and improving proficiency. Chapter four, five and six focus on the advantages of kamishibai as a multicultural tool that can be adapted to a diverse range of students from different languages and cultural backgrounds, a format that facilitates the process to write about personal memoirs and also a tool to engage and build community through interactive performance before a live audience. In addition, the appendix provides simple instructions to build Kamishibai box stages from recycled materials.
As a Japanese language teacher, I found this book remarkable and congratulate the author because she brings attention and highlights the richness of the Kamishibai storytelling traditions to the Western world. Since the author provides concrete teaching techniques and strategies, it is easier for any educator to integrate Kamishibai into their curriculum. In addition, engaging all students in the creation and performance of Kamishibai stories support their language acquisition development and advancement of their proficiency.
I highly recommend this book to all World language teachers interested in using storytelling as a tool to advance language skills in their students.

Book Review: The Kamishibai Classroom
Isabel Espino de Valdivia
Subject: Japanese and Spanish
Grades: 9-12
Pittsburgh Allderdice High School
The Kamishibai Classroom: Engaging Multiple Literacies through the art of “paper theater” is one of the most comprehensive books in English on Kamishibai (Japanese paper theater) that I have ever read. It also provides detailed instructions and illustrations on how to integrate Kamishibai in the classroom to support and develop literacy skills and interactive performance across all disciplines.
The Kamishibai book consists of six chapters, the first chapter deals with the history of kamishibai including some precursor formats, such as etoki (picture story telling) and utsushie
(Projected pictures storytelling). The author explains that Kamishibai originated from a combination of visual techniques taken from silent movies and “etoki” or Japanese picture story telling traditions. Chapter two tackles the mechanics and procedures to perform Kamishibai including a lot of illustrations and step-by-step explanations easy to understand by any one including younger students. The third chapter highlights the importance of kamishibai as a versatile technology to improve and develop writing skills. In the process of writing their Kamishibai story, students learn to revisit their ideas, extend and adapt them for an audience. This process is crucial not only for writing but for developing language acquisition and improving proficiency. Chapter four, five and six focus on the advantages of kamishibai as a multicultural tool that can be adapted to a diverse range of students from different languages and cultural backgrounds, a format that facilitates the process to write about personal memoirs and also a tool to engage and build community through interactive performance before a live audience. In addition, the appendix provides simple instructions to build Kamishibai box stages from recycled materials.
As a Japanese language teacher, I found this book remarkable and congratulate the author because she brings attention and highlights the richness of the Kamishibai storytelling traditions to the Western world. Since the author provides concrete teaching techniques and strategies, it is easier for any educator to integrate Kamishibai into their curriculum. In addition, engaging all students in the creation and performance of Kamishibai stories support their language acquisition development and advancement of their proficiency.
I highly recommend this book to all World language teachers interested in using storytelling as a tool to advance language skills in their students.