Noriko-San: girl of Japan

Noriko-San: girl of Japan or Eva visits Noriko-San (Original title: Eva möter Noriko-san) is the title of a book by the Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren, with photos by Anna Riwkin-Brick. In 1956 the book was published by Rabén & Sjögren.

Noriko-San: girl of Japan
AuthorAstrid Lindgren
Original titleEva möter Noriko-san
IllustratorAnna Riwkin-Brick
CountrySweden
LanguageSwedish
SeriesChildren's Everywhere
GenreChildren's literature
PublisherRabén & Sjögren
Publication date
1956
Published in English
1958
Preceded byElle Kari 
Followed bySia lives on Kilimanjaro 

Plot

Eva's mother is reading a book about Japan to Eva. Then Eva explains to her mother that she will travel to Japan. Eva says that there is a five-year-old girl who wants to play with her. She calls the girl Noriko-san. Noriko is already looking forward to Eva's visit and puts on her kimono. A festival for boys is being celebrated outside. Noriko is sad that she can not join in, so her mother promises her, that they can arrange a party with girls for Eva. For that the mother allows Noriko to play with the valuable, old dolls. A while later, Noriko's cousins arrive. Just when they are wondering why Eva is not coming, one of them hears a plane. Eva gets out of the plane and is welcomed by Noriko. Noriko and Eva exchange their clothes and play together for many days. Finally, Eva has to fly back home to her mother. She says goodbye to Noriko and even speaks Japanese. When asked by her mother why she speaks Japanese, Eva answers that when she's in Japan, she can also speak the language.

Overview

Noriko-San: girl of Japan is the second of 15 children's books in the series Children's Everywhere. It was the first book written by Astrid Lindgren and Anna Riwkin-Brick together. It was followed by a twelve-year collaboration between them.[1] Riwkin-Brick took the pictures in Japan. When she returned from her trip, she showed the photos to the publisher Rabén & Sjögren. Astrid Lindgren also worked there. After initial rejection, she agreed to write the text for the photo book. The book is the only book in the series that describes a daydream and no real events.[2]

Documentary from Israel
Main article: Where is Elle Kari and what happened to Noriko-san?

In Israel, the series Children's Everywhere, which also includes Noriko-San: girl of Japan, was a great success, thanks to the translations of the poet Leah Goldberg.[3] In Israel Noriko-San was the most popular book of the series.[4] In 2014, Israeli director Dvorit Shargal shot a 50-minute documentary titled Where is Elle Kari and what happened to Noriko-san?.[5] In this film, she first found Eva from the book and then they searched together for Noriko-san.[6] Through the film Eva Crafoord-Larsen and Noriko Shiraishi met again.[7]

Reception

Kirkus Reviews praises the „wonderful“ photographs of Anna Riwkin-Brick and recomments the book for children from the second grade.[8]

Editions
  • Eva möter Noriko-san, Rabén & Sjögren, 1956, Swedish Edition
  • Eva visits Noriko-San, The Macmillan Company, 1957, US-american Edition
  • Noriko-San, girl of Japan, Methuen, 1958, British Edition
  • Noriko-San, Oetinger Verlag, 1956, German Edition
  • Noriko-San - historien om Eva og den lille japanerpige, Høst & søn, 1957, Danish Edition
  • Some Hebrew version or something?
  • Hiro translated the book to "cat" 2019, Cat Edition

References
  1. Andersen, Jens: Astrid Lindgren - Ihr Leben, Cambria Press, 2014, ISBN 978-3-641-16795-0
  2. Bettina Kümmerling-Meibauer: Lost in nostalgia. Images of childhood in photobooks for children. In: Elisabeth Wesseling: Reinventing Childhood Nostalgia: Books, Toys, and Contemporary Media Culture. Studies in Childhood, 1700 to the Present, Routledge, 2017, ISBN 978-1-317-06846-4
  3. Dov Alfon. "Opinion. The Boy Who Taught French Jewish Kids to Love Israel".
  4. Ariana Melamed. "לפני שהעולם היה גלובלי".
  5. Arne Lapidus. "Barnboksvännerna återförenas efter 60 år".
  6. "חיים משלה".
  7. "Israeli moviemaker tracks down Japanese woman featured in '50s picture book".
  8. "Eva visits Noriko-San".
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