"Chiri to Chiriri: Yuki no Hi no Ohanashi," written and illustrated by Kaya Doi (Published by Alice Kan, 2010)

Story outline

One snowy day, two girls, Chiri and Chiriri, venture out on a bicycle through a forest and encounter a door made of ice. Inside, they are welcomed by animals and are given warm fruit punch. Passing through an icy corridor, they enter a large hall where various animals are enjoying themselves. The girls join a game of marbles made of frozen flower buds. After a while, a bird comes to call everyone, and they all proceed down another corridor to find a hot spring.

The Japanese title of this book translates to "Chiri and Chiriri: A snowy day's story." It is one of a series of nine fantasy and adventure picture books. The girls look exactly alike, but it's not clear if they are twins, sisters or friends. Each of the stories, illustrated beautifully, begin with the two going out for a bike ride, and feature unique foods and drinks. Young readers will definitely want to visit the world where the two live. (The English edition of this series is available as "Chirri & Chirra.")

Vocabulary, culture tips

Tsumoru -- This is a verb that describes something piling up and is often used with snow. For example, "yuki ga doro ni tsumotta" means "snow accumulated on the road."

Chodo yoi -- This means "just right." In this picture book, the phrase is used in a scene where the hot spring is just the right temperature. The colloquial form is "chodo ii" and is commonly used in everyday life.

Ippai -- This has several meanings, but in this picture book it means "full" as in "onaka ippai," a phrase used to describe a full stomach. It is also often used to indicate that something is plentiful, such as "omocha ga ippai aru" (there are lots of toys.)

Where would you like to go on a bike?

For most school-aged children, bicycles are a necessity. A few years ago, one of my main concerns was about teaching my sons how to ride a bicycle.

At parks in Japan, you might see young children riding balance bikes without pedals. I had my two boys try out such a bike.

I also took them to "kotsu koen" traffic parks to practice with and without training wheels. These parks are miniature re-creations of real roads complete with traffic signals and crosswalks -- minus moving cars -- allowing kids to learn traffic rules safely. In large cities like Tokyo, practicing on public roads can be a challenge, so I recommend such parks. Most places will lend bicycles and helmets to visitors, so you can visit empty-handed. Note that some sites do not allow visitors to ride their own bikes, so check before you go.

These efforts seem to have helped my boys, who both now ride bikes. It was only last year that my second son, 6, succeeded in riding by himself and he happily pedaled back and forth along the path of a nearby riverside park.

In the picture book series, Chiri and Chiriri ride to various places -- to town, underground and into fields. I asked my boys where they would like to go.

My oldest son, 8, said "I want to go near Mount Fuji and camp there." I assume it would take him about 5 hours from our home in Kanagawa Prefecture. Years down the road, he may actually be able to accomplish this.

My younger son said he wanted to go see his friend in Oita Prefecture. According to a map app, that's about 1,000 kilometers by car or about 900 km on foot and ferries. I told him it would take days and he would have to rest and sleep along the way.

He said, "I don't need to sleep. I'll bring lots of water with me, so I'll be fine."

It seems the reality of such a long journey has yet to sink in.

(By Risa Koshiba, The Mainichi Staff Writer)

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(This is Part 24 of the "Learning from Japanese picture books" series, which introduces recommended Japanese picture books, along with related terms and culture that foreigners living in Japan may find useful. Most titles can be found in bookstores or libraries throughout Japan. The next issue will be published on March 7.)

Profile: Risa Koshiba is a mother of two boys and loves picture books. She believes that picture books can help improve literacy, and says they helped her children learn how to read and write Japanese. She is also interested in teaching Japanese to foreigners, and tutored students in Japanese and taught the language to children when she was a university student in the United States.