Chirri & Chirra, On the Town (Chirri & Chirra #5)

Most shops’ signs display Japanese characters, but the town’s denizens exhibit a variety of racial presentations; the protagonists have pale skin, rosy cheeks, black pageboys, and blue dot eyes. Darling.

Doi brings back the bobbed-hair twins introduced in Chirri & Chirra, The Snowy Day and other titles. Here, the pair ride their bikes to purchase yarn, and travel to a weaver who quickly creates decorative scarves for them as they sip hot drinks. Leaving, they hear "Chiri-Chirira" and think someone's calling them. The girls bike again, but stop at a "beautiful house" where a granny invites them in for snacks. They hear the call again, and follow the sound to discover a bluebird couple celebrating their trio of newborns with a bevy of colorful birds. VERDICT This cozy tale is as soothing as the soft crayon-and-pastel illustrations. Best shared one-on-one to pore over the delicately detailed images.—Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

These whimsical stories are low on the angst scale and high on the charm meter...Doi is known for her softly styled drawings on rich creamy paper. She creates the illustrations in these books with colored pencils, pastels, and crayons, crafting them to give an old-world feel, a time of innocence and simplicity. The exquisite art radiates joy and has a dreamy quality to it that reflects how children imagine their ideal world to be. These delightful books are a welcome escape for young children from their anxieties...Curiosity is a good thing, and it is wonderful for children to see that joy awaits at the other end of curious inquiry. --International Examiner