I need your help and friendly advice.
There’s some links here on WK forums and also on the Internet with manga for beginners suggestions. And number one choice is usually “Yotsuba to” and other no easier manga.
With my level 4 it’s almost impossible to read - I tried((
In spite of being aware that I should learn more first, wait, and then try reading, I was wondering if there’s perhaps something much much easier? Something for absolute dummies in Japanese? Maybe any particular children’s book/book series with lines like “A cow says mooo”, “I have three apples”?
Level zero graded readers aimed at learners. Native children’s books will be full of grammar and vocab you don’t know, even baby books. If anything, I would recommend struggling through a Grade 1 native reader (those 10-pun books are good), rather than a baby book.
As for manga, Chi’s Sweet Home is much easier than Yotsuba.
Sorry, just realised I assumed it was grammar and vocab stopping you from reading Yotsuba, when it could just be the kanji. In which case, I’d definitely recommend the grade 1, 10-minute readers I mentioned.
I mean this by the way, and plenty of others like it. You can ‘look inside’ this one.
Oh oops my bad - I meant not actual children’s book for Japanese kids, but books for kids, who are foreigners. (I used to have such when I was learning English as a 3-5 year old, lots of pictures and simple words/sentences)
Never heard of such…google doesn’t help much. Is ‘Native Reader’ the title of the series?
Now I wouldn’t recommend going all out and buying the entire set (really only saves you $11 currently). But you can find the individual packs on there, or Amazon.
Not sure about for the US/other side of the Atlantic, but in the UK and Europe, I believe it is much cheaper to get these from CDJapan or even Japan Amazon.
Sorry, I wasn’t clear, I meant books for native Japanese children that are graded by school age (so will be kanji restricted). Hopefully, my next post with the links was clearer and helpful.
I don’t think there is that big a market for parents wanting to teach their babies/children Japanese, who aren’t part Japanese. So I would imagine that parents who want to teach little children, even outside Japan, would still use books that native children in Japan would use.
They are probably a little over priced, which is why I wouldn’t recommend buying all of them, especially all at once.
Looks like if you ordered from Amazon.jp they come out to around 18 GBP a set. I’d just pick up the first level 0 or 1 and see how you like it. Each one has multiple books inside the sleeve, plus a CD so it does have a little more than it looks.
Also iPad versions, but I think they are even more expensive lol
There’s some post around here somewhere about it. Or just try googling, but you can order books, movies, and games easily with decently low shipping prices.
I have ordered from Amazon.uk to the USA pretty often because companies enjoy releasing nice bluray complete box sets in the U.K. and never releasing them in the US
Apparently there is even a button on Amazon.jp to switch to English.
I really recommend levels 1 and 2 of the Japanese Graded Readers series. The stories are nice and short and they contain the right amount of grammar and vocabulary. I didn’t find level 3 and 4 particularly useful because at that point you can start venturing into something “real” that isn’t simplified for the Japanese student.
