Let’s Read Japanese Stories for Kids!
Reading Japanese stories for kids written in Hiragana by a real Japanese author is a great way to improve your reading skills. Today I want to read a book for you that I recommend as a Japanese reading material. The book is called Karasu no Panyasan. (Mr. Crow’s Bakery)
The Story
The forests IZUMIGAMORI is a home to many crow families. Mr. Crow owns a bakery in the forest with his wife.
The life of parents with newborn babies is rough. Dad and mom have to attend the four babies even during the working hours and their business suffered. Gradually, the bakery started losing customers. They became poor.
Nonetheless, the four children grew up rapidly. The burnt bread or leftovers from the store served as their daily snacks.
One day, when the four kids were eating their snacks, their friends flew over and asked, “The bread you’re eating looks kinda unusual.” One of Mr. Crow’s children answered, “They are special. These are breads that only my dad can bake!” “How’s the taste?” “Delicious, of course! Why don’t you try some for yourself?”
All the friends were curious and tried Mr. Crow’s bread. They reacted right away saying, “True, this IS delicious! I’m going to come to your dad’s store to buy this. Tell him to save some for me!”
The four kids delightfully delivered this news to their father. Mr. Crow agreed to bake bread for their friends, but he also told them that they need to help. The children willingly helped their father to bake delicious bread. Working together, they ended up baking so many good looking breads in different shapes and different flavors.
About the Book & Author
This book was originally published in 1973 by 加古里子（かこさとし）Satoshi Kako who was born in 1926 in Fukui Prefecture, Japan.
He received a Ph.D. in Engineering from Tokyo University and worked as a chemical engineer for many years. After he retired, he devoted his life to the study of literature for children and published over 500 works.
“Karasu no Panyasan” was the first book Kako published in the “Karasu (Crow)” series in which he is best known for.
Vocabulary
- からす Karasu – crow
- もり mori – forest
- き ki – tree
- うえ ue – above, on top, up
- みんな minnna – all, everyone
- うち uchi – house, home
- さんちょうめ sanchoome – the third district
- かど kado – corner
- パンやさん panyasan – bakery
- おみせ omise – store, shop
- よんわ yonwa – four (birds) … わ wa is the counter for birds
- かわいい kawaii – cute
- あかちゃん akachan – babies
- からだ karada – body
- いろ iro – color
- くろ kuro – black
- ちがった chigatta – different
- おとうさん otoosan – father
- おかあさん okaasan – mother
- さっそく sassoku – immediately
- なまえ namae – name
- やさしく yasashiku – gently
- あさ asa – morning
- こな kona – flour, powder
- かまど kamado – oven
- パン pan – bread
- ときどき tokidoki – sometimes
- そうじ sooji -cleaning
- しかし shikashi – however
- おっぱい oppai – breast milk
- おしめ oshime – diaper
- びんぼう binboo – poor
- しんぱい shinpai – worry, concern
- どんどん dondon – rapidly, quickly
- つぎ tsugi – patch
- ふく fuku – clothes
- いたずら itazura – mischief
- おおいそがし ooisogashi – extremely busy
- いっしょうけんめい isshoukennmei – dedicated, committed, desperately, frantically
- こげた kogeta – burnt
- はんやき hanyaki – half-baked
- おやつ oyatsu – snack
- こども kodomo – children
- いつも itsumo – always
- かわった kawatta – unusual, different
- せかいじゅう sekaijuu – in the whole world
- あじ aji – taste
- うそ uso – lie
- ちょっと chotto – a little bit
- にがい nigai – bitter
- こうばしい koobashii – nice-smelling of baking or roasting, appetizing, savory
- あした ashita – tomorrow
- たくさん takusan – a lot, many
- やくそく yakusoku – promise
- ほしい hoshii – desire, want
- てつだう tetsudau – to help
- ほかほか hokahoka – fresh out of the oven or stove
- こんがり kongari – done to a beautiful brown, beautifully browned, perfectly baked or flied
- よくじつ yokujitsu – the next day
- おおぜい oozee – many
- ちょうだい choodai – give me
- やすい yasui – cheap
- まいにち mainichi – everyday
- いろんな ironna – various
- ちいさな chiisana – small, tiny
- すてきな sutekina – lovely, neat
- どっさり dossari – lots and lots
- おもしろい omoshiroi – interesting
- めがけて megakete – aiming at
- おと oto – sound
- ねぼけた neboketa – half-asleep
- うりだし uridashi – sale
- よくばり yokubari – greedy
- いれもの iremono – container
- あわてんぼう awatenboo – hurry-scurry, panicked, helter-skelter
- しょうぼうしょ shooboosho – fire station
- でんわ denwa – telephone
- かじ kaji – fire (as an incident)
- けがにん keganin – injured people
- きゅうきゅうしゃ kyuukyuusha – ambulance
- そうどう soodoo – chaos
- ぶそうけいかん busoo keekan – armed policemen
- れんたい rentai – a regiment
- じけん jiken – accident, incident
- どろぼう doroboo – burglar
- あっかん akkan – evildoer, rascal, villain
- ギャング gyangu – gang
- ピストル pisutoru – pistol
- しんぶん shinbun – newspaper
- とくはいん tokuhain – representative, delegate, correspondent
- カメラマン kameraman – camera man, photographer
- こえ koe – voice
- みっつ mittsu – three … counter for bread
- かざぐるま kazaguruma – windmill, pinwheel
- けんぶつ kenbutsu – sightseeing, visit, viewing
- きちんと kichinto – neatly
- ふしぎなことに fushigina koto ni – strangely
- けんか kenka – fight, argument, quarrel
- きまりがわるい kimari ga warui – feel embarrassed, feel sheepish
- にこにこ nikoniko – smilingly
- ひょうばん hyooban – sensational, with good reputation
- りっぱな rippana – splendid
- すばらしい subarashii – wonderful
- におい nioi – scent, smell
- もしかしたら moshikashitara – perhaps, by any chance
Why Is This Story so Special?
Why has this story, からすのパンやさん “Karasu no Panyasan,” been so popular and loved by Japanese for over 4 decades?
Because many of the children who grew up reading this book have grown to be a parent and read the story to their children! 😉
We remember what made our hearts happy when we were young, and it’s natural to want to pass that enjoyment on to the next generation.
This book is ideal for beginners of Japanese because it’s only written in Hiragana & Katakana. You will enjoy the story and fun illustrations!
ゆうこせんせい (Yuko-sensei) is a professional Japanese teacher with over 20 years of teaching experience in the USA. She now offers online courses for learners worldwide. Learn More…