ABSTRACT
Introduction “Read more! Read more! I want to hear more stories!” five-and six-year old children wearing pajamas sitting on their knees on futon sleeping mattresses ask their teacher.
At the Kurinomi preschool I visited in Hyogo prefecture Japan, the children have a story time every day before naptime. Every child is engrossed in a story told through Kamishibai (ka-mee-she-bye), which literally means “paper play at a theater”. As I observed the children, I flashed back to my childhood when I was in preschool. Kamishibai storytellers often came to my school to tell Japanese folktales as well Grimm and Andersen fairytales. We learned important matters such as traffic rules through story telling. I loved Kamishibai story time. At home, I was so excited to pretend to be a Kamishibai storyteller. I created my own stories, drew pictures on cardboard and told the stories to my younger brother and sister.
