In the last lesson, we started to read a Japanese children’s book. After going over some of the more complex problems learners can run into in even the most simple children's picture book, we dove in and read the first half of わたしはあかねこ.

If you don't remember what happened yesterday, you should really get more sleep or something. But I will remind you anyway.

Our friendly red cat hero was different from her family, and they all tried very hard to change her. Her mother said she should drink milk so she might turn into a white cat, her father said she should have lots of black fish so she might turn into a black cat, her siblings suggested covering her in flour, mud, and paint, but nothing seemed to work.

Seems like there might be a lesson in there somewhere. I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars for obvious morals and stuff.

Anyway, let’s continue and see what happens.

Again, try to see if you can understand any of the pictures in the book before peeking at the English and grammar explanations.

PART II

みんなと　おなじが　いいのかな？
みんな　と　おなじ　が　いい　の　かな？
I wonder if it's better to be the same as everyone else?
Literally: “everyone + と + same + が + good + の + I wonder”
With Kanji: "みんなと 同じが いいのかな？"
Note: かな is added at the end of a sentence to denote “I wonder…”

そんなことも、ちょっと　おもって　みたわ。
そんな　こと　も、ちょっと　おもって　みた　わ。
I tried to think about that a little as well.
Literally: “that + thing + also + a little + think + tried to + わ”
With Kanji: "そんなことも、ちょっと 思って みたわ。"
Note: The sentence ending particle わ is almost the same as よ but a bit softer. It can also be used to denote feminine speech.

だけど、　わたしは、　あかねこ。
だけど、　わたし　は、　あか　ねこ。
However, I am a red cat.
Literally: “however + I + は + red + cat”
With Kanji: "だけど、私は、赤ネコ。"
Note: だけど is the combination of the shortened copula だ or です plus けど meaning “but.”

そのままの　じぶんが　よかったの。
そのままの　じぶん　が　よかった　の。
I like myself the way I am.
Literally: “the same as it is + self + が + glad + の”
With Kanji: "そのままの 自分が よかったの。"
Note 1: The ending particle の, when not used as a question, makes the sentence more child-like or feminine sounding. Since our main character is both a child and a girl (cat) we see this sentence-ending particle used throughout the book.
Note 2: ～まま is added to a noun or verb to show that something is continuing to stay the same. ねたまま is “the state of continuing to sleep,” and そのまま is “staying the same as it is now.”

やさしい　みんなは　だいすきだけど、
やさしい　みんな　は　だいすき　だけど、
Everyone is nice, and I love them but,
Literally: “nice + everyone + は + love + but,”
With Kanji: "優しい みんなは 大好きだけど、"

わたしらしさを　わかってくれないのは　かなしい。
だからね．．．、
わたし　らしさ　を　わかって　くれない　のは　かなしい。
だからね．．．、
It's sad they don’t understand the way I am. So you see, that's why...
Literally: “I + seems like + を + understand + don’t give me + のは + sad. + だからね…”
With Kanji: "私らしさを 分かってくれないのは 悲しい。"
Note 1: らしさ in this sentence is the noun form of らしい (you can change any い-type adjective into a noun by adding さ). らしい means “seems like” and in this case it is used to convey “the me that seems like me” or more simply, “the way I really am.”
Note 2: This だからね literally means "is + because + ね..." and it's being used to introduce an explanation, which will appear in the next line...

あるひ、わたしは　みんなが　ねてるうちに　いえを　とびだしたの。
あるひ、わたし　は　みんな　が　ねてる　うちに　いえ　を　とびだした　の。
One day, I fled the house while everyone was sleeping.
Literally: “one day + I + は + everyone + が + sleeping + while + house + を + fled + の”
With Kanji: "ある日、私は みんなが 寝てるうちに 家を とび出したの。"
Note: うちに is added after a verb or phrase to mean “while.”

むらを　でて、はやしを　ぬけて、かわを　わたって、
むら　を　でて、はやし　を　ぬけて、かわ　を　わたって、
I left the village, went through the woods, crossed the river,
Literally: “village + を + leave + woods + を + go through + river + を + cross”
With Kanji: "村を出て、林を抜けて、川を渡って、"
Note: In this sentence the て form of verbs are used to mean “and.”

やまを　こえて、いろんな　ところに　たびをして、
やま　を　こえて、いろんな　ところ　に　たび　を　して、
I went over mountains, traveled to various places,
Literally: “mountain + を + go over + various + place + に + trip + を + do”
With Kanji: "山を 越えて、いろんな 所に 旅をして、"
Note: いろんな is the shortened form of いろいろな meaning “various”

いろんな　まちで　くらしたの。
いろんな　まち　で　くらした　の。
And lived in various towns.
Literally: “various + town + で + lived + の”
With Kanji: "いろんな 町で 暮らしたの"

たまに　かぞくのことを　おもいだして、さびしくなったりも　したけれど、
たまに　かぞく　の　こと　を　おもいだして、さびしく　なったり　も　した　けれど、
Although I occasionally got lonely when I remembered my family,
Literally: “occasionally + family + の + thing + を + remember + lonely + become + も + did + but,”
With Kanji: "たまに 家族のことを 思い出して、さびしくなったりも したけれど、"
Note 1: のこと is used to emphasis the noun. For example “I love you,” is sometimes written as あなたのことが大好き（あなた　の　こと　が　だいすき）.
Note 2: Adding ～たり．．．～たり to verbs means that there are many things happening. For example, if you go to a party you could say 食べたり、飲んだり、歌ったりしました “I ate, drank, and sang.” In this case, since there is only one たり is implies that other than being lonely, Red Cat also has other emotions about leaving her family.

でも、わたしは　いえを　とびだして　よかったと　おもってる。
だってね、
でも、わたし　は　いえ　を　とびだして　よかった　と　おもってる。
だってね、
But I think it was a good thing that I left home. Because...
Literally: “but + I + は + home + を + fled + glad + と + thinking + but still...”
With Kanji: "でも、私は 家を とび出して よかったと 思ってる。だってね、"

このまちで、あおねこくんと　であえたんだもの。
この　まち　で、あお　ねこくん　と　であえたん　だ　もの。
In this town, I happened to meet Blue Cat.
Literally: “this + town + で + blue + cat + meet by chance + だ + もの”
With Kanji: "この町で、青ネコ君と 出会えたんだもの。"

あおねこくんは、はじめて　わたしと　あったとき、
あお ねこくん　は、はじめて　わたし　と　あった　とき、
When Blue Cat met me for the first time,
Literally: “blue + cat + は + first + I + と + met + when”
With Kanji: "青ネコ君は、初めて 私と 会った時、"
Note: ～くん is is added to male names. Making his name “Blue Cat.”

「やあ　きみの　あかい　けなみ、とっても　きれいだね」
って、いってくれたの。
「やあ　きみ　の　あかい　けなみ、とっても　きれい　だね」
って、いって　くれた　の。
“Wow, your red fur is really beautiful isn’t it?” he said.
Literally: “wow + you + の + red + hair + very + beautiful + だね + said + say + give + の”
With Kanji: "「やあ 君の 赤い 毛並み、とっても 綺麗だね」って、言ってくれたの。"
Note 1: When emphasizing something you will often see とても written as とっても.
Note 2: て form verb plus くれる means “to give.” In this case it is used with the verb いう or “to say.” So いってくれる sort of means that he is giving her the gift of saying something sweet.

そういう　あおねこくんの　あおい　けなみも、
そういう　あお　ねこくん　の　あおい　けなみ　も、
Blue Cat’s hair was also,
Literally: “such + blue + cat + の + blue + fur + also,”
With Kanji: "そういう 青ネコ君の 青い 毛並みも、"

とっても　とっても　きれいだったのね。
とっても　とっても　きれい　だった　の　ね。
Very, very beautiful.
Literally: “very + very + beautiful + だった + の + ね”
With Kanji: "とっても とっても 綺麗だったのね。"

そのひから、わたしたちは　いつも　いっしょに　くらしたの。
その　ひ　から、わたし　たち　は　いつも　いっしょ　に　くらした　の。
From that day on, we always stayed together.
Literally: “that + day + from + I + たち + は +always + together + に + lived + の”
With Kanji: "その日から、私たちは いつも 一緒に 暮らしたの。"
Note: Adding たち to a pronoun makes it plural. So わたしたち means “us,” and あなたたち means “you all.”

ねるときも、あそぶときも、たべるときも、うたうときも。
でもね．．．、
ねる　とき　も、あそぶ　とき　も、たべる　とき　も、うたう　とき　も。
でもね．．．、
We slept together, played together, ate together, sang together.
But….
Literally: “sleep + when + も + play + when + も + eat + when + も + sing + when + も + but + ね”
With Kanji: "寝る時も、遊ぶ時も、食べる時も、歌う時も。でもね．．．、"

あかねこちゃん
だいだいねこちゃん
きいねこちゃん
みどりねこちゃん
あおねこちゃん
あいいろねこちゃん
むらさきねこちゃん
が、うまれたのには　びっくりしちゃった！
あか　ねこちゃん
だいだい　ねこちゃん
きい　ねこちゃん
みどり　ねこちゃん
あお　ねこちゃん
あいいろ　ねこちゃん
むらさき　ねこちゃん
が、うまれた　のに　は　びっくりしちゃった！
I was surprised when a
Red cat
Orange cat
Yellow cat
Green cat
Blue cat
Indigo cat
And Purple cat were born!
Literally: “red + cat + orange + cat + yellow + cat + green + cat + blue + cat + indigo + cat + purple + cat + が + born + のに + は + surprised”
With Kanji: "赤ネコちゃん 橙ネコちゃん 黄いネコちゃん 緑ネコちゃん 青ネコちゃん 藍色ネコちゃん 紫ネコちゃん が、生まれたのには びっくりしちゃった！"
Note: Like earlier in the story ちゃう is used to convey and unintended action. However, in this case it is not negative, or regretful.

THE END!

I approve of this message. (Except the fact that red cat ran off with the first guy to call her pretty, she needs a bit of self-esteem training. Good thing he seems to be a nice guy.)

I really hope you guys not only enjoyed the book, but learned a bunch of Japanese. This was a really fun lesson to write and I would like to do another book again in the future!

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This lesson was written by Cassy L., a guest contributor: