My Journey to Japan (9784805319390)

Explore Japanese culture with Penny, Paulie and magical Shimesu!

Twins Penny and Paulie are super excited to be in Tokyo—even if they're stuck in a boring hotel while their dad attends "important" meetings. But when the twins meet a strange frog-like creature named Shimesu in the hotel pond, their trip suddenly becomes a wild ride!

Shimesu is a yokai—a supernatural creature—and he's in big trouble. He's been kicked off Yokai Mountain and needs help getting back. Soon Penny and Paulie are diving through his magical water vortex to places across Japan—and experiencing Japan like no visitor has before!

Blending an exciting adventure with fun facts about Japanese culture, this book explains:

• How ancient Japanese castles kept enemies out and what samurai warriors wore into battle
• The rules for visiting a Shinto shrine and what the objects there mean
• The trendy pop culture of Tokyo's Harajuku and Akihabara districts
• The many kinds of noodles, street food and seafood eaten in Japan
• And much more!

Experienced comic book artist Matthew Loux creates the perfect balance of humor, page-turning action and cultural detail. Kids, parents, teachers and librarians will all want this book on their bookshelf!


About the Author:
Matthew Loux is the artist and creator of many graphic novels for kids including Prunella and the Cursed Skull Ring, The Time Museum, the Salt Water Taffy series, and the Spark Experiment. Loux has studied Japanese culture for over a decade and has visited the country many times. Matthew completes all of his work by hand, never with AI assistance.