By reading the title, we will know what the story is all about: it is about a child. Totto-chan is a nick-name of its writer, a Japanese television personality Tetsuko Kuroyanagi. Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window is a story about her childhood at Tomoe Gakuen, an alternative elementary school formed by educator Sosaku Kobayashi around the years before The World War II was occurred. So the whole story is real; it was really happened, since the book is written by Totto-chan herself, all based on her experiences.

The story mainly focuses on Totto-chan's moments at Tomoe Gakuen. Yet she was expelled from her previous elementary school in the first year for being what her teacher said "such a brat" whereas all she did was because of her great curiosity. Totto-chan often interrupts the lessons by calling a group of pass-by street musician through the window. She wonders at every little thing, even to a couple of swallows. Until one day her teacher decides to expel her.

Totto-chan's mother, however, doesn't even tell her about this. She knows that Totto-chan would never understand what was wrong with all she did and doesn't want Totto-chan suffering a mental depression. She then registers Totto-chan to an extraordinary elementary school named Tomoe Gakuen. Totto-chan has an interview with headmaster Mr. Kobayashi, in which both of them will become really close as the time goes by. Totto-chan loves her new school not only because the classes are made of some old railway carriages, or because the curriculum is 'choose-one-you-want-to-learn-first'. Totto-chan loves Tomoe Gakuen mostly because of its atmosphere of a great friendship among the students.

The stories imply lots of valuable lessons of how to respect each and everyone, appreciate a friendship, be tolerance and also a freedom of expression for being what we are. The words are simple, honest, and have a child's innocence. Some stories are deeply touching that would make people burst into tears; some others are soul-warmers. In the other side, Totto-chan also explains that war will only leave a suffering, sorrow, and terrible lost to people.

No wonder if this amazing piece of work is now officially added to Japan's curriculum for elementary school and claimed to be a must-read book for students of literature department in some Indonesian universities. For teachers, Totto-chan brings an amazing learning method. And for children, Totto-chan is more than a professional teacher.

Sekalian garap tugas XP
Special thanks to Maki buat kado Totto-chan nya =^__^=