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Classroom Practice/Program

Picture Book Programs for Adults

By Mari Kamioka

After retiring as a junior high school English teacher in 2015, I studied educational psychology in a
master’s program at Kochi University graduate school for 2 years. My area of study was “The Effect of
Focusing in Picture Book Reading.” The research sought to describe the
feeling after reading the picture book The Fall of Freddy the Leaf by Leo
Buscaglia (1998). I used one kanji character for focusing. Kanji is one of
the Japanese writing systems and also refers to an ideographic character.
The focusing came from a reader selecting one kanji character to capture
his or her response to the book. The practice was conducted at elementary
and junior high schools in Kochi City, and many students commented that
they enjoyed learning from the book.
Since 2021, I have been studying at the graduate school of Hyogo
The Fall of Freddy the University of Education in a doctoral program. My current area of
Leaf by Leo Buscaglia study is “Research on Picture Book Reading Programs for Adults.” It
(1998) - Japanese Edition
incorporates the Picture Book Therapy method developed by Tatsunobu
Okada (2011). He believes picture books are “a prescription for the heart” because sharing them creates
connections among people. As each individual reads a picture book, he or she gets “a glimpse at their
experience, values, and knowledge.” The experience is therapeutic because it allows people to learn
about themselves.
Okada’s picture book therapy is designed for adults. The procedure for picture book therapy is fairly
simple. Five picture books are distributed to a group of approximately 20–30 participants. For roughly 1
hour, they listen to the picture books and share what they feel. The goal is to bring smiles to participants’
faces through picture book therapy.

My Picture Book Program for Adults

I have created a seminar called “Picture Book Program for Adults,” which is held about three times a
year for research and practice. In my seminars, I usually read four to five picture books with participants.
The first is a picture book for icebreakers; the second is a picture book for self-introductions; the third is
a picture book for free talk; and the fourth is a picture book for work. The fifth book is a picture book to
convey a message.
Examples of exercises from my seminar illustrate the method and
its purpose:

Hug-shite gyu! (How About a
Hug!) by Nancy Carlson, with
translations by Chihiro Nakagawa
(2007)

1.The first book is Hug-shite gyu! (How About a Hug!),
written by Nancy Carlson and translated by Chihiro Nakagawa (2007).
When you have a quarrel with an important friend...
When you want to wipe away the bad feelings...
Give an “I’m sorry” hug and squeeze!
This picture book conveys the message that hugs can cheer you up

Collegial Exchange · 35