If you are a boy named Isamu…at the market with your mother, it can be a crowded and noisy place.
Maybe there is a quiet space that feels more like you. Children are playing loudly. You keep walking.
When it is quiet, you wonder…What kind of wood is this?
How does fruit get its color?
Why does cloth feel soft?
Who made the path with stone?
Paper lanterns are like another world far away from home.
How can light feel so welcoming?
In the forest, the trees tower over you as you hear the crunch of twigs under your feet. The leaves are so perfect they must have been waiting for you. You toss grass in the air and watch as blades scatter in different directions. When you close your eyes, you imagine the grass comes back to you.
If you are Isamu, stones are the most special of all. Time has carved each stone to be different. How can they be so heavy? Would they float if they had no weight? They can be smooth or rough. You press your ear against the stone. What is it saying?
At the beach, your stick makes a shhhhhh in the sand. The ocean greets you with its quiet rumble. You feel like the only person in the world. If you are Isamu, you find a secret place so you can look at the ocean and see the shapes of things.
Comprehension Questions
1. What does Isamu do?
A. He plays with children.
B. He wonders things about the world around him.
C. He draws pictures.
A. Because they're pretty.
B. They are very heavy.
C. Time has carved each one to be different.
Your Thoughts
Vocabulary
4. List any vocabulary words below.