# Words to Make a Friend: A Story in Japanese and English - Hardcover

by **Donna Jo Napoli** (Author), **Naoko Stoop** (Illustrator)

**A clever and innovative bilingual English/Japanese picture book about a Japanese girl and an American girl who prove you don't need to speak the same language to understand each other.**

When a young Japanese girl moves into her new house, she is happy to see a girl her age playing in the snow just outside her window. The only problem is the Japanese girl doesn't speak English and the American girl doesn't speak Japanese.

How will these two girls have any fun at all? As it turns out, it's not that hard when both girls are looking for a friend! What starts with a simple "hello" and "konnichiwa" becomes a day filled with fun in the snow.

Each girl's love of play, snow, and making a new friend transcends the need to speak the same language, and by using simple words in their own languages, along with a bit of charades, the girls find they have all they need to build a snow creature.

An important book to show children that speaking the same language isn't a prerequisite to making a new friend.

### Author Biography

Donna Jo Napoli is both a linguist and a writer of children's and young adult fiction. Some of her work includes _Treasury of Greek Mythology, Stones in Water, Treasury of Norse Mythology_, and _Daughter of Venice_. She has five children and eight grandchildren. She dreams of moving to the woods and becoming a naturalist. She loves to garden, bake bread, dance, and make pottery.

Naoko Stoop is a Brooklyn-based, self-taught illustrator. She grew up in Tokyo and has illustrated many picture books including _Pup and Bear, Sun and Moon Have a Tea Party_, and the _New York Times_ Best Illustrated Picture Book _Red Knit Cap Girl_.

**Number of Pages:** 40

**Dimensions:** 0.39 x 11.1 x 8.66 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** November 09, 2021

**Accelerated Reader:**

**Quiz Name:** Words to Make a Friend: A Story in Japanese and English

**Interest Level:** Lower Grades, K-3

**Reading Level:** 0.9

**Point Value:** 0.5

## Details

- **Price:** 18.99 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 18.99 USD | In stock |

## Images

- Words to Make a Friend: A Story in Japanese and English - Hardcover

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> Updated: 2026-07-21