Baaba's Parcels

Ages 6–9, with family · Solve Japanese riddles with seven-year-old Emi, who lives overseas.
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Why this series stands out

Solve Japanese riddles with seven-year-old Emi, who lives overseas.

For grown-upsGrown-ups can connect faraway family and the words they hope to pass on with memories of their own.

  1. Read a letter aloud and build meaning from familiar Japanese words

  2. Connect everyday Japanese objects such as furoshiki with the words for using them

  3. Find something worth sharing with faraway family and carry it into conversation

Episodes

Episode 1The Parcel with Nothing InsideFree to readJapanese words get stuck when Emi calls Baaba. Then a parcel crosses the sea with only one cloth and a riddle inside. Can Emi solve it before Friday's class presentation?Episode 2Now It's Emi's TurnMembersThis time Emi sends her very first parcel to Baaba, who has caught a cold. Not something she can buy, but something only Emi can send—along with her first riddle. Will they make it across the sea?Episode 3New Year in the Snowy TownMembersIn Emi's town, New Year seems to change only the calendar. Baaba's year-end parcel brings a face in pieces and a riddle in return. Can hands and laughter make New Year arrive here?Episode 4Japan for the First TimeMembersDuring summer vacation, Emi travels to the Japan she cannot remember. A parcel sent before departure contains only four words. At Baaba's house, can Emi find the one that brings okaeri back?
The Parcel with a Name Inside — The next episode is in the making
Inside the series world

Baaba's Parcels

Emi lives overseas. Each parcel from Baaba in Japan asks her to reread a letter and solve one Japanese riddle. Somehow the parcel always holds exactly what is needed. Children follow the mystery; grown-ups recognize the care crossing the ocean. Listening, solving and talking together make Japanese a living part of family time.

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