Present for Anglo-Japanese newborn

July 24, 2013 12:15 PM

Good friends of mine are about to have their first child, a girl. What present can I get for the little one that will be both sentimental and personal, and which she can keep for her whole life? I'm currently thinking along the lines of a really nice children's book, ideally one with an Anglo-Japanese theme because dad is Japanese and mum is British - it would be nice to give something which will represent both of her inherited cultures. Any suggestions for presents with an Anglo-Japanese theme very welcome. My budget is about £30 / $50 and I'm in the UK. Thanks!
posted by matthew.alexander to Human Relations (7 answers total)

I really like the beautiful children's book Wabi Sabi (the Look Inside link shows quite a few pages). It explains the Japanese concept and incorporates collage art and haiku. I find it very moving.
posted by Kafkaesque at 12:25 PM on July 24, 2013

For us, the one gift that has withstood the test of time has been a blanket (a fleece comforter) a family friend made for us when our first son was born 11 years ago. She sent it to Japan with my parents, and we've had it and used it ever since.

We also are using the wool swaddling blanket that I used (or rather, my mother used) when I was an infant. Blankets are very useful things for infants, to be used as a wrap, as a blanket, or even as a cushion.
posted by KokuRyu at 12:27 PM on July 24, 2013

I bought my niece some really pretty artwork (a painting) from a local artist. Something to spur a child's imagination, and yet would make great decor for an adult (her parents thought it was beautiful too).
posted by St. Peepsburg at 12:44 PM on July 24, 2013

BUILD A BEAR ALL DAY EVERY DAY.
posted by spunweb at 1:42 PM on July 24, 2013

How My Parents Learned to Eat is a fun children's picture book based on differences in Japanese, American, and British dining. It was illustrated by Allen Say who has also written several books himself with similar themes.
posted by mbrubeck at 2:22 PM on July 24, 2013

See if you can find a vintage copy of Miss Happiness and Miss Flower by Rumer Godden. A girl receives two Japanese dolls and builds a traditional Japanese dollhouse for them.

I'm not sure about newer editions, but my mother's 60s era copy had beautiful illustrations and plans to make your own dollhouse for them.

I'd find an example for you but i'm replying via my phone.
posted by pipstar at 3:25 PM on July 24, 2013

I see you've marked this "answered" but thought you might also like to check out the book "Anno's Journey" by Mitsumasa Anno. It is by a Japanese author, about a trip in Europe. It should be interesting to a child for a long time because it 1) has no words, so the story read to the child can be more or less elaborate and focus on the child's interests, 2) has lots of details to find, such as a picture of Anno moving through each page, scenes from nursery rhymes, and famous paintings. I encountered it as an adult and loved pouring over it trying to find the references. Anno also wrote books about counting and the alphabet, but I don't have personal experience with those. An idea might be to give a collection of several of his books together, to make a more substantial gift.
posted by SandiBeech at 5:20 AM on July 25, 2013