Hana is one year old- old enough to get into plenty of trouble. Especially when she falls under the bad influence of the mischief-maker Tampopo, whose favorite words are "Follow me!" Hana follows this rascally leader and her band of little monkeys into one misadventure after another. But when Tampopo leads Hana to betray her new friend, the boy Kenji, Hana decides that she had better learn to rely on her own judgment- even if it means being alone. Illustrator Itoko Maeno returned to her native Japan to study its remarkable Macaque monkeys and to visit its fields and rustic farmhouses. She has depicted in brilliant watercolors the peaceful valley where Kenji and his grandmother live and create traditional indigo-dyed kimono cloth and the wild mountainside where Hana plays and learns. Hana's Year begins on this mountainside among the hopeful cherry blossoms of spring and moves through the rambunctious days of summer's bounty and the wistful loneliness of autumn. It ends in the glistening snow with Hana's triumph, when it is her turn to say "Follow me!" As Hana's seasons unfold, young people learn a valuable lesson about resisting peer pressure and taking responsibility for their own actions. They learn with Hana that everyone makes mistakes and even a monkey may sometimes fall from a tree, but a wise little monkey learns when to say "No!" Children will delight in the story which teaches them to resist peer pressure and demonstrates the growth of self-esteem. -- Small Press Magazine , Spring 1993 Honorable Mention: Best Children's Book --Mid-America Publishers Association In the teacher's guide, the information on the Japanese language and the art activities will be useful for curriculum enrichment --School Library Journal Honorable Mention: Best Children's Book --Mid-America Publishers Association In the teacher's guide, the information on the Japanese language and the art activities will be useful for curriculum enrichment --School Library Journal Honorable Mention: Best Children's Book --Mid-America Publishers Association In the teacher's guide, the information on the Japanese language and the art activities will be useful for curriculum enrichment --School Library Journal Honorable Mention: Best Children's Book --Mid-America Publishers Association In the teacher's guide, the information on the Japanese language and the art activities will be useful for curriculum enrichment --School Library Journal This beautiful book received Honorable Mention for Best Children's Book by the Mid-American Publishers Association in 1993. The author, Carol Talley, writes fiction and nonfiction for children, as well as instructional material for teachers. In addition to Papa Piccolo , she has written three other books for MarshMedia, Clarissa, Hana's Year, and Gumbo Goes Downtown. She lives in Herman, Missouri. Itoko Maeno is the illustrator of more than two dozen children's books, including Papa Piccolo, Amazing Mallika, Molly's Magic, Plato's Journey, and Thank You, Meiling . Born in Tokyo, Japan, she received a B.A. in graphic design from Tama Art University. Since her arrival in the United States in 1982, Maeno has focused on watercolor illustration. This award-winning illustrator is the subject of Meet the Artist: Itoko Maeno , produced by Marsh Film Enterprises, Inc. Used Book in Good Condition