Perfect for beginning and upper beginning students of Japanese. This affordable Japanese reader will help you build your Japanese vocabulary, reading skills, and listening comprehension. Get FREE MP3s of the stories read by a native Japanese speaker. Listen while reading. The link to the MP3s is found on the last page. Shitakiri Suzume follows a common theme in Japanese fairy tales: a childless old couple raising a son or daughter. But instead of a human, the story revolves around a sparrow, the loving pet of the old man. Also common with other tales, there is a moral to the story. Don't be greedy Furigana over every kanji. Every sentence is broken down word-for-word and with explanation of the grammar. The full story in Japanese only (without the running gloss) is also provided so you can practice reading without interruption. Download the FREE MP3s to listen while you study. While beginners to Japanese can get a lot from this, hiragana knowledge is required. Finally, we invite the reader to contact us with questions or requests for future Japanese readers. You will find our personal email addresses in the book. To your Japanese "