Editorial review

ちか100かいだてのいえ

Name: ちか100かいだてのいえ
ISBN: 9784033316604

いわいとしお／偕成社

heading 100 floors underground

The second book in Iwai Toshio's vertical series sends a girl down a 100-storey house beneath the ground, past the homes of insects and small burrowing creatures, counting each floor on the way.

Publisher states: 3歳から
NIPIKO Books suggests: 3–7 yrs

Series: 100かいだてのいえ · Book 2 →

About the book

ちか100かいだてのいえ (roughly 'The 100-Storey House Underground') is the second book in いわいとしお's series, published by Kaiseisha in late 2009. Like the first, it opens vertically, but this time the journey goes down. In his note on the publisher's page, the author says he designed the two books as mirror images: a boy climbs up in the first, a girl descends in this one.

The story and what makes it special

The heroine, Kuu-chan, is heading to a party on the hundredth basement floor. Every ten floors a different underground resident lives, mostly insects and small soil-dwelling creatures, each with finely drawn bathrooms, bedrooms and play corners. Between the rooms are layers of earth, stones and fossil-like shapes, so the whole book feels like peeking into the hidden world under your feet.

Summarised from reader feedback

Why children love it

Parents on Ehon Navi and reader comments on Kaiseisha's page describe children relishing the sense of exploring somewhere normally out of sight. Kids spot insects they know, search each room for small details, and trace the way down with a finger like a maze. Readers note that children who love dinosaurs or rocks are especially drawn to the soil layers and bone-like shapes.

What parents may appreciate

Parents praise the sheer number of ideas packed into the pictures, the way each reread turns up something new, and the low-pressure exposure to numbers up to 100. Some note that it quietly sparks curiosity about nature and how small creatures live. Several report that after a few readings their children could name the next floor's residents before the page was even turned.

Things to consider

As with the first book, readers mention that it takes a long time because children pause on every room; some families read about thirty floors a night. A few parents found it tricky at first to know when to read the text while the child was still studying the picture. The detail is small, so it suits one or two children better than a group.

Recommended age

Publisher states: 3歳から
NIPIKO Books suggests: 3–7 yrs

Publisher's stated age: 「3歳から」 (from age 3). NIPIKO Books's suggestion: roughly 3 to 7. Younger children enjoy finding insects and following the path down; five- to seven-year-olds can read the numbers and get curious about soil and rocks. A sturdier board-book mini edition exists for younger hands.

Reading-together ideas

Before reading, ask 'What creatures live under the ground?' and look for them together in the book.
At the soil and rock layers, name colours and shapes and wonder aloud how long they have been there.
Afterwards, set it beside the first book and compare the one that goes up with the one that goes down.

NIPIKO Books editorial assessment

NIPIKO Books's recommendation

NIPIKO Books recommends this for children who enjoyed the first book and for any child curious about bugs, soil and the world underground. Like the rest of the series, it is best as a slow, talk-together book with an adult alongside rather than a quick read. Paired with 100かいだてのいえ, it shows off the up-and-down design the author built into the series.