Editorial review

うみの100かいだてのいえ

Name: うみの100かいだてのいえ
ISBN: 9784033322001

いわいとしお／偕成社

following a lost doll down 100 floors of sea

In the third of Iwai Toshio's vertical picture books, a doll named Ten-chan falls from a ship into the sea and passes through a 100-storey house of sea creatures, with detail to search and floors to count.

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

Series: 100かいだてのいえ · Book 3 →

About the book

うみの100かいだてのいえ (roughly 'The 100-Storey House in the Sea') is the third book in いわいとしお's series, published by Kaiseisha in June 2014. It keeps the vertical (縦開き) format that the publisher promotes as the series' signature, and moves the setting to the ocean. This time the main character is not a child but a doll called Ten-chan.

The story and what makes it special

It begins on a ship. A girl holding Ten-chan is feeding the seagulls when the doll is knocked overboard. From there readers follow Ten-chan through a 100-storey house under the sea, where a different group of sea creatures lives every ten floors. The pages are cool blues full of sparkling detail, and the thread running through them is whether Ten-chan can find her way back to the girl.

Summarised from reader feedback

Why children love it

Parents on Ehon Navi and reader comments on Kaiseisha's page describe children delighting in naming sea creatures they already know, often connecting them to aquarium trips. Finding Ten-chan and her lost belongings on each floor becomes a kind of treasure hunt. Older children enjoy noticing playful touches, such as floor numbers worked into the shapes of the animals.

What parents may appreciate

Parents appreciate the careful, detailed art, the fresh sea palette and the warm story built around a beloved toy. Many say it stays fresh over repeated readings and opens up conversations about ocean life. Several families report it is their child's favourite in the whole series.

Things to consider

The pages are colourful and busy, so very young children can find the story hard to follow at first; parents say that after a few reads children begin hunting for Ten-chan on their own. It is a book to take slowly. Because the story centres on a doll and her clothes and accessories, readers note it especially charms children who love dolls and dress-up.

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. Three- and four-year-olds enjoy searching for Ten-chan and naming animals; five- to seven-year-olds can count floors and catch the hidden jokes. A sturdier board-book mini edition is available for younger children.

Reading-together ideas

On each spread, find Ten-chan together before reading the text, turning it into a search game.
When you spot a creature you have seen at an aquarium or the beach, talk about that visit.
Ask your child to find where each floor number is hidden in the picture.

NIPIKO Books editorial assessment

NIPIKO Books's recommendation

NIPIKO Books suggests this for children who love the sea or aquariums, or who have a favourite doll or soft toy of their own. With its ocean theme, it also works well as a first book in the series. Like the others, it is best enjoyed slowly, with an adult alongside to look and talk.