TOTTO-CHAN'S CHILDREN: A Goodwill Journey to the Children of the World, by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi; translated by Dorothy Britton. Kodansha International, 2000, 222 pp., with photographs, 2,500 yen (cloth).

Tetsuko Kuroyanagi is a familiar figure on Japanese television quiz shows. She's the one decked out in kimono with a perky bun on top her head and ear-to-ear bangs (that's "fringe" to you British).

This style invites caricature, yet even those who don't speak Japanese soon realize that there is nothing ridiculous about this bright, confident woman. Kuroyanagi is also a leading light on the Japanese talk-show scene and has been for more than two decades.

Even outside Japan, many are familiar with her best-selling book, "Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window," which has been translated in 33 countries.