八つ · 8 Picture Stories

Yatsu

The kamishibai app for nursery and home

»Yatsu« (八つ) is Japanese for »eight things« – the heart of this paper theatre: every story from around the world is told across exactly eight beautifully crafted picture cards and rhyming verses.

To read aloud at circle time on the TV, or as a bedtime story at home.

  • 21 tales from around the world, every verse rhymes
  • Read aloud in six languages, about half an hour per language – or read it yourself
  • No ads, no data collected, parental gate
  • Works offline
  • On iPhone, a widget suggests a story every evening
  • Momotarō free, further packs without subscription
  • The app’s shelf, with Momotarō as the first story.
  • The stage with Aladdin, card 1 of 8, and the verse below.

The 21 stories

🇯🇵 Momotarō free

  • Momotarō, the Peach Boy

🇯🇵 Japanese Legends

  • The Old Man and the Straw Hats
  • The Mouse Wedding
  • The Grateful Crane
  • The Man Who Makes Flowers Bloom

🇩🇪 Tales from Germany

  • The Bremen Town Musicians
  • Mother Holle
  • Hansel and Gretel
  • Little Red Riding Hood

🇨🇳 Chinese Legends

  • The Monkey King Sun Wukong
  • Nian, the New Year Monster
  • Chang'e, the Lady in the Moon
  • Hua Mulan

🏺 Arabian Tales

  • Aladdin and the Magic Lamp
  • Sindbad the Sailor
  • The Fisherman and the Jinni
  • Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves

🇮🇳 Indian Fables

  • The Talkative Tortoise
  • The Monkey and the Crocodile
  • The Lion and the Clever Hare
  • The Blue Jackal

The paper theatre for circle time

The idea comes from traditional kamishibai: Japanese storytellers once travelled from village to village with a wooden stage mounted on a bicycle, sliding picture cards through to tell stories card by card.

The TV or projector shows only the picture card, large enough for everyone. The verse stays on the storyteller’s phone or tablet – like a wooden butai, where the text is on the back of the card.

Via AirPlay, Chromecast or HDMI. With an Apple Watch, the Digital Crown turns to the next card.

A TV shows Momotarō with the dog, monkey and pheasant; below it an iPhone with the same card and the verse, and an Apple Watch with the card in miniature.

At nursery and school

Yatsu is made for reading together, not for a child alone with a screen. Every story comes in six languages, so children can also hear a tale in their home language.

The rhymes build a feel for language, and after a few cards the children join in.

Press and contact

Would you like to write about Yatsu, or try it at your school or nursery? Get in touch.

yatsu@md4.org Press kit (ZIP, 4 MB)

Fact sheet as PDF in English and German, app icon, three images per language.