Some very astute observations about Japan emerge in this story by the author of Pepper (1952) and Hamlet and Brownswiggle (1954) who now has a new setting- the Orient- to write about. Emily and her family are near Kure living in an American settlement called Rainbow Village. Her father is engaged in government work, and is conscientious enough to try to get his children interested in the Japanese. And Emily, who is interested anyway, is eager for the opportunity of having classes with some girls from an orphanage. The joint school turns out to be a great success, but it is not the only happening in the book. Side incidents and adventures make a frustrating to funny chain of events that indicates source in an actual situation.