This little book is very useful to learn Japanese syllabary 2. It offers progressive learning of signs, clearly explains pronunciation, and writing. Numerous and often amusing exercises allow good retention. As the book is as Notepad, you can write directly. This book really helped me as I padded trying to learn hiragana in order (I remembered thanks to their position in the table). This book really helped retain without referring to their order. For me it is really the ideal way to hold them. Almost essential if one learns alone. Further illustrations are very pretty, and there are some historical elements of these signs, which does not spoil anything.