Gami

Who is Gami?

Gami is a giant. He is taller than the trees in the Alphabet Woods, and he is folded from one enormous sheet of pink and orange paper.

A little bird rides on his shoulder. A round bell hangs on his chest. And in his big paper hands, Gami holds a very small guitar.

What does Gami do?

Gami plays music.

He knows a song for every letter of the alphabet. When he plays, the letters hiding in the woods start to hum along. That is how his friends know where to look for them.

When Gami laughs, his bell rings.

What is Gami like?

Gami is gentle, slow, and careful where he steps.

He is afraid of only one thing: rain. Paper and rain do not get along. So when the clouds turn grey, his friends help him find somewhere dry.

Where does his name come from?

Origami is the Japanese art of folding paper. In Japanese, ori means “to fold” and kami means “paper.” Gami is named after the paper part.

Try this tonight

Can you hear Gami's bell? Hum the alphabet song slowly. Every time you reach a letter that is in your name, ring a pretend bell: *ding!* How many dings did you get?

Mysteries

Some things about Gami are still a mystery, even to us:

• Who folded Gami?
• What is the little bird’s name? Gami says she has not told him yet.
• What does the bell sound like when he is sad?

Maybe the stories will tell us one day.