I read Totto-Chan also, in English, of course, and I thought it was very inspiring, especially when I was teaching in Japan.
This may be a complete non sequitar, but wasn't the author Tetsuko Kuroyanagi one of the panelists on that famous game show "Naru Hodo Za Warudo?" in Japan. That was a very interesting program and not too silly.
It's been off the air for some time now so people might have forgotten...