The 2005`s Newbery Medal Winner, Cynthia Kadohata`s Kira-Kira, is known that the title of work uses Japanese onomatopoeia: `kira-kira`. In this paper, I would like to compare it with another work using Japanese onomatopoeia: Kenji Miyazawa`s “Yamanashi” (The Wild Pear), for explaining the role and limitation of using onomatopoeia in works. Two works are effective for using onomatopoeia that makes a usual word to show a different aspect. Especially, Kadohata`s Kira-Kira is the main theme of story in which a girl grows up through the difficult time. In this story, onomatopoeia `kira-kira` has a very important role which shows the way of seeing the world in the new light. I would refer to the viewpoint of a reader who speaks English usually, and point to successfulness of using onomatopoeia and its limitation. Comparing Kadohata`s work with Kenji Miyazawa`s work is useful to clearly show the problems of using onomatopoeia and impossibility of translation.