First released in 1953, this revised and reset edition of "Japanese Children's Favorite Stories commemorates the 50th anniversary with a brand new preface and dozens of illustrations published in color for the first time. Readers young and old will discover the joy of Japanese folklore with this delightful collection of children's stories that have been handed down from generation to generation. The toothpick warriors and long-nosed goblins will tickle the imagination; bobtail monkeys and magic tea kettles will charm parents, children, and grandchildren for years to come. Classic tales like "Why the Jellyfish Has No Bones" and "The Rabbit Who Crossed the Sea" pay tribute to the traditional Japanese virtues of hard work and good humor, humility and kindness. This international classic will make a wonderful addition to a child's library.
Florence Sakade is the editor and author of numerous books on Japan, including A Guide to Reading and Writing Japanese; Origami: Japanese Paper Folding; Kintaro's Adventures and Other Japanese Children's Favorite Stories; and Urashima Taro and Other Japanese Children's Stories.
Japanese Children's Favorite Stories, ed. by Florence Sakade, covers a range of characters, human and animal, from the "peach boy" who grows up to conquer a tribe of ogres, to the badger whose nose grows so long it reaches into the sky. These folktales from Japan feature fascinating characters and lessons of kindness and honesty. Originally published in 1953, this revised edition has all-new illustrations by Yoshisuke Kurosaki, which play up the magical qualities of the tales. (Aug.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
K-Gr 3-Fifty years after its initial publication, Sakade's compilation of popular Japanese folktales has been dusted off and prettied up for this new, third edition. Filled with now-familiar favorites, such as "Peach Boy" and "The Tongue-Cut Sparrow," along with lesser-known yet equally delightful tales, such as "Mr. Lucky Straw," this enduring collection presents 20 stories to enchant and enlighten young readers. Several of the tales can easily be compared with traditional Western counterparts: the main character in "Silly Saburo," for example, mirrors the follies of "Lazy Jack." Although a few of these tales have been made into fully illustrated picture books, this collection is greater than the sum of its parts. Minor text revisions have little effect on the stories, for the most part. "The Ogre and the Cock" has become "The Ogre and the Rooster," a "blue goblin" has been made over to green, and a formerly dead cat has been resuscitated and upgraded to merely "smelly." The text remains simple, clear, and accessible to beginning readers and storytellers alike. The "sparkling new color illustrations" are simply Kurosaki's original stylized scenes, repainted in bright dabs of watercolor. Most libraries will be glad to replace their well-worn older copies with this volume, in spite of (or perhaps because of) the fact that they are nearly identical inside.-Eve Ortega, Cypress Library, CA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
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