Talking tea kettles, a monstrous goblin-spider, miniature warriors, and other fanciful creatures abound in exotic tales brimming with warmth and whimsy. 11 excellently translated fables include "The Fountain of Youth," "The Old Woman Who Lost Her Dumplings," "The Wooden Bowl," "My Lord Bag-o'-Rice," and more. 21 original illustrations by Yuko Green.
"My Lord Bag-o'-Rice" and "The Matsuyama Mirror'"and more "The Boy Who Drew Cats and Other Japanese Fairy Tales" is an excellent, inexpensive introduction to the Fairy world of Japan. Inside this book are Oni Demons, Jizo-sama, magical cats, the Tanuki who turns into a tea kettle, Goblin spiders, little men who clean tatami and a host of other magical creatures.
Many of the tales are translations by Lufcadio Hearn, author of "Kwaidan" and "In Ghostly Japan." Hearn is famous for his study and work of Japanese folklore in the late 1880s. The translations are authentic and unabridged.
This edition is perfect for young readers, with large type and quaint black-and-white illustrations. The stories are very easy to read. The book is very short, only about 60 pages.
I recommend this book to any young reader or parent who wishes to be exposed to the myths and fantasies of Japan. Fairy tales are an excellent introduction to foreign cultures, and can be a stepping stone to a broader world.
A fine introduction to Japanese fairy tales The Dover Children's Thrift Classics of The Boy Who Drew Catsand Other Japanese Fairy Tales is amazing buy! All children should beexposed to the mythology and folklore of other cultures and the Dover Thrift library makes this possible by offering many other such titles from cultures ranging from Native American, Jewish, Russian, Danish, Chinese, Grimms, Hans Christian Anderson and Oscar Wilde. It is a wonderful way to build a library of knowledge affordably for any child. This particular edition is unabridged and contains the work of many writers. Like all fairy tales, they can be scary, gruesome and are used to ward off bad behavior by children. I will not belabor the problems of fairy tales but will say that if you enjoy fairy tales and take that aspect with a grain of salt, this is a fine introduction to Japanese folklore. It contains 11 stories and each has at least one accompanying simple illustration. Great for reading aloud and even more purposeful, when your children are reading on their own, it is a great way to expose them to other cultures. The writing is simple and easy to grasp but does not contain any stylish flourishes. The illustrations are simplistic and basic ink drawings. The stories included in this volume are:Chin-Chin Kobakama, The Goblin-Spider, The Old Woman Who Lost Her Dumplings, The Boy Who Drew Cats, The Silly Jelly-Fish, The Fountain of Youth, The Hare of Inaba, My Lord Bag o'Rice, The Wooden Bowl, The Tea-Kettle and the Matsuyama Mirror. They are competently written. Again, keep in mind that some details are scary and gruesome as it is with all fairy tales from any culture. A great buy! END
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