The Boy of the Three-Year Nap [Paperback]

Dianne Snyder (Author), Allen Say (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Lazy Taro gets his comeuppance.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Taro is a Japanese boy whose penchant for sleeping is the butt of village jokes, much to the chagrin of his poor widowed mother, who works hard to provide them with necessities. Taro cannot be coaxed into working, despite his mother's pleas, until he falls in love with a rich merchant's daughter and hatches a scheme to make himself wealthy. The author's foreword explains that many gods and demons inhabit Japanese folklore, which will help readers understand how Taro, disguised as a local deity, is able to convince the rich neighbor that his daughter must wed the laziest boy in town. Say's art, with stylized Oriental touches, comically animates the sprightly tale, perfectly matching the abundant wit of Snyder's adaptation. All ages.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-6 The accuracy of the visualized Japanese landscape and architecture help considerably in casting this retold folktale into an Oriental mold. A very industrious widow watches her very lazy teenage son (whose nickname is the title of the book) grow up. And readers watch her watching him in tightly crafted scenes that are some what reminiscent of 17th- or 18th-Cen tury Japanese woodcuts: fishing boats on the river; bamboo-windowed houses; blue-mountained backdrops with birds in V-formation; etc. Smoothly applied paint (seemingly air brushed at times) depict the peaceful Japanese landscape. The costuming and facial gestures, as the boy tricks a rich neighbor into rebuilding his moth er's house and allowing him to marry his daughter, create a dramatic effect. There is a sense of authenticity to the pictures that informs readers about a particular lifestyle while simultaneous ly entertaining them with an engaging, almost universal trickster tale. Ken neth Marantz, Art Education Depart ment, Ohio State University, Colum bus
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Sandpiper (October 14, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 039566957X
• ISBN-13: 978-0395669570
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 10.3 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #170,688 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Used as a Thematic Unit!, December 10, 1999

By 

KLBrown - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Boy of the Three-Year Nap (Paperback)

I loved this book so much that I developed a Thematic Unit around it. The book has some of the most outstanding pictures one has ever seen. Through these pictures we get to see Japan's culture, customs, and landscape. The story is great too. Through this book I taught Reading, English, Math, Social Studies, Science, Art, and used the internet to go on a field trip. This is a wonderful book and keeps the reader guessing. Enjoy!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT FOLK TALE AND FUNNY TOO!!!!, September 25, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Boy of the Three-Year Nap (Paperback)

This is a very classic story from Nagoya region, I believe. Taro was as lazy as he can be. He wants to do nothing but laying on the tatami-mats and sleeping where he received his nickname, Three-Year Nap Taro. Pictures and story are full of Japanese culture and your children would like the twisted ending to learn being lazy is NOT good.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very fun, even for older kids., May 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Boy of the Three-Year Nap (Paperback)

My son's third grade class has been studying Japan. They had a "Japan Day" with lots of Japanese activities. His teacher asked me to read this book to the class. I hadn't read it before and only one child had heard it. They loved it. I have come right home and am purchasing the book for our "library" right now. Highly recommended!