A young fox uses the magic of the mountain foxes to change herself into human form so that she may join the human world and becomes Yuri, a beautiful maiden, who quickly finds a place among the humans, but the magic is not perfect and things begin to change drastically.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Marston's (Cynthia and the Runaway Gazebo) haunting tale, inspired by Japanese folklore, gathers dramatic tension from its protagonist's dilemma. A fox who yearns to explore the human world uses a risky form of magic to turns herself into a young woman. She meets kindhearted Haruo, a servant, who helps her find work in his rich master's home,. But the "fox maiden" is torn between the forest and the village, and as she goes back and forth between them, her deception is finally discovered. She and Haruo aid each other in escaping the angry villagers, but the story ends with their parting and her resumption of her fox form. Kiuchi (Mysterious Tales of Japan) envelopes this eerie, deftly spun tale in hazy, serene acrylics; his quiet earth tones and blurred lines intensify the story's dreaminess. Ages 5-9.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 1-5-An enigmatic story set in ancient Japan. A young fox, convinced that the human world would provide a better life, takes the shape of a girl and works in the household of a rich man, where she falls in love with Haruo, a young manservant. Returning to her fox family to warn them of impending danger from hunters, she discovers that she has become too much a woman to give up her new existence and the man she loves. But the girl has passed back and forth between her two worlds one too many times. When she returns to the village, a bushy foxtail hangs from beneath her kimono, and she is forced to flee with Haruo's help. They part forever-brought together by love but separated by the immutable laws of their essential natures. This original story has many elements of a traditional tale: animal transformation, three repetitive incidents, the fox tail divulging a true identity. The lengthy text is written in a somewhat formal literary style that, while appropriate to its traditional inspiration, somehow lacks flow and compelling energy. This has the effect of muting the inherent drama of the tale. Kiuchi's impressionistic acrylic paintings, while subtle in palette and tone, add emotion with a close-up of the fox's sad-eyed face, the maiden with her foxtail dragging from beneath her kimono, and a bird's-eye view of the lovers being pursued across the fields by angry villagers. A grave and thought-provoking offering.
Kate McClelland, Perrot Memorial Library, Greenwich, CT
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Kate McClelland, Perrot Memorial Library, Greenwich, CT
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
There are no customer reviews yet.
|
|||
|
Video reviews
|
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
