Japanese Children's Favorite Stories [Hardcover]

Florence Sakade (Editor), Yoshisuke Kurosaki (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

Playful goblins with long noses, magic tea kettles and a delightfully brave hero who just happens to be one inch tall-these are some of the wonderful characters you'll meet in this collection of the 20 best-loved Japanese children's stories. Drawn from folklore and passed down for generations, these classic tales speak of the virtues of hard work, humility, kindness and good humor-"Once upon a time . . ." has never sounded so inviting.

Commemorating the 50th anniversary of one of our all-time best-selling titles. With a new foreword, each story has been lovingly revised and reset, and all the sparkling illustrations appear in color for the very first time. With so many enchanting stories to choose from, young readers will have a delightful time deciding which is their very favorite.

This classic book has had 51 reprints and sold over 175,000 copies since it was first released in 1953. Other titles in our growing series of Asian Children's Favorite Stories include Favorite Children's Stories from China and Tibet, Balinese Children's Favorite Stories and Filipino Children's Favorite Stories.

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 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 © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Gr. 2-4, younger for reading aloud. This third edition, the fiftieth anniversary edition of a Japanese classic, has undergone minor cosmetic changes. The 20 stories remain intact, but color has been added to all of the pictures previously rendered in ink and wash. The pages are also slightly larger, allowing more white space. As with previous editions, sources are not cited and there is no index, but some of the stories, such as "Peach Boy," will be familiar to youngsters through American versions. This attractive new dressing should attract more children to the classic compilation of Japanese folklore. Linda Perkins
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 120 pages
• Publisher: Charles E. Tuttle Company (June 1953)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080480284X
• ISBN-13: 978-0804802840
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 8.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,228,232 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful illustrations and wonderful stories., June 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Japanese Children's Favorite Stories (Hardcover)

As a child I was enchanted by the tales of Little Peach Boy, Inchling, and the other characters whose stories are featured in this book. Each story has a positive theme such as politeness, helpfulness and sacrifice. The characters are as memorable as those of the Brothers Grimm and the stories are complemented by beautiful illustrations.

I still have my 25 year old copy of this book and am purchasing a copy for each of my children to have for themselves.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars enjoyable classics for bedtime reading, October 6, 2002

By 

Larry Mark "editor of MyJewishBooks.com" (nyc) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Japanese Children's Favorite Stories (Hardcover)

First printed the early 1950's, this is the 51st printing of the book. It contains ten classics from the first printing 50 years ago, and ten newer stories. Stories include (1) Momotaro the Peach Boy, a boy who is found in a peach by a childless couple, who goes off to fight ogres with his animal friends when he reaches his teens; (2) The Magic Tea Kettle about the badger who is mistaken for a kettle; and (3) Silly Saburo, the hilarious and entertaining story about a boy and his misadventures, all becuase he does exactly what he is told. Also among the twenty are (4) The Crab and the Monkey, about a plotting monket and his hapless friend, a crab, and a riceball and persimmon seed; and (5) Why The Jellyfish Has No Bones, about a jellyfish and an evil octopus.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful and entertaining cultural exchange, April 27, 2000

By 

L. Story (Marietta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Japanese Children's Favorite Stories (Hardcover)

As a small child I lived for three years in Japan. Before we moved overseas, my mother bought me this book, I suppose to encourage an interest in Japanese culture. Ever since, I have loved this book, with its beautiful illustrations and thoughtprovoking and entertaining stories. Now I've purchased a new edition for my little boy. If you're looking to broaden your child's horizons, this is a must for the bookshelf.