The Sea Maidens of Japan [Hardcover]

Lili Bell (Author), Erin McGonigle Brammer (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up

Young Kiyomo struggles to meet the cultural expectations of the while overcoming her fears and discovering her strengths

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2. In this pedestrian, thinly plotted story, Kiyomi is learning from her mother to be an ama, or female diver, but she is afraid of the deep water. One night she discovers a newly hatched sea turtle on the beach going toward the city lights in the distance, so she helps guide it to the ocean. Several years later as she is fearfully attempting her dives, she sees what she believes is the same turtle swim past, for, like the hatchling, it has a star pattern on its shell. She dives in and swims with it to the ocean floor. After it departs, she continues to dive into the deep, hunting for abalone. An author's note gives additional information on the kinds of ama and what they bring up but doesn't answer questions such as how deep they go, why they wear white, or how many there are today. The oil-wash and colored-pencil illustrations, done predominantly in greens, browns, and rusts, fill the double-page spreads, with the text inserted on lighter rectangles. Many of the spreads are so grainy that they look as though they have been covered with a layer of dark brown sand, with generally unattractive results.?Diane S. Marton, Arlington County Library,
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 5-8. Bell's story told in first person and present tense over a period of several years concerns a Japanese girl named Kiyomi, who is expected to follow an ancestral tradition in the maternal line of her family. Her mother, grandmother, and even her great-great-great-grandmother have been among the ama, women who dive to the ocean floor and harvest seafood for Japanese emperors. Kiyomi's fear of deep water makes her reluctant to dive, a failure that disgraces the girl and her family. Only the love of a sea turtle enables her to swim, dive, and become comfortable enough in the water to succeed as amas. The deftly drawn colored pencil-and-oil wash illustrations are shaded to the point of darkness, even in the daytime scenes. The story is rather long for young children, who might in any case be puzzled or taken aback by the divers' faces, which are painted white to protect them from the salt water (a fact not explained until late in the book). Older children, however, may find this a picturesque introduction to a little-known aspect of Japanese culture. Recommended for larger collections. Carolyn Phelan

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Ideals Publications; 1st edition (October 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1571020950
• ISBN-13: 978-1571020956
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 9.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,357,991 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Sea Maidens of Japan by Lili Bell, February 22, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Fraser,Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sea Maidens of Japan (Hardcover)

"We are called ama, the sea maidens of Japan" announces Kiyomi, at the beginning of her story in The Sea Maidens of Japan. Kiyomi, a young Japanese girl, who is to follow in her mother's and grandmother's tradition of an ama, Japanese sea divers who hunt for shellfish without the aid of underwaterbreathing apparatus, must first conquer her own fear of diving into the deep sea waters. This lovely tale of a mother and daughter relationship, steeped in tradition, takes the reader on a very delicate and heartwarming adventure. Unlike her sisters, who "chose the modern way of life and work in the city", Kiyomi, decides to be an ama and work in the sea. While her mother dives, Kiyomi, waits on shore and finds a "treasure chest" as "every grain of sand is shaped like a star". Afterwards, her mother shows her more wonders of the sea as one night she takes her to watch the sea turtles lay their eggs on the beach. Kiyomi is fascinated by this and befriends a small baby turtle, with a star on his shell, who appears frighten and lost by the deep sea. She gently guides him in the right direction, and "a huge wave swallows him and carries him out to the deep sea". When it comes time for Kiyomi to dive on her own, her kindness is repaid when she spots the sea turtle again, who gives her the strength to conquer her fear of diving. The soft and delicate oriental-styled illustrations done by Erin McGonigle Brammer, enhance the story's message and sends the reader on this magical journey. This book is recommended for children ages 6-10, but I would recommended for adult readers as well.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great story about Ama, September 8, 2007

By 

Teacher Reads Aloud "Series Lover" (Western, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sea Maidens of Japan (Hardcover)

If you don't know what Ama is you should read this book. Great picture book that captures the essence of being Ama.