Tales from Japan (Oxford Myths and Legends) [Paperback]

Helen and William McAlpine (Adapter), Rosamund Fowler (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up | Series: Oxford Myths and Legends

Full of magic and wonder, these are tales of wicked giants and fairy children, beautiful princesses and fearless warriors. This extraordinary collection of stories from Japan are lively retellings of legends and fairy tales that include the great story of the creation of the world and the tale of a magical coat that makes people invisible. Meet the Sea Spirit, the Moon God, the Emperor Kiyomori, Dragon Princess and many other magical characters. Here, too, are folktales of woodcutters and fisherman who enter strange, enchanted worlds. This delightful mix of stories joyfully evokes the beauty and culture of Japan: its people, its animals, and its landscape. (Reissue of Japanese Tales and Legends, 0-19-274140-3)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Introduces readers to a variety of myths, legends, and folktales."--Calliope

About the Author

Helen McAlpine was born in England and studied at a dancing school in Tokyo for seven years. She had the distinction of being the first foreigner to receive the rank of "natori" in the field of classical Japanese dancing. Her husband William McAlpine was the representative of the British Council in Rangoon.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 158 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (April 4, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0192751751
• ISBN-13: 978-0192751751
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 6.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #64,367 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #48 in Books > Children's Books > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > Anthologies
  • #98 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Short Story Collections

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable, but Purists May Cringe, July 24, 2010

By 

Gilgamesh (Middle Earth) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Tales from Japan (Oxford Myths and Legends) (Paperback)

Oxford has chosen to reissue as Tales from Japan (Oxford Myths and Legends) what appear to be selections taken from the 1958 Japanese Tales and Legends. The stories are well-written and I think they would be an enjoyable way to introduce someone to Japanese tales.

PROBLEMS
--------------------
Purists may cringe at liberties taken by the authors, though. For example, the foundation myth for Japan in the first part of the book comes from the 8th century Kojiki, and because it is a convoluted story, it certainly needed to be adapted for a general audience. However, the addition of a single "Lord of Heaven" to the narrative does a disservice to the reader by making it sound too much like the Old Testament. Much of the content is conveyed clearly and accurately, so it seems odd to me that they would make such questionable changes.

SUMMARY
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If you are not terribly concerned with adaptations, and you want to get a sense of what traditional Japanese tales are like, then you'll enjoy this purchase. It would be particularly suitable for reading with children (some of the sections might require an adult's help to understand). I don't know of any other collection of Japanese tales that are appropriate for such a wide audience (children to adults).

SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING
--------------------
Readers who want to go more deeply into the traditional tales would enjoy the following excellent translations:

(1) Classical Japanese Prose: An Anthology
(2) The Tale of the Heike
(3) Lafcadio Hearn's Kwaidan (1907) is a classic and available online for free download (see Google Books). The tales may not be as well-known, but they are beautiful. I especially enjoyed Mimi-Nashi-Hoichi.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Easy read, July 15, 2008

By 

Panda Enthusiast (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tales from Japan (Oxford Myths and Legends) (Paperback)

This book is REALLY short and a real easy read. I think it's meant for kids. However, if you like tales and legends, this is a nice addition. It has all the major Japanese tales like Izanagi and Izanami (their "Adam and Eve" I suppose). All the Japanese names are left in there rather than an anglicized version. They even left in cultural references like "mochi." This whole Oxford tale series would be nice to have in a single volume rather than a single 100 pg book. However, it's decent, but you'll be able to finish it in an hour or 2.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars interesting little book with tales, January 8, 2009

By 

Annelies "liesje" (Netherlands) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tales from Japan (Oxford Myths and Legends) (Paperback)

hello,
it's a very interesting little book, it tells a lot about the legends of Japan and their very well written. If your interested in japan and you like tales it is a very nice book but the tales aren't new so they don't have any jokes or fun in it but their still nice if you have a great imagination and like I sad before their great tales. This book is definitely worth the money. (sorry for my English)
if you buy it I hope you like it.