Japanese Children’s Favorite Stories
By: Florence Sakade and Yoshisuke Kurosaki
Review By: The Editors
First printed the early 1950’s, this is the third edition of the book. It contains ten classic Japanese fairy tales from the original printing together with ten newer stories. The stories are full of fantasy and provide a window into another culture without needing experience in the culture for children to appreciate them. Beautifully illustrated, the stories are imaginative and often dramatic. The common themes of heroism, adventure, respect and helping others are woven throughout the book.
Japanese fairy tales are different in style from American tales in that they do not necessarily have a moral. The endings can at times seem confusing as some stories end abruptly. However the dramatic adventures the characters go on, combined with the original illustrations, make this a favorite for Japanese and non-Japanese kids alike. No experience is needed with Japanese culture to be able to enjoy the tales. The 20 independent stories make it easy to customize the length of each night’s reading for your child.
Thank you for sharing this book. I still have the copy my mom read to me growing up. This one and its companion books were fixtures in our house. I learned a lot about my Japanese heritage from these tales.
No connection in our household with Japan, but we all love the book.