Ralph F. McCarthy

A classical Japanese/Korean fairy tale.
Great to expand students minds on fairy tales not of European origin.
Also great intro into stars (milkyway) and foreign childrens' culture.
Introduces some Japanese words.
The story takes us into Japan's past and gives us visuals of the dress and culture of the time. It's a love story between a celestrial being and a mortal. This concept may be hard for young children to understand so perhaps 3rd grade would be the lowest grade to read this to. Tie it into a space lesson or intro to multicultural understanding and it would work wonders.… (more)

One of a number of traditional Japanese folktales presented by Kodansha as part of their Bilingual Children's Classics series - other entries in the collection include: The Moon Princess, The Adventure of Momotaro, the Peach Boy, Kintaro, the Nature Boy, and The Inch-High Samurai - this lovely little picture-book follows the story of Urashima Taro, a kindhearted young fisherman who saves a sea turtle from the boys who have captured it, and is taken on a fantastic journey beneath the sea as a reward. Brought to the Dragon King's palace, where he is entertained by the king's own daughter, Urashima is beguiled, staying underwater at the palace, and eventually falling in love with the princess. When, after a time, he thinks to return to land to visit his parents, the princess gives him a box, instructing him to keep it closed at all costs, if he wishes to return to her...

This tale, in which the hero journeys to a magical underwater kingdom, discovering, upon his return to land, that centuries have passed in the human world, has been compared to the American story of Rip Van Winkle. While I can certainly see the similarities between the two, I think the better parallel is between this, and the Irish tale of Oisín in Tír na nÓg, who also returns to land from a watery world of enchantment, only to discover that hundreds of years have passed. Leaving aside these comparisons, this story is always entertaining, in and of itself, and this poetic telling, though the rhyming feels a little forced, is quite engaging. The artwork by Shiro Kasamatsu is just lovely, with an appealing palette and many delightful details. All in all, this is an engaging retelling of a classic tale (one that can also be found in collections like Florence Sakade's Urashima Taro and Other Japanese Children's Favorite Stories), one I recommend to all young folk and fairy-tale enthusiasts.… (more)

The classic Japanese tale of Momotaro, a boy who is born out of a peach, becoming the beloved (and long wished-for) son of an elderly couple, and of his journey to the island of the demons, is here retold as part of the Kodansha Bilingual Children's Classics series, which also includes: The Moon Princess, Urashima and the Kingdom Beneath the Sea, Kintaro, the Nature Boy, and The Inch-High Samurai. Blessed with an extraordinary strength, even as a baby, Momotaro decides that he must fight the demons that have long plagued the land, picking up canine, simian and alectorine companions on his way, and triumphing - with their help - over his enemies...

An engaging story, one that I have seen retold many times - George Suyeoka's Momotaro, Stephanie Wada's Momotaro and The Island Of Ogres, Florence Sakade's Peach Boy and Other Japanese Children's Favorite Stories, to name just a few - this traditional tale is presented, in this edition, in rhyming verse, together with the beautiful artwork of Ioe Saito. A smaller book - part of a five-book boxed set I was lucky enough to find on a book cart, one day - it is still large enough to appreciate the colorful illustrations. Recommended to young folk and fairy-tale enthusiasts, particularly those with an interest in Japan.… (more)