Once Upon a Time in Japan

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

Once Upon a Time in Japan presents eight stories from the NHK Japan Broadcasting Corporation's popular radio series of the same name. The Japanese folk stories in this volume are among Japan's oldest and most beloved stories, and all eight tales are brilliantly illustrated by a different talented Japanese artist. From learning about how the sea became salty to lessons in fairness and honesty, to acts of kindness and great deeds accomplished regardless of age or size, the stories in this beautifully illustrated collection make for perfect bedtime reading. Kids and parents will also enjoy hearing the stories read aloud on the accompanying CD. The stories found in Once Upon a Time in Japan include: The Wife Who Never Eats, The Mill of the Sea, The Monkey and the Crab, The Magical Hood, Sleepyhead Taro and the Children, The Fox and the Otter, The Gratitude of the Crane, The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter.

"The moral lessons in these tales are universal and should transcend the reader's age. But to an adult who is well aware that we're not living in a good and evil fairy-tale world, it may not be the courageous avengers but rather the ruffians accused by them who somehow have more appealreading this book leads to a discovery about the nature of old folktales: A sprinkling of cruelty and weirdness help engrave moral lessons deeper on the minds of readers." The Japan News

"The traditional beliefs of long ago come alive through the work of several artists." Skipping Stones magazine

Reviews

"The overall quality of production matches the care taken in narrative choices and imagery. The stories and artwork work very well together and will likely delight young readers, particularly when read aloud." --Booklist
"The traditional beliefs of long ago come alive through the work of several artists." --Skipping Stones magazine
"Once Upon a Time in Japan is an ideal introduction to Japanese folktalesthe publication's beautiful layout showcases a variety of award-winning Japanese illustrators." --The Japan Times

Author Bio

NHK World is the international service of Japanese public broadcaster NHK. The stories published in this book were part of a special series produced by Radio Japan, NHK World's radio service in 18 languages.

Illustrators
After working as a graphic designer, Manami Yamada became an author of children's books and an artist. Her books include Grandma Nosehair, whose illustrations were selected for the Bologna Illustrators Exhibition in 2008, and Kaeru to Okan ("The Frog and the Crown"). She is the recipient of several awards.

Tomonori Taniguchi was born in Osaka in 1978 and studied Nihon-ga Japanese painting at Kanazawa College of Art. His children's books have been published in Japan, France and Italy. They include Sarukun to Banana no Yuenchi ("Monkey and Banana's Amusement Park") and Pinocchio, la marionnette de fer ("Pinocchio the Iron Puppet").

Born in Gifu prefecture in 1978, Nao Takabatake is an author of children's books and an illustrator. He received the Japan Picture Book Award in 2013 for Kaeru no Odekake ("The Frog Goes Out"). His other works include Chiita Dai Se-ru ("Cheetah's Big Sale") and Banana Jiken ("The Banana Incident").

Takumi Nishio was born in Tokyo in 1968. He worked as a graphic and set designer for public broadcaster NHK from 1994 to 1999, and later produced animations, illustrations and opening titles for TV programs. He currently teaches at the Yokohama College of Art and Design.