Materials from Japan
In 1841, rescued by an American whaler after a terrible shipwreck leaves him and his four companions castaways on a remote island, fourteen-year-old Manjiro, who dreams of becoming a samurai, learns new laws and customs as he becomes the first Japanese person to set foot in the United States.
This book has been included in WOW’s Language and Learning: Children’s and Young Adult Fiction Booklist. For our current list, visit our Booklist page under Resources in the green navigation bar.
A lonely Japanese magician gains friends through the paper crane that he brings to life but then must set free.
Momo eagerly waits for a rainy day so she can use the red boots and umbrella she received on her third birthday.
A bear hunter finds his destiny in the hills of Mt. Nametoko.
An adaptation, set in the American South, of an old Japanese folktale in which a powerful wrestler who hopes to win the Emperor’s Wrestling Match encounters three exceptionally strong women who train him for success.
Five nice mice are sitting in the garden one night when Baba hears faint music in the distance. What can this wonderful sound be? They decide to go and find out, and they discover a fabulous frog concert. But mice aren’t allowed in. So they return home and decide to form an orchestra of their own—no frogs allowed. They practice and practice, and finally put on a great show. When all the cheers die down, the mice are shocked to see an audience full of frogs! It turns out that you can’t keep good music to yourself after all.
Twelve stories representing a variety of Japanese folklore
Miku Takeshita and her family have moved from Japan to live in the UK, but unfortunately the family’s enemy demons have followed them. Miku knows she’s in trouble when her new supply teacher turns out to be a Nukekubi – a bloodthirsty demon who can turn into a flying head and whose favourite snack is children. That night, in a raging snowstorm, Miku’s little brother Kazu is kidnapped by the demons, and then it’s up to Miku and her friend Cait to get him back. The girls break into their snow-locked school, confronting the dragon-like Woman of the Wet, and outwitting the faceless Nopera-bo. At last they come face to face with the Nukekubi itself – but will they be in time to save Kazu?
Muna has never known his father — a samurai, a noble warrior. But Muna’s mother has told Muna how he will know him one day: by the sign of the chrysanthemum. When his mother dies, Muna travels to the capital of twelfth-century Japan, a bewildering city on the verge of revolution. He finds a haven there, as servant to the great swordsmith, Fukuji. But Muna cannot forget his dream: He must find his father. Only then will he have power and a name to be reckoned with. Only then will he become a man.
Five traditional Japanese tales: “One-inch Fellow, “The Good Fortune Kettle,” “The Tongue-Cut Sparrow,” “Momotaro,” and “The White Hare and the Crocodiles.”