Basho and the Fox

Basho and the Fox by Tim Myers, Illus. by Oki S. Han, 2000.

Basho and the Fox is not a folktale, but an original story by Tim Myers about the great Japanese poet Basho.  As the tale begins, Basho lives in a hut in Fukagawa, writing haiku and enjoying the late-summer wild cherries until he has a run in with a fox who is also visiting the cheery tree. They disagree over who is more deserving of the sweet fruit. Basho may be a poet, but the kitsune announces that foxes are much better poets than people are. Basho might be a great poet, but the haughty fox will discuss it in springtime. When the cherry blossoms come out again, the two strike a bargain: if Basho can write one good haiku, he can have the fruit all for himself. He may have three tries, but if he fails, he'll lose his claim. Through this challenge, Basho learns a lesson about poetry and the foxes of Fukagawa. Three of the poet's actual haiku are included.

Oki Han's watercolors well support the story, with long views giving readers an eyeful of nature. The same treescape is shown during different seasons and times of day. Contrast in light and shadow add interest to the pictures. Especially lovely are the illustrations of the madly blooming cheery tree spreading its pink and white flowered branches over Basho and the kitsune, and the pictures accompanying the haiku: a frog pond with koi, dragonflies and intricate lilies, and the sun rising behind the jeweled plum trees. The foxes in their kimonos add a whimsical touch.

Screen of Frogs

Screen of Frogs: an Old Tale Retold & Illus. by Sheila Hamanaka, 1993.

This story is adapted from "The Strange Folding Screen." In long ago Japan lives the rich and lazy man, Koji, who would rather sell off most of his land than work. One day, he contemplates selling his last mountain to pay his debts and he is visited by a human-sized frog who pleads with him to keep and preserve the creature's homeland. It urges Koji to think of the bees, birds, foxes and frogs that will have nowhere to go if the land is lost. After this, Koji is a changed man who sells his costly possessions to settle his debts and works and values his land. He is rewarded with a special screen with amphibious charm. Read the story to find out more!

Hamanaka's illustrations combine whimsy and beauty. Her people are round and cheerful and often accompanied by animals, such as soft-faced horses, dogs, a calico cat and what appears to be three monkeys wearing kimonos. She also uses texture and pattern to enhance her art. People wear collage kimonos of strikingly patterned fabric, the frog appears to be dressed in weedy robes, and Koji dabbles his finger in a marbled stream of white, mint green and blues, with variegated cherry blossoms swirling through. Screen of Frogs is an enjoyable retelling and would be appropriate Earth Day reading.

The Fool and The Phoenix: a Tale of Old Japan

The Fool and the Phoenix: a Tale of Old Japan by Deborah Nourse Lattimore, 1997.

Although this is Lattimore's original story, it has the feel of a folktale. The author has set her tale in feudal Japan during the Tokugawa dynasty, which was from 1603 to 1868. It was a period of peace and plenty for the royal classes. This was not so for the farmers, who had to pay a rice tax to the shogun. Lattimore says that when creating this story, she imagined what a jealous small town official might do if he knew of the riches of the shogun.

Hideo is a mute birdcatcher who has captured a hawk and hopes to head to a nearby village to sell it. Before he arrives, he is knocked down by a scarred bandit on horseback and then turned away from the village by Nobu, the village council head, because he is judged a fool and considered a bad omen. Alone in the forest, he hears a noise in a pine tree and casts his net, only to catch a beautiful maiden/Phoenix. After he releases her, the two fall in love and stay together, until the day when the shogun's men come to find the bandit that has taken the shogun's treasure. To save the village, Hideo must find the thief who has stolen the riches, as well as life from town. The Phoenix maid gives Hideo a magical feather to aid him. Will he find the thieving man and retrieve the treasure ? Will his voice be restored? And will Hideo be reunited with his true love?

Lattimore's endpaper illustrations introduce  readers to some potentially unfamiliar ideas such as the shogun in his armor, an official's house and what a rice paddy looks like. Throughout the book, she uses a neutral beige background to make the greens, violets and blues of the story really pop. The pictures are very pretty and beautifully balanced.

On Cat Mountain

On Cat Mountain by Francoise Richard, Illus. by Anne Buguet, 1994.

 Sho is a servant in the house of a haughty, nasty woman, but luckily she has one friend to talk to: her black cat, Secret. Unfortunately, the uncaring mistress discovers the kitty, and throws it out of her house. When a fortune teller comes to town, Sho learns that she will find her Secret on the dangerous Cat Mountain, from which no one has ever returned. He assures her that what she's lost is more precious than anything her sour mistress has. Caring only about this promised treasure, the mistress sends her away at once. Sho reaches Cat Mountain and meets strange young women who offer her hospitality, but who she overhears talking of a terrifying possibility. Luckily, she finds herself reunited with Secret, who is now a cat-girl. She protects Sho and sends her home with a special bag that will bring her freedom. When the servant's jealous mistress learns of the results of Sho's journey, she is compelled to go to Cat Mountain herself. As we have learned by reading Japanese folk tales, or most fairy tales, it is best not to be a villain in a story, because you will certainly be punished, and this wicked old woman is no exception.

Anne Buguet's illustrations are lovely and intriguing. Sho's mistress is drawn with a sneer on her face and a haughty erect carriage. The ladies, both human and feline, have lustrous black hair and flowing robes. And the formidable wildcats that greet the unkind mistress are solid, slinky and well blessed with fangs and claws!

The Boy of the Three Year Nap

The Boy of the Three Year Nap by Diane Snyder, Illus. by Allen Say, 1988.

A poor widow lives on the banks of the Nagara river with her lazy son, Taro. She works hard to support them, because unfortunately, although Taro is healthy and smart, he most likes to sleep.  When a rich merchant and his family, including a lovely daughter, move into the neighborhood, Taro's mother wants him to work for the new neighbor. However, Taro has a secret plan that involves priest's robes, dark makeup, and Ugigami, the town's patron god. Could he win the rich man's daughter and a cushy life for himself? This good-natured traditional Japanese tale of a trickster tricked  will please readers of all ages.

This is another work illustrated by Allen Say (see my previous post about Under the Cherry Blossom Tree), this time a Caldecott Honor Book. The book's title page shows a full moon over rooftops, and behind one window shade we can see our anti-hero yawning widely. He is doing this same thing on the cover. Readers have no doubt that his nickname is suitable. All the characters are expressive, from the bucktoothed merchant during his disturbing encounter with "Ugigami", to Taro's displeased new mother-in-law to the widow, who easily moves from irritated to shocked to smug.

Under the Cherry Blossom Tree by Allen Say

Under the Cherry Blossom Tree: An Old Japanese Tale retold and Illus. by Allen Say. 1974.

This is a new kind of story to me. It is called a  pillow or makura, and is a short humorous tale used in Japanese joke houses or yose to prepare an audience for longer stories to follow.This makura is about a horrible, mean landlord who complains all the time. One day in spring he goes out to sit under a cherry tree to eat cherries and grump about the people celebrating the new season. Suddenly, he swallows a cherry pit, which does not go to his stomach, but instead to his head. The next day when a fruit tree begins to grow out of his skull, he is not pleased. This sets the wheels in motion for events that  eventually give the crusty old man what he deserves and bring pleasure to his neighbors.

These Allen Say illustrations are different from the ones in his later award winning book Grandfather's Journey, or his Tree of Cranes or Emma's Rug, primarily because Under the Cherry Blossom Tree is a smaller work with black and white illustrations.

Still, even in grey scale alone, the pictures are appropriate and perfect for this somewhat bizarre story.  The illustrations are quite detailed, with lots of shading.Whether the old grouch has a tree blossoming or a fish pond splashing in his head, Say keeps it comical rather than gross.   Readers won't feel much pity for the mean landlord because awake or asleep, he has a scowl on his face, but they will enjoy his transformations.