Issunboshi

My children loved this book when they were young and I read it many many times. My grandchildren are now having it read to them.

This is a beautiful and colorful re-telling of the Japanese folktale, Issunboshi, in English. The oni, monsters in the story are pretty scary-looking, but my five- and seven-year-olds find the story exciting. The costumes and setting are from ancient Japan (Heian period,) and thus show another kind of kimono than that we often associate with Japanese tradition. The princess wears the twelve-layer kimono, like Masako-sama wore when she married the present Crown Prince of Japan. They also enjoy how he and his elderly parents cope with his minute size -- the use of a needle for a sword, and a bowl for a boat, capture their imagination. And they enjoy it all the more, because they`re familiar with the Japanese nursery song, included with translation at the back of the book, along with some additional illustrated information on ancient Japanese things.