Asian Children's Favorite Stories  •  Patrick Yee  •  Liana Romulo  •  Joan Suyenaga  •  Kay Lyons  •  Marian Davies Toth  •  David Conger LITERATURE •  2006 •  HARD COVER  • 112 PAGES • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8) Subtitled "A treasury of folktales from China, Japan, Korea, India, The Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia," this is a wonderful collection of 13 traditional stories. These multicultural tales just might become your new favorite bedtime reading. (ASA56, $31.95)
The Big Wave  •  Pearl Buck LITERATURE •  1986 •  PAPER  • 57 PAGES • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) Pearl S. Buck's children's classic, in which a Japanese boy escapes a tidal wave that destroys the rest of his village. Ages 9-12. (JPN96, $4.99)
Buddha  •  Demi RELIGION •  1996 •  HARD COVER  • 48 PAGES • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) Beautiful, intricately detailed, full-color illustrations make this life of the Buddha an excellent choice for children. Demi tells the story of the sheltered upbringing of Indian prince Siddhartha, his first encounter with death and human suffering, and his subsequent search for enlightenment. Intended for children age 7-10. (ASA17, $21.95)
Buddha Stories  •  Demi RELIGION •  1997 •  HARD COVER  • 32 PAGES • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8) Intended for ages 4 to 8, this book tells 10 of the author's favorite "jakatas," or moral tales of the Buddha. She has sumptuously illustrated the volume in gold printed on deep, dark blue (in the tradition of an ancient Buddhist text). Gorgeous (at least in very good light!), and a compelling introduction to Buddhism for children. (ASA16, $20.00)
Children's Illustrated Japanese Dictionary  •  Hippocrene LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS •  2001 •  PAPER  • 94 PAGES • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) 500 words central to a child's everyday life -- animals, flowers, people, colors, numbers and activities -- teach even the youngest readers Japanese. Each word is illustrated and accompanied by a phonetic transcription. (JPN123, $11.95)
Commodore Perry in the Land of the Shogun  •  Rhoda Blumberg HISTORY •  2003 •  PAPER  • 144 PAGES • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) A culturally aware account of Commodore Matthew Perry's expedition to Edo-era Japan, illustrated with 19th-century Japanese prints. It was Perry's naval expedition that opened Japan to the West after centuries of isolationism, and now the Commodore introduces Old Japan to a new generation of readers (ages 9 to 12). Children will not soon forget the chapter about the Japanese feudal system. A 1986 Newbery Honor Book. (JPN98, $8.99)
The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn  •  Dorothy Hoobler MYSTERY •  2005 •  PAPER • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) A mystery set in Tokugawa-period Japan, in which a teenage boy investigates a robbery and learns much about the ways of samurai. The authors include lots of detail about the historical period, and the mystery is quite gripping. Geared for ages 9-12. (JPN184, $6.99)
Grass Sandals, The Travels of Basho  •  Dawnine Spivak  •  Demi BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1997 •  PAPER  • 40 PAGES • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8) A many-layered picture book based on the journeys of Basho, the 17th-century haiku poet who criss-crossed Japan by foot. The story, as told by Dawnine Spivak, communicates the simplicity of Basho's life and much of the ethos of daily life in old Japan. The illustrations, painted in colored ink on rice paper by the wonderful artist Demi, give a visual life to Spivak's text, as well as to the haikus which appear throughout the book. Ages 4-8. (JPN97, $18.99)
The Inn-Keeper's Apprentice  •  Allen Say LITERATURE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 160 PAGES • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8) (JPN212, $6.95)
Japan, A True Book  •  Ann Heinrichs CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1997 •  PAPER  • 48 PAGES • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8) An introduction to Japan -- its geography, citizens and history -- for children ages 6 to 8. With its large color photographs, large-scale maps and accessible text, this book is an engaging primer. (JPN99, $6.95)
Japanese Children's Favorite Stories  •  Florence Sakade  •  Yoshio Kurosaki LITERATURE •  1990 •  HARD COVER  • 120 PAGES • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8) A refreshing, enchanting collection of traditional Japanese children's stories complemented by lavish illustrations. Ages 4-8. (JPN77, $16.95)
Japanese Tales  •  Royall Tyler LITERATURE •  1989 •  PAPER  • 340 PAGES • FAMILY A much-acclaimed translation of 220 Japanese folk tales, featuring Buddhists, dragons, emperors and peasants. It's worth cherishing. (JPN95, $19.00)
The Master Puppeteer  •  Katherine Paterson LITERATURE •  1989 •  PAPER  • 192 PAGES • YOUNG ADULTS Set in samurai-era Osaka, this National Book Award-winning novel tells the story of a young apprentice puppetmaker and his hero, a bandit who steals rice from the rich to feed the poor. The book is jammed with adventure, danger, and details about 18th century Japan and Japanese theatre. (JPN183, $5.99)
Now and Zen  •  Linda Gerber LITERATURE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 224 PAGES • YOUNG ADULTS The seventh book in the Students Across the Seven Seas series. Nori studies in Japan to rediscover her Japanese heritage, and winds up posing as a local to impress a cute German exchange student. Yet ultimately she learns a lot about Japanese culture and herself in the karaoke clubs of Tokyo, the peaceful temples in Kyoto, and the tranquil heights of Mt. Fuji. (JPN205, $6.99)
The Old Man Mad About Drawing, A Tale of Hokusai  •  Francois Place BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2004 •  HARD COVER  • 108 PAGES • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) What a terrific tale! Drawings and woodcuts by the 19th-century master along with author Francois Places's energetic modern watercolors decorate and illuminate every page of this illustrated tale of a young orphan Tojiro and his apprenticeship to the elderly Hokusai. Place (a Frenchman) conveys the texture and feel of not only the art of the period but also daily life in late 19th-century Edo. (JPN134, $19.95)
One Day in Japan with Hokusai  •  Christopher Wynne  •  Julia Altmann ART & ARCHITECTURE •  2001 •  HARD COVER  • 30 PAGES • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) Illustrated with color reproductions of Hokusai's prints, this storybook for 9-12 year-olds recounts Kiku and Yoshi's visit to their grandfather's house in Edo. Their grandfather just happens to be Hokusai (1760-1849), the famous Japanese artist! A Prestel "Adventures in Art" book. (JPN103, $14.95)
One Leaf Rides the Wind  •  Celeste Mannis  •  Susan Kathleen Hartung LITERATURE •  2005 •  PAPER  • 32 PAGES • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8) A Japanese girl explores a garden in this collection of beautiful haiku, with additional information included explaining the meanings of various elements in the poems. Simple illustrations capture the atmosphere of the garden and poetry. (JPN250, $6.99)
Picture the World, Children's Art Around the Globe  •  Tracy V. Spates ART & ARCHITECTURE •  2002 •  HARD COVER  • 68 PAGES • FAMILY A unique book, written by an art teacher who traveled the world in search of culturally significant art by children. This full-color book, illustrated with artworks and documentary photographs, highlights eight nations: Japan, Vietnam, India, Turkey, Russia, Kenya, the United States and Ecuador. Each chapter includes a cultural overview of the featured country, photographs of schoolchildren, descriptions of traditional handicrafts and a hands-on art activity inspired by the country's artistic tradition. It's a globally aware, multicultural book for children ages 6 and up. (WLD31, $24.95)
Sayonara, Mrs. Kackleman  •  Maira Kalman CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1989 •  HARD COVER  • 40 PAGES • FAMILY And off they go to Japan. Crammed with madcap illustrations and bits of rhyme and dialoge, Kalman evokes the sights, sounds, people, traditions and customs of Japan with characteristic flair. Alexander and Lulu have a grand time (with parents and the dreadful Mrs. Kackleman back home). (JPN137, $16.99)
Shipwrecked! The True Adventures of a Japanese Boy  •  Rhoda Blumberg BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2003 •  PAPER  • 80 PAGES • MIDDLE READERS (Age 9-12) The fascinating life story of Manjiro, a boy from Nakahama who was rescued from death by an American whaling crew and in 1843 became the first Japanese person to enter the United States. Adopted by a whaling captain and educated in Massachusetts, Manjiro later became a diplomat and samurai in Japan. Rhoda Blumberg, who previously wrote "Commodore Perry in the Land of the Shogun", is a talented writer of nonfiction for children. This book, for ages 9-12, is nicely illustrated with woodblock prints and Manjiro's own drawings. (JPN104, $8.99)
The Tale of Genji, Scenes from the World's First Novel  •  Murasaki Shikibu  •  Masayuki Miyata  •  H. Mack Horton LITERATURE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 240 PAGES • FAMILY Written in the 11th century by a lady of the Japanese court, the story of romantic hero Prince Genji is widely considered to be world literature's first novel. This edition is also a visual treasure, with gorgeous paper cut-out illustrations from master artist Masayuki Miyata. (JPN210, $35.00)
The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter  •  Yasunari Kawabata  •  Masayuki Miyata  •  Donald Keene LITERATURE •  1998 •  PAPER  • 180 PAGES • FAMILY A classic Japanese fairy tale about love between humans and spirits, this story is the oldest surviving Japanese work of fiction. Yasunari Kawabata, the first Japanese writer to win the Nobel Prize, gives a wonderful retelling, accompanied by the stunning illustrations of Masayuki Miyata. (JPN207, $35.00)