The 10th-century Japanese folk tale about the shining moon princess will enchant young readers, even though technical problems mar this adaptation.
Long ago in ancient Japan, a bamboo cutter discovers a baby girl hidden inside a glowing stalk of bamboo. Taketori and his wife name the girl Kaguya, and she quickly grows to become as “lovely and pure as the morning.” Noble suitors soon arrive, drawn by Kaguya’s radiant beauty, and the young woman sets them arduous tasks to complete, as she cannot reject them outright. The emperor even arrives to ask for her hand in marriage, but Kaguya sadly reveals that she must return to her father, the King of the Moon, as her exile on Earth has now passed. This adaptation follows the traditional tale, although no source notes are provided, and it is available in Spanish, Japanese and English, narrated with word highlighting in each language. The richly colored illustrations are a mix of Western cartoon and Japanese anime styles; interactive features, such as coloring the princess’s kimono, likewise feel ambivalent at times, often doing little to advance the story. Navigation is hampered by the lack of a menu button; at the end of the app, readers must manually flip pages back to the beginning. Nevertheless, the enduring appeal of this ancient folk tale shines through from beginning to end. (iPad storybook app. 3-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 30, 2013
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Oniric
Review Posted Online: Dec. 10, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2014
Continuing to find inspiration in the work of Virginia Lee Burton, Munro Leaf and other illustrators of the past, Long (The Little Engine That Could, 2005) offers an aw-shucks friendship tale that features a small but hardworking tractor (“putt puff puttedy chuff”) with a Little Toot–style face and a big-eared young descendant of Ferdinand the bull who gets stuck in deep, gooey mud. After the big new yellow tractor, crowds of overalls-clad locals and a red fire engine all fail to pull her out, the little tractor (who had been left behind the barn to rust after the arrival of the new tractor) comes putt-puff-puttedy-chuff-ing down the hill to entice his terrified bovine buddy successfully back to dry ground. Short on internal logic but long on creamy scenes of calf and tractor either gamboling energetically with a gaggle of McCloskey-like geese through neutral-toned fields or resting peacefully in the shade of a gnarled tree (apple, not cork), the episode will certainly draw nostalgic adults. Considering the author’s track record and influences, it may find a welcome from younger audiences too. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-399-25248-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2009
SEEN & HEARD
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren.
In talk-show host Fallon and illustrator Ordóñez’s latest picture-book collaboration, an elderly pooch waxes rhapsodic about a life well lived.
Observing Papa sitting in his chair watching TV all day, a young pup says, “I’m starting to think…you don’t do ANYTHING.” So Papa proceeds to list his accomplishments, both big and small, mundane and profound. Some are just a result of being older and physically bigger (being tall enough to reach a high shelf and strong enough to open jars); others include winning a race and performing in a band when he was younger. Eventually, the pup realizes that while Papa may have slowed down in his old age, he’s led a full life. The most satisfying thing about Papa’s life now? Watching his grandchild take center stage: “I can say lots of thoughts / but I choose to be quiet. / I’d rather you discover things and then try it.” Fallon’s straightforward text is sweetly upbeat, though it occasionally lacks flow, forcing incongruous situations together to fit the rhyme scheme (“I cook and I mow, / and I once flew a plane. // I play newspaper puzzles because it’s good for my brain”). Featuring uncluttered, colorful backgrounds, Ordóñez’s child-friendly digital art at times takes on sepia tones, evoking the sense of looking back at old photos or memories. Though the creators tread familiar ground, the love between Papa and his little one is palpable.
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 13, 2025
ISBN: 9781250393975
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
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