THE FARMER AND THE POOR GOD
adapted by Ruth Wells & illustrated by Yoshi
An unabashedly philosophical fairy tale from Japan. A poor farmer and his miserable family discover that they have a Poor God living in their attic, whose presence means they never can be truly rich. They decide to move away from him, but the Poor God overhears their plans and starts making sandals for the journey. They fight and quarrel and just stay put, but the Poor God continues making sandals, which become famous for their beauty; the farmer, too, takes up sandal-making and their joint endeavors, involving the contribution of the entire family, make them rich and happy. The story is a gem, with one of the most ingenuous deities ever to inhabit a picture book at its center. Wells (also with Yoshi, A to Zen, 1992, etc.) renders the story in supple prose, while the art—colored dyes on raw silk—is impeccably drafted and reproduced so that the texture of the fabric shines through. (Picture book/folklore. 4-8)