CROW BOY

This is the most successful of Taro Yashima's picture story books from the viewpoint of its child appeal, though it is not so beautiful as his Plenty to Watch. The theme is a recognizable one to children of all ages:- the story of a strange, shy small boy who is isolated by his differences from the other children in the school. The setting is, of course, a Japanese village school, but the situation is repeated in schools everywhere. Just how Chibi, or Tiny Boy, as he was known earned his bolder name of Crow Boy, and his place in his class, is a poignant story, told in pictures and brief text.