Japan : A Bibliography of Juvenile Books

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Pictures are from Miyajima Island, considered one of the three best views in Japan. Courtesy of Japan Postcards 95 from the Japanese culture links.

[Folktales] [Nonfiction] [Fiction] [Picture Books]

Folk Tales

Lent, Blair. The Funny Little Woman Text by Arlene Mosel. Caldecott Award. Japan.

While chasing a dumpling, a little lady is captured by wicked creatures from whom she escapes and becomes the richest woman in Japan.

Martin, Rafe. Mysterious Tales of Japan. Putnam, 1996.

Includes well-known tales as "The Crane Maiden" and other less known stories.

Paterson, Katherine. The Tale of the Mandarin Duck. Illus. by Leo and Diane Dillon. Lodestar, 1990. [Picture Book]. Boston Globe Horn Book Award. A pair of Mandarin ducks, separated by a cruel lord who seeks to possess the drake for his colorful beauty, reward a compassionate couple who risk their lives to reunite the ducks.

Peach Boy From Troll. Asian Legends Reading Centers. Grades 2-5. Publisher's catalog.

A baby boy who came to a childless couple from a giant peach grows up to fight the terrible ogres and save the townspeople.

Rafe, Martin. Mysterious Tales of Japan. Illustrated by Tatsuro Kiuchi. Putnam, 1997.

Buddhist and Shinto traditions permeate this collection of ten traditional Japanese tales, each accompanied by a classic haiku and painting. ALSC Notable Book 1997.

Snyder, Dianne. The Boy of the Three-Year Nap. Illustrated by Allen Say. Reissue ed. Houghton Mifflin, 1993. Ages 4-8

Lazy Taro gets his comeuppance when his wise mother uses his trick to avoid work to her own advantage. 1989 Caldecott Honor Book

Tejima. Ho-Limlim; A Rabbit Tale from Japan Philomel, 1990. Ages 6-8.

An aging rabbit takes one last foray hunting for food but decides to let his children and grandchildren search for treats for him.

Waite, Michael P. Jojofu Illustrated by Yoriko Ito. William Morrow, 1995?. Ages 5 and up. From publisher's catalog.

Based on a Japanese folktale taken from the ancient Ima Mukashi scrolls. Jojofu, Takumi's beloved dog, saves his master's life again and again.

Wells, Ruth. The Farmer and the Poor God Illus. by Yoshi. Simon & Schuster Books fopr Young Readers. 1996.

A poor god living in the attic of an unsuccessful family prepares to move with them and causes a reversal of their fortunes. Values discussion.

Yagawa, Sumiko. The Crane Wife Tran. by Katherine Paterson. Ill. by Suekichi Akaba. Morrow, 1981. Ages 6-8.

After Yohei tends a wounded crane, a beautiful young woman begs to become his wife. Three times she weaves beautiful silken fabric for him. Sadness follows as Yohei becomes blinded by greed.

Yashima, Taro. One-inch Fellow San Diego: Harcourt Brace, 1995.

A storyteller, returning to his village in Japan and seeing an old photograph of a small childhood friend, recalls the traditional tale of an inch high warrior who defeats several demons.

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General Nonfiction

Blumberg, Rhoda. Commodore Perry in the Land of the Shogun. William Morrow, 1986. Grades 5 up

Explains Commodore Matthew perry's role in opening Japan. Reviews at Barnes & Noble

Coerr, Eleanor. Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes Illustrated by Ed Young. G. P. Putnam, 1993. Picture Book. Biography.

Hospitalized with the dreaded atom bomb disease, leukemia, Sadako Sasaki races against time to fold one thousand paper cranes to verify the legend that by doing so a sick person can become healthy again. Note: Library of Congress CIP gives nonfiction or biography. JMU Carrier Library has it in traditional literature.

Coerr, Eleanor. Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. Paintings by Ronald Himler. New York: Putnam, 1999, c1977.

Davis, James E. and Sharryl B. Hawker. Tokyo Raintree, 1990. 64p.
Explores the history, cultural heritage, demographics and natural resources of Japan. Demographic information will be out-of-date.

Fiarotta, Phyllis. Papercrafts Around the World Sterling, 1996.

Crafts from Indonesia, Japan and other countries. Make daruma dolls from Japan. Youngsters may need adult help.

Kent, Deborah. Tokyo Children's Press, 1996. 64p.

Good introduction to the capital city of Japan with its subways, streets and buildings, sports, theater and celebration of ancient religious traditions.

Levine, Shar and Leslie Johnstone. Science around the World Illus. by Laurel Aiello. Wiley, 1996.

Simulate an earthquake in Japan.

Littlefield, Holly. Colors of Japan. Illustrated by Helen Byers. Carolrhoda Books, 1997. Ages 4-8

Uses colors to introduce readers to basic concepts about Japan. Revuiew at Amazon

Mason, Paul. Atlas of Threatened Cultures Raintree Steck-Vaughn, 1997.

Discusses cultures, such as the Ainu of Japan, which are threatened by human influence.

Seddon, Tom. Atom Bomb Scientific American Books for Children, b&w photos.

History of the atomic bomb, including the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Sherrow, Victoria. Hiroshima New Discovery Books, 1994.

Focuses on the city of Hiroshima and the events which led to the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

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Fiction

Yumoto, Kazumi. The Friends. Translated from the Japanese by Cathy Hirano. Farrar Straus & Giroux, 1996. Young Adult Grades 5-7. Boston Globe Horn Book Award; Mildred Batchelder Award

The funeral of one boy's grandmother excites a curiousity about death in three Japanese schoolboys.

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Picture Books

Allan-Meyer, Kathleen. I Have a New Friend. Photos by Mike Spinelli. Barron's Educational Series, 1995. Ages 3 to 7

Saki is a little Japanese girl whose best friend is Lisa. Lisa learns about Japanese customs, Saki learns about American ways, and language is no barrier to their friendship. Spinelli's candid black-and-white photos transform the book into a kid of photo album. Reviews at Barnes & Noble

Friedman, Ina R. How My Parents Learned to Eat Illus. by Allen Say. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin, 1984. Easy Book

An American sailor courts a Japanese girl and each tries in secret to learn how the other eats.

Hamanaka, Sheila. Peace Crane Morrow, 1995. Primary. (9)
(Uses legend of Sadaka and the thousand paper cranes to express dreams of a child trapped in a violent world.)

Mochizuki, Ken. Passage to Freedom: The Sugihara Story. Illustrated by Dom Lee. Lee & Low, 1997. Grades 2-6. Biography

Biography of Chiune Sugihara, the Japanese consul in Lithuania, who in 1940 saved hundreds of Polish Jewish refugees. Reviews at Barnes and Noble

Roundtree, Katherine. A Carp for Kimiko. Charlesbridge Publishing, 1996. Ages 4-8

Kimiko yearns for a carp-shaped kite like her brother's to fly on Children's Day but only boys get colorful kites. Her understanding parents get her a real carp for her fish tank instead. Reviews available at Amazon

Sakai, Kimiko. Sachiko Means Happiness . Illustrated by Tomie Arai. Children's Book Press, 1990. 28p.

Although at first five-year-old Sachiko is upset when her grandmother does not recognize her, she grows to understand they can still be happy together.

Say, Allen. The Bicycle Man. Houghton Mifflin, 1982. Ages 4-8

The amazing tricks two American soldiers perform on a borrowed bicucle are a fitting finale for the school sports day festivities in a small village in occupied Japan. ALA Notable book

Say, Allen. Grandfather's Journey. Houghton Mifflin, 1993. Ages 4-8

Story of Say's grandfather who traveled throughout North America as a young man but unable to forget his homeland, returns to Japan with his family where the author is born. Caldecott Meal 1994. Reviews available at Amazon Book Company

Say, Allen. Tea with Milk. 1st ed. Houghton Mifflin, 1999.

After growing up near San Francisco, a young Japanese woman returns with her parents to their native Japan, but she feels foreign and out of place.

Say, Allen. Tree of Cranes. Houghton Mifflin, 1991.

A Japanese boy learns of Christmas when his mother decorates a pine tree with paper cranes. Reviews at Barnes & Noble

Yashima, Taro. The Village Tree New York: Viking Press, 1972 c1953
Relates the author's childhood experiences playing near a huge old tree in his native Japanese village.

Yashima, Taro. The Youngest One,

Yashima, Taro. Crow Boy. (5)

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