A bilingual (Japanese-English) illustrated fairy tale about kappas, aquatic creatures from Japanese folklore that will appeal to smaller and larger ones.
The story of a boy, Norihei, who befriends with his kappa peer – one of the creatures that inhabit wetlands and water tanks. Little kappa’s delicacy are the cucumbers that the boy’s village is famous for, and they put him in a lot of trouble. Together, however, the heroes come out of trouble, and the debt of gratitude will prove extremely valuable to the adult Norihei.
The story is cute as are the illustrations that accompany it. Young readers will be delighted with the landscapes of the changing Japanese countryside and friendly characters (in the main and episodic roles). The older ones will not get bored and will surely appreciate many topics and references which can be found in the book. After all, we know kappa from the stories of Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, and you surely know kappazushi, or rolled sushi norimaki with cucumber, from sushi sets. The book also has an ecological message that cinema lovers will immediately associate with Spirited Away by Studio Ghibli.
The Japanese text has a furigana – the ideograms have their readings, which make it very easy for beginners to read.
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