Tanuki's Gift (edition 2002)

Absolutely beautiful -- a charming story, told with a light touch that makes the moral lesson all the more powerful. I love the colorful, expressionist illustrations. They are expressive and evocative, yet deceptively simple in style. ( )

A sweet story that highlights the value of real friendship and simple living. ( )

Over the course of ten years, the tanuki visits the priest during the winter and brings gifts in exchange for shelter and food. The tanuki wants to repay the priest for letting him stay at his house and preventing him from death that he would have faced without the priests kindness and generosity, so he asks the priest what he can get for him. The priest requests three gold coins so he can get into paradise upon death. The tanuki goes out to search for gold and while he is away the priest realizes that their friendship is most important to him and feels awful for having made such a request.

An adaptation of a traditional Japanese folk tale about a Priest and a Tanuki who become friends. Through their struggles they learn that friendship is more valuable than any possession. ( )

A tale of friendship and its importance. The illustrations are abstract. I like the illustration of the tanuki, an interesting portrayal in my opinion. The theme throughout is kindness and friendship and its importance over all other things. A great book to introduce younger children to Japanese folklore and explore the meaning of friendship. ( )