Review by Booklist Review
Ages 5-8. In this handsome adaptation of a Japanese folktale, a lazy boy fools a rich merchant into handing over his daughter in marriage. The boy gets his comeuppance when his mother makes plans of her own.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Taro is a Japanese boy whose penchant for sleeping is the butt of village jokes, much to the chagrin of his poor widowed mother, who works hard to provide them with necessities. Taro cannot be coaxed into working, despite his mother's pleas, until he falls in love with a rich merchant's daughter and hatches a scheme to make himself wealthy. The author's foreword explains that many gods and demons inhabit Japanese folklore, which will help readers understand how Taro, disguised as a local deity, is able to convince the rich neighbor that his daughter must wed the laziest boy in town. Say's art, with stylized Oriental touches, comically animates the sprightly tale, perfectly matching the abundant wit of Snyder's adaptation. All ages. (April) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-6 The accuracy of the visualized Japanese landscape and architecture help considerably in casting this retold folktale into an Oriental mold. A very industrious widow watches her very lazy teenage son (whose nickname is the title of the book) grow up. And readers watch her watching him in tightly crafted scenes that are some what reminiscent of 17th- or 18th-Cen tury Japanese woodcuts: fishing boats on the river; bamboo-windowed houses; blue-mountained backdrops with birds in V-formation; etc. Smoothly applied paint (seemingly air brushed at times) depict the peaceful Japanese landscape. The costuming and facial gestures, as the boy tricks a rich neighbor into rebuilding his moth er's house and allowing him to marry his daughter, create a dramatic effect. There is a sense of authenticity to the pictures that informs readers about a particular lifestyle while simultaneous ly entertaining them with an engaging, almost universal trickster tale. Ken neth Marantz, Art Education Depart ment, Ohio State University, Colum bus (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A Japanese folk tale in which a lazy boy turns trickster to ensure a life of perpetual ease, but is outwitted by his long-suffering mother. Taro has earned his nickname (also the book's title) by leaving his mother to struggle for their meager living while their house deteriorates and he sleeps. One day he rouses himself enough to impersonate a god and tell their rich neighbor to marry his daughter to none other than Taro. Frightened, the neighbor visits Taro's mother, who exacts several conditions--including putting Taro to work in the merchant's storehouse. Snyder's retelling is simple and direct, distinguished by dry wit and a benign conclusion: Taro thrives after his marriage. Say's illustrations, employing watercolor and vigorous line, are authentically Japanese in style; his soft, translucent tones glow, especially in the landscape; and he wonderfully conveys emotion and humor with a few deft strokes of his pen. A satisfying tale, just right for storytelling or picture-book hour. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
