Plot: With over 180 folk and fairy tales from early Japan, the book offers a good overview of Japanese monsters, heroes, proverbs, and fables. Some stories tap into popular concepts, such as dragons' gifts, tengu tricks, and heroic deeds. Others reflect lesser-known ideas, such as cleansing rituals and Shinto rites. To assist newcomers to Japanese concepts, Royall includes a introduction offering insight into ancient Japanese culture.
Genre: Folktales, Fairy Tales
Reading Level: Aimed at adults; many stories contain graphic or sexual descriptions, so be cautious about suggesting it to younger readers.
Similar Titles: Pandemonium and Parade: Japanese Monsters and the Culture of Yokai, Tales of Old Japan: Folklore, Fairy Tales, Ghost Stories and Legends of the Samurai
Personal Thoughts: Japanese folktales are intense. Then again, so are "un-Disneyed" European folktales. I do not know when people decided such stories are suitable for children, but a quick read of unedited folktales reveals stories with more gore, sexual innuendos, and tragedy than most R rated films. That said, I like the book. It does reveal common themes in Japanese stories and, for anime and manga fans, offers insight to some popular Japanese concepts. Just do not read it out loud at the next preschool story hour.
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