Issun Bôshi: The One-Inch Boy

K-Gr 2—This classic Japanese folktale about a couple who wish for a little boy and find themselves the parents of a child who measures a mere inch has been retold in collections and as a single narrative in picture-book format many times. Issun Bôshi fails to grow in stature, but he is brave and determined and sets out into the world with a needle serving as his samurai sword and a rice bowl for his boat. He finds a place at court, is swallowed by an ogre, pricks the monster's stomach, and escapes capture. The story is so beloved that it has influenced television shows and video games. This retelling is illustrated in accomplished four-color prints in hues that range from vivid to lurid. The graphic composition is powerful, but the bold, posterlike aesthetic might be more impressive to adults than to children. Every children's library should have a version of Issun Bôshi in its folklore collection, however, and there is only one other picture book edition widely available at this time. If a replacement copy is needed, this one is a reasonable choice.—Miriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Library, NY