Cobblestone Publishing Kamishibai for Kids - Jackson School of ...

National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA) Classroom Materials Descriptions
is, after which he is free to marry again. So, year after year Lin asks his wife for his freedom, and year
after year he returns from the provincial courthouse: still married, still unable to consummate his
relationship with Manna. Ha Jin himself served in the People's Liberation Army, and in fact left his native
country for the U.S. only in 1985.
Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China $16.00
A memoir which takes the reader from the author’s grandmother, who became a concubine to a local
warlord at the age of 15, to the author’s mother and her revolutionary marriage to an incorruptible
Communist official, to the author herself and her struggle to escape China.
Yeh-Shen: A Cinderella Story from China $6.99 – Ages 9-12
Retold by Ai Ling and illustrated by Ed Young. In the Tang Dynasty, a young girl overcomes the
wickedness of her stepsister and stepmother to become the bride of a prince.
Japan:
Anthology of Japanese Literature (Keene) $14.50
Edited by Donald Keene. Japanese literature from the earliest era to the mid-19 th century. The companion
volume to Modern Japanese Literature (see below).
Cool Melons – Turn to Frogs! The Life and Poems of Issa $7.95 – Lower Elementary
A biography and introduction to the work of the Japanese haiku poet, Kobayashi Issa (1763-1827), whose
love for nature finds expression in the more than thirty poems included in this book. Issa grew up lonely
and abandoned by his family and faced with enormous sadness as an adult. His kindhearted nature is
expressed in his poetry.
Crane Wife, The $7.00 – Lower Elementary
Retold by Odds Bodkins and illustrated by Gennady Spirin. The retelling of a well-known Japanese
folktale about a poor sail maker who marries a beautiful and mysterious stranger with magical weaving
abilities. When he discovers that his wife is really a crane he once saved, she turns back into a crane and
flies away. The illustrations contain some inaccuracies like the wearing of shoes in the house.
Crow Boy $5.99 – Lower Elementary
Written by Taro Yashima. Afraid of teachers, teased by his classmates for being different, unable to make
friends, Chibi spends most of his time alone in school. But a friendly new teacher, Mr. Isobe, discovers a
remarkable talent of Chibi’s and encourages him to share it with his classmates.
Funny Little Woman, The $5.99 – Lower Elementary
Retold by Arlene Mosel and illustrated by Blair Lent. An adaptation of a Japanese folktale about a funny
little woman who falls into a hole while chasing a dumpling. She is captured by oni (demons) who forced
to make dumplings for them using a magic paddle. She escapes by making the demons laugh. Laughter
not violence leads to triumph.
Girl from the Snow Country $7.95 – Lower Elementary
Written by Masako Hidaka. A little girl, Mi-chan, who lives in northern Japan, makes bunnies out of snow
but she needs something to use for their eyes. With the help of a friendly deity and a lady at the market,
Mi-chan finds berries that she uses for their eyes.
Grass Sandals: The Life of Basho $18.99 – Lower Elementary
Written by Darlene Spivak. A simple retelling of the travels of 17 th century Japanese poet, Matsuo Basho
(1644-94), across his island homeland. Includes some of the haiku verses he composed.
Haiku Picturebook for Children $14.95 – Lower Elementary
Edited by Keisuke Nishimoto and illustrated by Kozo Shimizu. A collection of haiku written by some of
Japan’s most famous poets, such as Yosano Buson and Matsuo Basho. The works are arranged in a
seasonal pattern along with the original versions in Japanese.
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