Description: Using few words, a lot of action, and a delightful sense of humor, Judy Sierra has retold a Japanese folktale with a feminist twist. Long ago Japanese villagers lived in fear of great hulking ogres called onis. These giants considered babies' belly buttons the tastiest of all treats, and when they raided a village it was the babies they stole. When they kidnapped all the babies in little Urikohime's village, she was determined to do something about it. Though still a child of perhaps five or six years, fearless Urikohime (which means melon princess since she was born inside a watermelon and presumably had no belly button of her own) travels to the onis fortress island. There, with the help of her animal companions -- her dog, a pheasant, and a monkey -- she rescues the babies and leaves the onis crying for mercy like big babies.

A wonderful short tale to read aloud, children will gleefully join in the onis chant "Belly buttons, Belly buttons, Tasty baby belly buttons" and cheer at the triumph of small over large. Meilo So's watercolor illustrations demonstrate that she is just as adept at illustrating a narrative tale set in old Japan as she was at illustrating the animals in The Beauty of the Beast. Outfitting the little melon princess heroine in a kimono that looks like a tempting slice of watermelon is a stroke of genius and her humorous depiction of the oversized bullies will have everyone giggling. Librarians and storytellers will appreciate the author's note on the last page about the origin of the tale and where it fits in Japanese folklore.

Please Wait