Once Upon a Time in Japan presents eight stories from the NHK Japan  Broadcasting Corporation’s popular radio series of the same name. The  Japanese folk stories in this volume are among Japan’s oldest and most  beloved stories, and all eight tales are brilliantly illustrated by a different  talented Japanese artist. From learning about how the sea became salty to lessons in fairness and  honesty, to acts of kindness and great deeds accomplished regardless of age  or size, the stories in this beautifully illustrated collection make for perfect  bedtime reading. Kids and parents will also enjoy hearing the stories read  aloud on the accompanying CD. 

 The stories found in Once Upon a Time in Japan include: The Wife Who Never Eats, The Mill of the Sea, The Monkey and the Crab,  The Magical Hood, Sleepyhead Taro and the Children, The Fox and the Otter, The Gratitude of the Crane, The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter.           

The moral lessons in these tales are universal and should transcend the reader’s age. But to an adult who is well aware that we’re not living in a good and evil fairy-tale world, it may not be the courageous avengers but rather the ruffians accused by them who somehow have more appeal…reading this book leads to a discovery about the nature of old folktales: A sprinkling of cruelty and weirdness help engrave moral lessons deeper on the minds of readers.  – The Japan News         

The traditional beliefs of long ago come alive through the work of several artists.  – Skipping Stones magazine