Synopsis: This is a Japanese Folktale, written sometime the 9th or 10th centuries, although the exact date and author are not known. It was a very popular tale, with many antique scrolls and books, gorgeously illustrated, that retell the tale.

Review: As the tale is the ancient tale, there is not way to actually judge the story. So this review regards this edition of the story. Hardback, with a gorgeous cover decorated with a motif from a famous Japanese version. Included are some lovely illustrations, done in the traditional Japanese style. This is an excellent edition for a child to read, and a welcome edition to my own folktale collection. ( )

Matsubara based this story on one from the Taketori Monogatari, the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, believed to be the first fiction story in Japanese literature, published in 860 A.D, and referred to in The Tale of Genji as "the ancestor of tales".

Illustrated with woodcuts by Naoko Matsubara. Printed on a lovely heavy paper, and with endsheets with leaf inclusions.