The Fool and the Phoenix: A Tale of Old Japan - Hardcover

Lattimore, Deborah Nourse

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060262095 ISBN 13: 9780060262099

Publisher: HarperCollins, 1997

Synopsis

In a carefully researched, lavishly illustrated original tale of long ago, Deborah Nourse Lattimore transports readers back through time to a land where Shoguns rule and mythical creatures abound. Focusing on one of her favorite periods in history—Japan’s Edo period—Lattimore writes of a poor birdcatcher named Hideo who is banished from his village when he is accused of being the evil bandit who steals from Shogun and villager alike. Finding shelter under the boughs of a tree, Hideo hears a rustling and makes a catch beyond his wildest dreams. Painted in the art style of the Edo period, each spread is breathtaking in its detail; every page is awash in shimmering and vibrant color. Once again, an acclaimed storyteller weaves a tale as rich as a Shogun’s treasure.

About this title

About the Author

Deborah Nourse Lattimore has traveled all over the world as a scholar, an artist, and a writer. She loves creating picture books that take young readers on amazing journeys back through time to ancient and mysterious cultures. In Medusa, Ms. Lattimore transports readers to the mythological Greece of long ago, when gods meddled with mortals and fates would often be cursed. When not roaming the world, Ms. Lattimore lives in Los Angeles, CA, with her two children.

Reviews

Grade 2-5. An original fantasy set in Japan during the Tokugawa period (1603-1868). Hideo the fool, a mute birdcatcher living in the forested mountains above a remote village, meets a beautiful fairy, a phoenix/woman who Lattimore repeatedly refers to as a maiden. She tells Hideo that an evil bandit has killed her husband. (The confusion between widow and maiden is puzzling, especially in a feudal Japanese context, where such distinctions defined a woman.) Hideo stays with her for a month until she sends him off to fight the bandit and save the village, giving him one of her glowing feathers as a parting gift. Eventually, the story cuts to the chase, and Hideo triumphs, winning the respect of the villagers. The writing style is occasionally awkward, while the plot suffers from choppiness and incoherence. The text seems to be a vehicle for the richly colored paintings, Lattimore's homage to the art of the period. While the illustrations bear a superficial resemblance to Japanese paintings, the busy compositions, cluttered with clouds and gnarled pine trees, lack the emotional resonance that connects story and reader. An author's note outlines the history and economic conditions of the time and explains the importance of the phoenix to that dynasty. An enthusiastic, but flawed, foray into Japanese history.?Margaret A. Chang, North Adams State College, MA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

In this original tale of a mute birdcatcher who nets a phoenix and saves his village from a bandit, Lattimore (Arabian Nights, 1995, etc.) shows little of the zeal for authenticity and depth of research that characterize her other works. In feudal Japan, the shogun has threatened to burn down a village he believes is harboring his stolen treasure. Hideo, the birdcatcher, sees a scar on a passing bandit's forehead and an identical one on Nobu, head of the village council, but fails to connect the two until after he frees and falls in love with a phoenix, and then performs several random good deeds. After trying to kill Hideo--who is speechless and unable to defend himself--for the thievery, Nobu hears the phoenix's accusation and instantly confesses all. Hideo and the phoenix disappear into a tree and are last seen, many years later, flying off wing in wing (though the illustration depicts an odd, birdlike creature with two heads on a single body). The intricately brushed scenes are backed by foamy trails of dingy-looking mist to go with the heavily contrived plot. A somewhat superficial background note is appended, which wrongly implies that the legend of the phoenix is a Japanese story, when it is actually found in many cultures. (Picture book. 7-9) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Gr. 3^-6, younger for reading aloud. This original tale, with the feel of folklore, features Hideo, considered a fool by the villagers because he cannot speak, who falls in love with the legendary phoenix bird of Japan. Hunting birds to trade for food, Hideo throws his net over the phoenix, who reveals herself in human form. The young man realizes he could never keep her and releases her but finds he has fallen in love with her. Armed with a single golden feather given to him by the phoenix, Hideo acts courageously to save a nearby village from the misdeeds of an infamous bandit and the wrath of a shogun's army. The story blends romance with enough suspense, danger, and adventure to appeal broadly. Lattimore's richly detailed illustrations capture the feel of the almost mythical, ancient Japanese setting as well as the story's drama. Listeners will enjoy both text and illustrations; older readers will appreciate Lattimore's notes on Japanese mythology regarding the phoenix and the accompanying historical information. Karen Morgan

Edition details

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 1997
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0060262095
• ISBN 13: 9780060262099
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 40