PEACH BOY (Bank Street Level 3*) - Softcover

Hooks, William H.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0553354299 ISBN 13: 9780553354294

Publisher: Bank Street, 1992

Synopsis

A magical boy springs from a peach in answer to a lonely couple's wish for a son. But can the boy and his animal friends save the people from wicked oni monsters? In this traditional Japanese folktale, an entire village depends on young Momotaro--the Peach Boy.

About this title

From the Inside Flap

y springs from a peach in answer to a lonely couple's wish for a son. But can the boy and his animal friends save the people from wicked oni monsters? In this traditional Japanese folktale, an entire village depends on young Momotaro--the Peach Boy.

Reviews

Grade 1-3-- Brewster's illustrations are the best part of Yoo Hoo, Moon! Blocksma's story describes the activities of a goose, sheep, duck, and others as they help a bear coax the moon to come out. The rhyming text seems strained; the ending is anticlimactic. In Beavers Beware! a family battles some beavers that are intent on building a lodge on their dock. The dilemma surrounding animal vs. human rights is dissipated as the dock breaks loose in a storm and the beavers are sent adrift on the river. McCully's watercolor illustrations are above average but do not match the charm of many of her previous efforts. Hooks retells a well-known Japanese folktale in simple prose. A childless couple is blessed with a son cut from the center of a peach. As the boy grows, his mission in life becomes clear--Momotaro is to save the people of the village from the wicked oni . Although the onis look more like devils, Otani's illustrations are charming and lively. All three books have appropriately sized type and attractive, easy-to-read formats. Libraries/media centers with large collections for emerging readers will want to consider them, especially Peach Boy.
-Sharron McElmeel, Cedar Rapids Community Schools, IA
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Long ago in Japan, a poor, elderly couple discover a large peach and, in it, the child they have always desired. They name him Momotaro--Peach Boy. As he grows up, the lad vows to protect his village from the oni monsters who "steal our things and frighten our people." When he is 15, Momotaro sets out to conquer the evildoers; along the way he befriends a dog, a monkey and a hawk. Together the foursome frighten the oni monsters so completely that they hand over their treasure and promise never to menace the villagers again. With their deep tones of rust, blue and purple, Otani's vibrant drawings of horrific villains and the serene Japanese countryside complement the fluid, suitably straightforward text. Part of the Bank Street Ready-to-Read series, this folktale will easily engage the interest of beginning readers--and is a winning addition to multicultural stories for the younger set. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Bank Street
• Publication date: 1992
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0553354299
• ISBN 13: 9780553354294
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 48