The Farmer and the Poor God: A Folktale from Japan

Convinced that a Poor God is behind his family's struggles with poverty, a hard-working farmer decides to move away and encounters the Poor God, who makes sandals for the family's journey and teaches them a valuable skill.

Kindergarten-Grade 6?In old Japan, a farmer's poverty is caused by the Poor God who lives in his attic. He and his wife plan to steal away to rid themselves of this curse. The god overhears them, however, and weaves sandals for the journey. The farmer then calls off the move, realizing that the god will just follow. The sandals, however, turn out to be a real godsend, making the family rich. When the Rich God comes to replace the Poor God, they chase him away, understanding that they have achieved a comfortable level of prosperity and happiness and have come to love their "unlucky" god. Wells's winsome retelling of this folktale is lively and droll, deftly underscoring its humor and wonder and perfectly springing the surprise of the family's ultimate loyalty. Both narrative and dialogue make it a winning choice for read alouds. Yoshi's illustrations?ink, watercolor, and dye on raw silk?evoke the warm tones of the Japanese countryside in summer and fall. Facial expressions are apt at mirroring the text, particularly when the farmer complains, the family begs the Poor God to stay, and when they oust the Rich God. Delightful and beguiling.?John Philbrook, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

An unabashedly philosophical fairy tale from Japan. A poor farmer and his miserable family discover that they have a Poor God living in their attic, whose presence means they never can be truly rich. They decide to move away from him, but the Poor God overhears their plans and starts making sandals for the journey. They fight and quarrel and just stay put, but the Poor God continues making sandals, which become famous for their beauty; the farmer, too, takes up sandal-making and their joint endeavors, involving the contribution of the entire family, make them rich and happy. The story is a gem, with one of the most ingenuous deities ever to inhabit a picture book at its center. Wells (also with Yoshi, A to Zen, 1992, etc.) renders the story in supple prose, while the art--colored dyes on raw silk--is impeccably drafted and reproduced so that the texture of the fabric shines through. (Picture book/folklore. 4-8) -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Ages 4^-7. An entertaining story with a fine message. A lazy farmer, his wife, and their disobedient children blame the Poor God who lives in their attic for their unprosperous lifestyle, so they decide to run away from him. The Poor God learns they are leaving but thinks he's going, too, and starts weaving beautiful straw shoes for the journey. Villagers notice and trade food for the shoes; later, the family helps make the shoes and sells them in the market. They become happy in their work and prosperous to boot. The Poor God tries to leave to make way for the Rich God, who'll make the family truly rich, but an altercation ensues, and the family insists the Poor God stay. After all, how much richer could they be? Charming paintings rendered on silk give the art an authentic feeling that suits the story well. Libraries will find many uses for this one, not the least of which as a springboard for a discussion of values. Ilene Cooper