The Old Man Mad about Drawing: A Tale of Hokusai

An illustrated tribute to the master, Hokusai.

Grade 3-6-Tojiro, a nine-year-old orphan, sells rice cakes on the streets of 19th-century Edo, the bustling city we now call Tokyo. One of his customers is the grumpy, eccentric octogenarian Hokusai. The old man takes a liking to Tojiro, and soon employs him as his assistant. The boy's ignorance provides a convenient vehicle for introducing the artist's life and work. Much of the dialogue and action is too obviously written for the purpose of conveying information about Hokusai, as well as the technique of woodblock printing and the social customs of Edo. The book's greatest strength is not the text, but the art that enlivens every page. A combination of the author's watercolors and reproductions of Hokusai's drawings and woodblock prints, the illustrations are arranged in enticing and varied page designs. Place's detailed paintings, clearly influenced by Hokusai, but with a life that is all their own, depict the action of the story. The reproductions allow readers to discover the artist's masterpieces along with Tojiro, and wonder how much his sketchbooks, called manga, have influenced modern Japanese cartoons. Schools where Japan is studied will want this very handsome small volume, as will public libraries where there is an interest in Japanese art.
Margaret A. Chang, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams
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*Starred Review* Gr. 5-8. In nineteenth century Edo, nine-year-old Tojiro delivers rice cakes on a route that includes a strange old man who draws. Gradually Tojiro befriends the artist Hokusai and becomes his assistant. Under his tutelage, Tojiro discovers the process of woodblock engraving, studies Hokusai's earlier art, and prompts the old man's memories. Although the rapport of the master and apprentice is a vehicle to introduce Hokusai's art and times, the tender relationship is credibly drawn with humor and insight. Exquisitely detailed ink and watercolor illustrations embellish every page. Sometimes the elegant sketches edge the page; sometimes they fill and spill over pages. Some portray busy city scenes and handsome landscapes; others feature a single expressive figure or image. Good reproductions of Hokusai's drawings appear as they are introduced in the narrative. An illustrated glossary is attached, but most unfamiliar terms are easily understood in context. An excellent curriculum supplement, this will enchant and inspire aspiring artists and transport even casual browsers to nineteenth-century Japan. Linda Perkins
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