About the Author

ODDS BODKIN is an acclaimed storyteller, composer, and teacher of the art of storytelling. He lives in New Hampshire. GENNADY SPIRIN has illustrated numerous books, which have been published in both his native Europe and the United States. He lives in New Jersey.

Reviews

[star]"Abounds with drama and emotion . . . Gorgeous."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)
[star]"Vivid. . . . The illustrations . . . place the human drama against a background of nature which is changeable, mysterious, and hauntingly beautiful."--Booklist (starred review)
"A poetic gem . . . Exquisite and memorable."--Kirkus Reviews
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[star]"Abounds with drama and emotion . . . Gorgeous."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)
[star]"Vivid. . . . The illustrations . . . place the human drama against a background of nature which is changeable, mysterious, and hauntingly beautiful."--Booklist (starred review)
"A poetic gem . . . Exquisite and memorable."--Kirkus Reviews
--

Bodkin (The Banshee Train) and Spirin (The Sea King's Daughter) turn to medieval Japan for this vivid retelling of a Japanese folktale. Osamu, a lonely sail maker, nurses an injured crane back to health. Not long afterward, a beautiful and mysterious woman arrives at his home and Osamu takes her in as well. As their love blossoms, she offers to weave Osamu a magic sail to sell at market, though she stipulates that he must not watch her work. Adults will anticipate the tragic outcome of this well-known tale. Bodkin's finely tuned version abounds with drama and emotion in its rich presentation of morals, and near-perfect pacing sets the stage for the pathos of the ending. Spirin's watercolor-and-gouache compositions, filled with Japanese motifs and period details, cast an otherworldly mood. Expanses of sky and clouds provide a sense of airiness, appropriate for a bird-inspired tale. Several gorgeous scenes showing trees in autumn and snowy winter and people draped in the elegant costumes of historical Japan are particularly memorable. Ages 5-up. (Oct.)