Bamboo Cutter - Tapa dura

This charming retelling of a Japanese folktale couples stunning illustrations with a magical story of love, integrity, and self-sacrifice. The tale begins when a loving couple discovers a tiny baby girl in a thicket of bamboo stalks and takes her home to raise as their own. The Bamboo Princess, as she comes to be known, grows into womanhood while fending off suitors, caring for her new family, and ultimately fulfilling her destiny by returning to her true and rightful homethe moon. In the mold of traditional Japanese morality tales, this story reinforces values of bravery, hard work, and humility. A full explanation of the research and meticulous preparations behind the illustrator’s intricate artwork, which harkens back to time-honored Japanese block prints, is also included.

Teresa Pierce Williston is the author of Hindu Tales Retold andJapanese Fairy Tales. Dilleen Marsh is the illustrator of All Kinds of Answers;Grandpa and Me and the Wishing Star; Some Answers Are Loud, Some Answers Are Soft; andWhat Happens When People Die. She lives in Salt Lake City.