Lily and the Wooden Bowl - Hardcover

Grade 1-4-In ancient Japan, Lily's dying grandmother leaves her beautiful but poor granddaughter two magic gifts and extracts a strange promise: the girl must always wear a wooden bowl over her head, completely covering her face. After her grandmother's death, Lily is hired by a wealthy neighbor, first to work in the rice fields, and then to nurse his sick wife, Matsu. Unfortunately, Matsu (who neither looks nor acts sick) is cruel and spiteful. When her eldest son falls in love with Lily, the jealous woman sets an impossible task to impede the marriage. With the help of her grandmother's gifts and her own good character, Lily triumphs, the older woman is turned out of the house, and the wooden bowl can at last be removed. An informative source note cites other versions of the story, including Eric Quayle's The Shining Princess and Other Japanese Legends (Arcade, 1989) and explains Schroeder's changes. The conflict between Lily and her mother-in-law has been substantially heightened, with the older woman dabbling in sorcery to defeat her young rival. Well-designed pages incorporate lengthy chunks of text, sometimes using long rectangular panels that recall the shape of scrolls. The art is striking, with its realistic figures posed against luminous backgrounds in elegant, open compositions that value open space. Rich colors and strong use of light and shadow reflect the story's dramatic events. A well-written and handsome addition to the growing body of picture-book folktales from Asia.
Margaret A. Chang, North Adams State College, MA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

This traditional Japanese folktale light-handedly reinforces the cultural ideal of respecting the wisdom of one's elders. On her deathbed, Aya contrives to protect her granddaughter, Lily, from worldly men ("I fear they will spoil your innocence") by extracting her promise to wear a wooden bowl on her head-always-in order to hide her prodigal beauty. Kumaso, a wealthy farmer's son, falls in love with Lily despite her odd headgear, but his wicked mother, Matsu, forbids their marriage unless Lily can make rice for 100 guests from one grain of rice. Lily's store of magical heirlooms goes head-to-head with Matsu's own sorcery, but Kumaso's devotion to Lily tips the scales. The moment they marry, Lily's bowl falls away, showering jewels on the couple-a fitting reward for their mutual obedience to Aya's last request. Schroeder's quietly expressive language and Ito's polished homage to Japanese motifs result in their own shower of visual and verbal pleasures. Ages 6-10.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.