School Library Journal Review, August 2003

Storyteller Elizabeth Falconer brings five humorous Japanese folktales to life on this excellent, high-spirited recording. She enhances each tale by masterfully playing the koto, a Japanese musical instrument with 13 strings. Thanks to her skillful musicianship, the koto takes on a personality all its own. The best stories on this collection are “The Cricket’s Chirp,” a pourquoi tale, and the delightful “The Looooong Name.” “The Cricket’s Chirp,” a story about a singing snake tricked by a cricket, answers a variety of questions such as why crickets chirp and why worms live underground. It packs a surprising punch at the end, ansd listeners will feel sad for the songless snake. Falconer sings snake’s funny ditty (which sounds like the “Alphabet Song”), and children can sing along. “The Looooong Name” is a whimsical variation of “Riki Tiki Tembo,” in which parents are so impressed with their newborn son they gave him a breathtakingly long name meant to represent the child’s various admirable traits. Thanks to a Japanese/English glossary in the liner notes, children can learn these adjectives describing the child. The other stories are also a lot of fun. Falconer uses the koto to great effect in the in the titular story about two frogs who want to see the world. The instrument captures the sound of these froggies hopping. “Roofle” offers an action-packed story about fear in which a robber and a wolf encounter a mysterious creature. The koto dramatizes a wild wolf ride in the night. “Papachu” captures a mouse’s journey to find the perfect husband for his beautiful daughter. Falconer is an enormously gifted storyteller, filling each tale with a sense of fun and adventure. The production is excellent, offering crystal clear sound and captivating musicianship. Source notes for the tales are provided. A first-rate collection from start to finish.            -Brian E. Wilson, Evanston Public Library, IL
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