Abigail's Reviews > はなさかじじい / How The Withered Trees Blossomed

A kindly old couple find their fortune transformed for the better in this traditional Japanese fairy-tale, despite the machinations of their greedy and jealous neighbors. When the old man puts out his fishing nets, only to have his fish stolen by the neighbor, he takes the root left for him instead, intending to use it for firewood. The magical dog Shiro is born from this wood, the first time that the old man attempts to chop it, and this canine companion soon leads his human to a place on the nearby mountain, where treasure is buried. The jealous neighbors attempt to force Shiro to lead them to buried treasure as well, but find only dirt and worms, leading them to beat the dog to death. The heartbroken old man mourns beneath the willow tree that sprouted where Shiro lay buried, and taking a piece of its wood home with him, carved a wooden bowl. When this bowl began to turn the old couple's rice into gold and jewels, the jealous neighbors commandeered it for themselves, only to find their own rice transformed into dirt. Their actions, in burning the bowl, lead to the final episode, as the ashes from the bowl transform the old couple's garden into a place of great beauty, while leading the neighbor into great trouble with a passing prince...

Originally published in Japan by Kodansha, and then in the United States by J.B. Lippincott, this bilingual picture-book from author Miyoko Matsutani and illustrator Yasuo Segawa is read in the traditional Japanese style, from back to front, and right to left. It is a lovely book, pairing an engaging tale of two couples who each get their just deserts - the kindly couple being rewarded with wealth, and a beautiful garden; the jealous and cruel couple gaining no wealth, and finding themselves punished by the prince - with gorgeous artwork. This is the second picture-book I have read that was produced by Matsutani and Segawa, after their The Fox Wedding , and I found that I enjoyed it a little bit more than that other title, from the visual perspective. I particularly liked the scenes depicting the beauty of the old couple's garden, after the ashes had been sprinkled on it, as Segawa's use of color and form here was just beautiful. I also liked the humor in his human characters throughout the story, as the artist ably captures the variety of their expressions, whether dismayed or happy. Highly recommended, both to readers who enjoy folk and fairy-tales, and to anyone who appreciates lovely, expressive picture-book illustrations.