Illustrated by June Otani

Returning to my small stack of illustrated children’s books with East-Asian themes, I come now to Peach Boy, the story of an old childless Japanese couple and their magical baby born from a giant peach who saves the village from the wicked Oni monsters. As original as that plot sounds, this tale by William H. Hooks and illustrated by June Otani is actually an English adaptation of what’s apparently a classic and favorite from Japanese folklore.

Momotaro, or “Peach Boy” in Japanese (not to be confused with the Beach Boys, mind you) knows he’s a gift from God to this old couple, and as he watches the evil Oni raid and plunder their villages throughout his youthful years, he promises to enact revenge upon the monsters whenever he’s able.

One day, he feels strong enough to handle the challenge, so with a bag full of dumplings, he marches off to the Oni fortress. Along the way, he meets a dog, a monkey, and a hawk each of whom is willing to join him in his quest because he shared with them his dumplings. The ultimate battle is short and sweet. The wicked (and ugly!) Oni beg for mercy, and Momotaro and his friends shoo them from the land. They also recapture all the wealth the Oni had stolen, bringing it home to the old couple who, thankfully, share it with their neighbors.

I’ve stated before that I’m far less inclined to enjoy the mythical Asian stories with magical or demonic themes, and this one hasn’t changed my mind. But then again, I’m not a Japanese infant, the original audience of the tale. I’m also not an American nine-year-old, for whom the Bank Street Ready-to-Read franchise designed this installment, so my personal tastes have little to do with the quality of the book.

As a Level-3 reader, the book promises to encourage independent reading, and I do believe they succeeded in that regard. After I read the book to my kids, they each grabbed it in turn and read it through to the end, especially enjoying June Otani’s artwork where the dog and monkey bite the Oni.

It’s definitely a weird tale, but author William H. Hooks can’t be blamed for that. I can recall a number of classic Chinese children stories which, were they translated into English, would sound just as crazy as this. But of course, it’s not like English folklore lack in weirdness either: in keeping with the theme of this book, just about every scene in Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach is utter nonsense.

We all have our own tastes in fiction, and fantasy/mythology are simply not my bag [Editor’s note: “yet.”]. I could recommend this book to parents as a small source for teaching concepts like bravery, purpose, good-v-evil, justice, or sharing. Otherwise, it’s nothing I or my kids will remember till our dying days.

©2020 E.T.

Read Some Other Kids’ Books Based on Asian Folktales:

• Crow Boy by Taro Yashima (1955)
• Thrump-O-Moto (The Little Samurai) by James Clavell (1976)
• Ming Lo Moves the Mountain by Arnold Lobel (1982)
• A Grain of Rice by Helena Clare Pittman (1986)
• Peach Boy by William H. Hooks (1992)
• The Emperor’s Garden by Ferida Wolff (1994)