(4) K-3 Illustrated by Aki. As Toshi and his grandmother walk along a river, through town, and more, Toshi gathers feathers, flowers, etc.; a spread following each scene asks readers to match Toshi's "treasures" with their sources. An appendix encourages readers to locate living creatures in the spreads and includes facts about the items. The oddly stylized humans in Aki's detailed drawings might dissuade young readers from the pleasing seek-and-find book.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Aki Sogabe. A solitary origami master learns an important lesson about friendship when he tries to capture a gifted origami-making bird. The quiet and understated story line is accompanied by evocative cut-paper and watercolor illustrations. Instructions for how to fold an origami bird are included at the end.

Reviewer: Marika Jeffrey

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Aki Sogabe. Struggling artist Kogi is so desperate to capture the essence of a fish in his paintings that he magically becomes one himself. Cut-paper illustrations strikingly capture the crispness of traditional Japanese art. A brief source note provides background on the tale.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Aki Sogabe. Drawing on a Japanese legend concerning a fifteenth-century artist, Hodges tells a pleasing tale of a boy artist so skilled that his creations spring to life to confound a supernatural antagonist. Hodges's text is so expertly honed that it could easily stand on its own. Sogabe's cut-paper, watercolor, and airbrush illustrations set the stage handsomely, their bold outlines and areas of dramatic black mellowed with a cool palette.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2002

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Aki Sogabe. In this story set in a Japanese fishing village, young Jiro is suddenly hungry all the time, and his family wonders what's gotten into him. Eventually, they learn that what's gotten into him, literally, is a monster: Jiro has inadvertently swallowed the Hunger Monster. The tale's comic drama is apparent in the close-up views of characters' tragic expressions, exaggerated like those of traditional kabuki actors.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2001

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Aki Sogabe. Jo Lee, sent to live with his fisherman uncle in California late in the nineteenth century, misses his home in China. In a fanciful twist consistent with Chinese folkloric beliefs, his spirit often leaves his body to visit his faraway family. Vivid paper-cut illustrations complement the moving story, revealing cultural differences without rendering them exotic.

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