What a lovely object this book is! Carefully designed, with the Japanese text on side and the English on the other, and woodcut illustrations by Masayuki Miyata.

As for the classic fairy tale... It seems to fall into two parts, both good in different ways. One is the courtship of the Shining Princess by five suitors, and she (heartlessly) sends them on impossible quests, which are related with much humor and slapstick (also puns, which the English translator replaced with some real groaners of his own). Good stuff. Then it takes a turn for the romantic, when the princess is courted by the Emperor and exchanges poems with him, and must return to her original home in the moon, to her great distress (she's upset to leave her foster parents, not her "lover" the emperor -- I guess her relationship with him was more duty than love). The final pages of the story are plenty romantic, and close with a perfect picture.

Thanks so much for your donation Vasha!

This book is now part of the 1001-library. If you want to take this book from the library but don't know how to proceed, please refer to the 1001-library bookshelf.

This wonderful looking book arrived while I was on vacation. It is definetely one of the first I will read from the ones you send me. Thanks for sending Vasha.

Loved reading this wonderfull story. The book is a very nice edition with drawings.

This book is now back on the 1001 library bookshelf and can be borrowed by PMing EmgeeNL:)

If you want to take this book from the library but don't know how to proceed, please refer to the library bookshelf.

Reserved for Boekentrol

On it's way to Boekentrol.

This book arrived safely today.
What a nice one! Bilingual, with great illustrations, wow!! Look forward to read it. Thank you very much for sending it to me, EmgeeNL!

What a beautiful edition this book is! A very interesting one as well, with the Japanese text ine one side and the English translation on the other. The story itself is nice to read. For a person who has read and reread a lot of fairy tales in her youth, the concept of this tale is familiar. The outcome, however isn't.

I liked it a lot!

This book is now back on the 1001 library bookshelf and can be borrowed by PMing Boekentrol:)

If you want to take this book from the library but don't know how to proceed, please refer to the library bookshelf.

I donated this book to soffitta1's EU 1001-VBB. Now it is on its way to Danielle23, who requested it.
It is travelling together with Rashomon and 17 other Stories. I hope they arrive safe and soon :-)

I liked both books, I hope you do too! And there's two more to tick off the list ;-)

This is such a beautiful book. Very carefully and lovingly designed and translated. I've already started reading it and am enjoying it already. Thank you so much for donating this wonderful book Vasha and for sending it to me Boekentrol xx

Once I picked this book up I could not put it down. It was a very good translation and very easy to read. It was such a beautiful story but with such a sad ending. I'm not really a fan of children's stories that end with not a single character happy and a felt a little sad myself when the Princess had to return to the moon. A very magical book that I'm pleased to have read, especially with it being such a beautiful edition.

Returning to the library.

This book is now back on the 1001 library bookshelf and can be borrowed by PMing Danielle23:)

If you want to take this book from the library but don't know how to proceed, please refer to the library bookshelf.

Travelling to a new reader xx

OMG, what a beautiful book this is. It has arrived last Friday and, although I haven't started reading it yet, I'm absolutely in love.
I still have a pile of books to read before this one, but I hope to get to it very soon.
Thank you so much for sharing. I already feel like buying one copy for myself.

Thank you, Danielle23, for the beautiful postcard that came along :)