Beautiful illustrations accompany this touching story of the Kamishibai Man. He was a valued part of the community until the television came along...
Students will enjoy learning about an aspect of Japanese culture through this book. ( )

Fifty-year-old me liked this very much. Any younger, I'm sure not so much. Do children like quiet nostalgic historical fiction? Note that the explanatory note is not by the author - credit due Tara McGowan. ( )

REVIEW:
Kambishibai is a Japanese word that means "paper drama" that originated in 12th century Japanese Buddhist temples. In this story, a man who used to tell kambishibai stories reminisces on his storytelling days. He used to ride his bicycle where the children played, dramatically told his and the children's favorite stories, and passed out delicious candy. Children flocked to his bicycle to listen to his stories until children lost interest because of the invention of the television. Children became engrossed in the movie pictures on the television. One boy, however, continued to come to the kambishibai man for a while longer, until he no longer returned. That was the day the kambishibai man quit telling stories. One day, he, now an old man, decides to return to the city to tell stories again. As he rides the same route, he notices tall building, busy streets full of trucks, and a multitude of shops and restaurants where a park once stood. A crowd gathers around the kambishibai man as he tells this story of how children stopped listening to his stories, and the crowd recognizes him and his voice. They realize that they grew up with his stories! The crowd cheers and calls out their favorite stories for the kambishibai to tell once again. From then on, he returns to the same area to tell his stories, just like old times.

The literary element, plot, is unique in this book because it combines both the future and the past. The kambishibai reflects on the past, like a flashback, in a story-like form in the future. The kambishibai himself is telling this story. In addition, the literary element of style is also unique because the book utilizes dialogue throughout the story. The illustrations are beautifully done in gouache. They show the contrast between Japan's countryside and city life, as well as the transition into a more modern society.

MEDIA: gouache

GENRE: Historial-fiction
This book is historical-fiction because the story and plot itself is made up by the author's imagination (fiction), but the time period and setting is historical. Kambishibai used to be a highly popular activity for children in Japan, until the invention and spread of the television.

USES:
(1) I could use to book in a unit about the past.
(2) Students could follow the art of kambishibai and create their own stories to tell to the class.

AGE-APPROPRIATENESS: Elementary ( )

Charming story alert! I really enjoyed learning about kamishibai through this story, as I have a fascination for storytelling. It was fun to see the adults near the end of the story who had visited the kamishibai man when they were children. Lovely illustrations too! This book almost gets 5 stars from me. Where's a 4.5 star rating when you need one?! ( )

Thinking back on his days as a Kamishibai Man - literally "paper theater," Kamishibai was a form of storytelling that flourished in Japan in the mid-twentieth century, from the 1930s through the 1950s, and involved the use of a small transportable stage and illustrated boards - the elderly hero of this poignant tale decides to return to his rounds after an absence of many, many years. Cycling into the nearby city, he is shocked and saddened by many of the changes he sees, from the unfriendly congestion of motor vehicles, to the destruction of parkland and the construction of countless new buildings. Making his way to his traditional storytelling spot, and clapping his wooden blocks together in order to summon an audience, the Kamishibai Man, unaware that he is speaking aloud, reflects back on the slow process whereby his art was abandoned, replaced by newer forms of entertainment such as television and film. It is only when one of his audience, recognizing himself in the story being told, speaks out, that the old man realizes how many people have gathered around him. Recognizing in him the storyteller and friend of their childhood, the adult audience begs for his stories once more, and buys his special candies.

Like so many of Allen Say's marvelous picture-books, Kamishibai Man features both a moving tale - one in which culture, the passage of time, and the nature of change are all explored - and breathtakingly beautiful watercolor artwork. Say's use of light and shadow is always amazing, and his color choice inspired. Here we see that the overall color scheme of the paintings changes, when the Kamishibai Man is recalling scenes from the past. There is softer light used, and the hues are also softer, more pastel - the past is seen with nostalgic fondness, its rough corners elided - while the contemporary scenes are more harshly lit, and more sharply colored. The result is a visual shift, as the reader moves from present to past, and then forward to the present again, with artwork perfectly complementing text. The story itself is intensely moving, with a melancholy feeling throughout, as the Kamishibai Man reflects on the destruction of his calling, but with a more hopeful ending, when it becomes apparent that his life's work has had a powerful impact on those around him. There is also the added bonus of an informative afterword from folklorist Tara McGowan, who gives a brief history of the Kamishibai art-form.

All in all, this was an outstanding picture-book from Japanese-American author and artist Allen Say, one I would recommend to his fans (of course), as well as to young readers who enjoy puppet theater, and similar styles of storytelling, or who are interested in Japanese culture. ( )