This book is an adaptation of a traditional Japanese folktale. The spirit of the story is celebration and generosity of the holiday season.

A book about sharing and the New Year in Japan. When two kids realize that their mother cannot afford a proper New Year's meal for the family, the children pitch in, deciding to sell the things they have made. A trade and a few prayers later, and they are rewarded for their generosity and honest hearts. ( )

The main message in this book is to be kind and in the end it will come back to you. It revolves around selflessness as well.
One reason I liked this book was how it was told in English about Japan but still incoporated Japenese in the text. For example, when the girls say goodbye to the old man he says to them, "O-shogatsu!" and the girls reply with, "Happy New Year to you, too." The old man's dialect is written in Japanese but the girls response is written in English. This was a unique way of incorporating other languages into the text.
I also liked the repetitive phrase they have throughout the story. The keep singing the same song, "Snow is falling. Hail is falling. It just keeps falling and falling!." The repetition of the song helps the story flow together. ( )

Present a Japanese New Year's custom to elementary age student's! This is a fun tale of a brother and sister who when faced without the expected celebration, decided to do put forth effort to make it better. When all seemed hopeless, events took an unexpected turn.

There is a few valuable lessons that are presented on unselfishness, service and perseverance.

The illustrations were nicely done by Linda Finch. The are slightly dull and simple but depicts the story well. They definitely give the audience a flair of the Orient. The story was written simply, presenting the main points clearly. After the story is told, the author ads some follow-up information which can be used for further enlightenment and discussion.

This is short and perfect for children's story time. It can be purchased in a large paperback, enabling a group to easily see the pictures.

It is book worthy of recommendation. My review of this book gives it a Four Stars rating.

This book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review, of which I have given. ( )