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Reviewed by Lois J Wickstrom for Readers' Favorite
Our Folktales: The All-Time Favourite Folktales of Asia is a collection of stories by storytellers in various Asian countries, selected and edited by Ruth Wan-Lau. Some of the stories are already familiar, like The Zodiac Story, a Chinese folktale retold by Wong Swee Yean, and illustrated by Koo Jia Yi and others. I knew about the cycle of twelve animals associated with years to help people understand how old they are, and some even believe these animals will help them know whom to marry. Others were entirely new to me. Issun-Boshi, a Japanese folktale, retold and illustrated by Shigeru Hatsuyama, is a Japanese version of Tom Thumb with a very different ending than the European tellings. The Princess of Gunung Ledang, a Malaysian folktale retold and illustrated by Emila Yusof, tells of a mysterious princess in a secret garden and how she deals with a marriage proposal. I wonder what she did with that plateful of mosquito hearts that her suitor brought her.
All these stories, edited by Ruth Wan-Lau, have beautiful art and give an insight into countries that children and adults may be curious about. Each story is told and illustrated by people from the various Asian countries. One of my favorite tales in Our Folktales is Journey to Happy Land, a Myanmar folktale retold by Thor Zin Htut Aung with Illustrations by Edo Vader. In this story, various toys are journeying to Happy Land and must deal with obstacles. I found this collection fascinating in the variety of stories and the cultural differences that they highlight.
