The Plum-Rain Scroll by Ruth Manley

(Book Review)

This book was being passed around by my co-workers. One of them lent it to a student, the student gave it to me with instructions to return it to the owner. But I thought I'd read it first.

This is a children's book written by an Australian using characters from Japanese mythology. It is not itself based on any specific Japanese story, but it introduces children to Japanese mythological characters through a new story. In other words, it seeks to do for Japanese mythology what Tolkien did for Norse mythology. (Although perhaps that's comparing apples and oranges. The fairy-tale style and tone of this book could not be more different than Tolkien's epics).

....(This book was originally published way back in 1978. These days, after the Anime explosion, I wonder if it is even necessary to have a book to introduce young people to Japanese mythological creatures. Someone in the publishing industry must have thought it was because the edition I read was dated 2005).

The hero of this book is an odd job boy named Taro. Not the same character as Momotaro (the infamous most famous children's story in Japan that foreigners are told over and over), but like his namesake he does go on a journey and acquire various friends along the way. By the time he's done, in his little band includes almost every popular creature in Japanese mythology: a ghost, an Oni, a dream eater, a half Kappa-half roof watcher creature, Lord Eight thousand spears, etc.

The style of this book is very simple. This is especially noticible after books like "Harry Potter", "The Golden Compass" and other children's books that don't talk down to you.
It may simply be due to the age of the book, and the fact that way back when children's books were supposed to have a simpler style, like the Narnia series. (Perhaps someone better versed in the history of literature could help me out on this one). It may be due to the fact that the author is deliberately trying to imitate the tone and language of a fairy tale. Or, in my more cranky moments, I must confess I wondered if this wasn't an example of how undemanding a genre children's literature is for writers of limited talent.

Below a typical example:
"One step on to my bridge," he roared, "and I shall eat you all for my bedtime snack. I am Tsuki the Terrible; behold me and tremble!"
"Why should we?" demanded Taro scornfully. "We've had the better of far more frightening onis than you could ever hope to be." He sounded far braver than he felt.
"You won't be so carefree when you're side-dishes to my evening rice," retorted Oni, fingering his club lovingly. "How fine I shall look in that handsome red robe; and that dog's skin will make me a nice cosy little foot-rug for the Time of Greatest Cold--"
At this, Oboro stamped her foot. "You couldn't look fine in anything!" she stormed. "If you so much as lay a finger on my dog, I warn you, you'll be sorrier than you've ever been in your whole life!"
To her astonishment and that of her friends, a tear appeared and slowly coursed down the blue cheek of the Oni.
"Oh, please don't say that!" he implored her. "If you knew the trouble I take to look nice! I was carefully brought up, even if I am an orpahn now! I never forget the things that Mother taught my sister and me. One of her sayings was 'A nice little Oni is always neat'. She impressed it upon us that Onis who go about in tiger-skin loincloths are undesirable acquaintances; I should never dream of so demeaning myself! And yet you say that for all my efforts to uphold Mother's standards, I don't look nice in my fine clothes! And you threaten to set your dog on me!"
"Well it's your own fault," Oboro pointed out, though she was much mollified by his tears. "What do you expect people to say when you're so horrid to them? Actually your clothes are quite attractive; but you see, we simply must cross this bridge, and cross it we mean to! My dog is very fierce, if I give her the word; so don't imagine you're going to catch and eat any of us, as you no doubt did to the man from whom you got that outfit."

Et cetera.
The fairy tale style story telling is not completely without its charm if allow yourself to go along with it, but you should be forewarned going into the book.

The book is filled with not only Japanese mythological creatures, but lots of Japanese words for everyday items and culture. Andon (pedestal lamp) Daimyo (feudal lord) Gagaku (court music) Geta (wooden clogs), etc. All of these words, in addition to all the mythological words that pop up in the story, are defined in the glossary in the back.
This is great for someone like me who is trying to use this book to study Japanese culture...at least in theory. Even I have to admit I don't always appreciate having to stop the story to flip to the back and look up a word.

I'm not sure how the target audience for this book, an actual child, would react to having to look up all these strange words in a glossary. Although this book has won some awards (The Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year) I suspect this is the kind of book teachers often make children read, rather than the kind of book they would read themselves.

The first 15 pages especially, when we're just getting introduced to Taro, the stuff around his house, and the setting of the book, is filled with several Japanese words that need to be looked up in the back. After that, once the story gets going its not so bad. But if you're trying to hook the reader early on, this is probably the worst thing you should do. If anything the first 15 pages should be completely free of any words that require a trip to the glossary, and then once the reader is hooked on the story strange new words can be gradually introduced. That would have been my advice if I was the publisher.

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The Plum-Rain Scroll by Ruth Manley: Book Review (Scripted)