THE GREATEST OF ALL: A JAPANESE FOLKTALE by Eric A. Kimmel

Bibliography

Kimmel, Eric A. 1991. THE GREATEST OF ALL: A JAPANESE FOLKTALE. Ill. by Giora Carmi. New York: Holiday House. ISBN: 082340885X

Plot Summary

This is a story about the extravagant Father Mouse who only wants the best husband for his daughter Chuko.  When Chuko asks her father to give her permission to marry a field mouse named Ko Nezumi, he is displeased, so he sets out to find the greatest of all. First he goes to the emperor to tell him he has chosen him to marry Chuko because he is the greatest, but to his surprise the emperor tells him he is not the greatest.  The emperor tells him the sun is the greatest, but the sun also lets Father Mouse know there is someone greater.  He then approaches a cloud, wind, and a wall, but they too are not the greatest.  It turns out that Ko Nezumi, the humble field mouse, is the greatest of all.  The story happily ends with Chuko and Nezumi marrying and everyone agreeing "They make a handsome couple."

Critical Analysis

The illustrations do a fantastic job of  showing the reader ancient Japanese architecture, costume, and design.  They also include detailed faces of the anthropomorphic natural elements (sun, cloud, and wind).  The text within the long, light boxes remind me of Japanese wall hangings, however the salmon colored bordering is a bit distracting.  The story includes the repetition of Father Mouse saying, "I bring good news.  My daughter Chuko wishes to marry.  My wife and I want only the best for her husband.  We have chosen you because you are the greatest of all."  This repetition makes it easy to remember the story and also keeps the reader in suspense of who will ultimately be the greatest.  The story has a happy ending and has a little added humor at times. 

Review Excerpt(s)

Best Books For Children: Preschool-Grade 6 - Ninth Edition (2010) 

CLS Opening Day Collections Audit-June 2002 (And Ongoing)

More Books Kids Will Sit Still For 1995

Multicultural Review September 1996 Issue 3

Texas Summer Reading Program 1993

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY review: "Kimmel (Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock; Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins) concisely retells this pleasant if low-key tale of a self-important mouse who lives in the emperor's palace and dresses in fine silk. He refuses to allow his daughter to marry a humble field mouse, announcing that whomever she marries "must be the greatest of all." His quest to find the individual who fits this description begins with the emperor, who sends him to bright Sun, who defers to Cloud, who insists that Wind is far greater than he: "When Wind blows, clouds scatter." In the end, of course, the mouse discovers that it is not these powerful forces but the hard-working field mouse who deserves his daughter's hand. Warm colors and distinctive texture mark Carmi's (And Shira Imagined; The Chanukkah Guest) illustrations, which include effective renderings of the anthropomorphic natural elements. Ages 3-8."

KIRKUS review: "In this smooth retelling of "The Wedding of the Mouse," from Uchida's classic The Dancing Kettle (1947), Father Mouse approaches the emperor as the greatest possible bridegroom for his daughter. Not so, says the emperor: the sun can make him seek shade. The mouse pursues his quest from sun to cloud to wind to wall, only to have the wall demur like the others: one day the tunneling field mouse will bring him down, he says, so the mouse maiden is allowed to wed her own beloved after all. Carmi uses tall frames and details of dress to suggest a Japanese setting; her style is lively and accessible but undistinguished, the illustrations' muted tomato-soup borders more distracting than harmonious. Still, an acceptable setting for a good story. Folklore/Picture book. Ages 4-10."

Connections

• Multicultural - Asian American
• THE GREATEST OF ALL: A JAPANESE FOLKTALE is a retelling of "The Wedding of the Mouse" from Yoshiko Uchida's THE DANCING KETTLE which features 14 authentic Japanese folk stories.
• The book could lead to a discussion about other Japanese stories and customs.
• Kids can talk about the sun, clouds, and wind as well as other natural elements.

Other books by Eric A. Kimmel:

• Kimmel, Eric A. 2013. LITTLE RED HOT. Ill. by Laura Huliska Beith. Las Vegas, NV: Amazon Children's Pub. ISBN: 9781477816387
• Kimmel, Eric A. 2009. THE THREE LITTLE TAMALES. Ill. by Valeria Docampo. New York: Marshall Cavendish Children. ISBN: 9780761455196
• Kimmel, Eric A. 1994. THE THREE PRINCES: A TALE FROM THE MIDDLE EAST. Ill. Leonard Everett Fisher. New York: Holiday House. ISBN: 0823415538