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The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-boy #2
Chasing Dreams
Going home isn't as simple as getting home! Chasing Dreams is the sequel to The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-Boy, recounting the continuing adventures of Azuki, the girl who turns into a Toki, and her brother, Shota, who can become a sparrow. Outcasts, Tengu, Dragons, Tanuki, and all the uncertainty and chaos of Meiji-era Japan provide help and obstacles as they find a way to chase their dreams.
(MORE) When Azuki, the girl who turns into a Toki, and her brother, the Sparrow-Boy Shota, finally reach their home village to claim their human identities, they find chaos and war. A traveling monk shelters them from battle, hiding Azuki in plain sight as a boy acolyte and Shota as her pet sparrow. In the midst of the fight, Azuki discovers an asset even more valuable than her brilliant feathers. This, she realizes, is the asset the foreigners seek, and this is what the rightful lord -- the one who doesn’t want to kill her -- can use to cement his claim!
Yuta, the monk, agrees to take them to the capitol and get them in to see the properly appointed Lord Eitaro, but they must outrun the battle first. Karasu Tengu, nasty bird-humanoids that follow battles and harass monks, spot them and realize Azuki is no ordinary acolyte – or ordinary girl. Yuta drives them off, but Shota thinks of his friend, Renko, the Dragon Princess, and the Tengu realize that he knows one of the old enemy of the evil Tengu. They vow they will be back with their DaiTengu master, to steal Azuki and challenge the Dragon.
As they travel to the capitol with colliers, bandits attack. Blackie, Shota’s horse friend, stolen by the bandits, offers his help and that of Red Wind, a roan mare who claims she is fastest of them all.
As they close on the city, both Azuki and Shota realize how precarious their situation is. They hadn’t thought beyond getting home, not realizing that as children, they were completely under the power of adults. That would be hard for any children, much less children who can turn into birds. Shota tells the Dragon Princess about the Tengu know about her. Azuki encounters a Tanuki in the wood who has a surprising message for them both.
Once they reach the city, Azuki spots a new style of loom, one of the many stunning technologies the foreigners have brought. She loves to weave, she’s good at it, and she wants that loom, so while Yuta visits the Temple, Azuki sneaks out – and she’s caught. Has she forfeited her opportunity to see the marvelous loom forever?
They are invited to meet with Lady Satsuki, Lord Eitaro’s wife, and their daughter, Anko. There, they impart their news of Azuki's discovery, which will ensure Eitaro’s position. There, too, the children’s fate will be decided. How can they be themselves and follow their dreams when the world that has so much power over them doesn’t have a place for bird-children?
Then there’s the DaiTengu, the humanoid form, that wants Azuki’s feathers for its wind-making fans even if she isn’t a female Tengu.
Can Azuki escape once more? Will the Dragon Princess defeat the DaiTengu? How can Shota and Azuki survive in a human world when they aren’t entirely human? Can they find a way to live as themselves among humans who will accept them as they are? Will they find a way to chase their dreams and make them whole?
(MORE) When Azuki, the girl who turns into a Toki, and her brother, the Sparrow-Boy Shota, finally reach their home village to claim their human identities, they find chaos and war. A traveling monk shelters them from battle, hiding Azuki in plain sight as a boy acolyte and Shota as her pet sparrow. In the midst of the fight, Azuki discovers an asset even more valuable than her brilliant feathers. This, she realizes, is the asset the foreigners seek, and this is what the rightful lord -- the one who doesn’t want to kill her -- can use to cement his claim!
Yuta, the monk, agrees to take them to the capitol and get them in to see the properly appointed Lord Eitaro, but they must outrun the battle first. Karasu Tengu, nasty bird-humanoids that follow battles and harass monks, spot them and realize Azuki is no ordinary acolyte – or ordinary girl. Yuta drives them off, but Shota thinks of his friend, Renko, the Dragon Princess, and the Tengu realize that he knows one of the old enemy of the evil Tengu. They vow they will be back with their DaiTengu master, to steal Azuki and challenge the Dragon.
As they travel to the capitol with colliers, bandits attack. Blackie, Shota’s horse friend, stolen by the bandits, offers his help and that of Red Wind, a roan mare who claims she is fastest of them all.
As they close on the city, both Azuki and Shota realize how precarious their situation is. They hadn’t thought beyond getting home, not realizing that as children, they were completely under the power of adults. That would be hard for any children, much less children who can turn into birds. Shota tells the Dragon Princess about the Tengu know about her. Azuki encounters a Tanuki in the wood who has a surprising message for them both.
Once they reach the city, Azuki spots a new style of loom, one of the many stunning technologies the foreigners have brought. She loves to weave, she’s good at it, and she wants that loom, so while Yuta visits the Temple, Azuki sneaks out – and she’s caught. Has she forfeited her opportunity to see the marvelous loom forever?
They are invited to meet with Lady Satsuki, Lord Eitaro’s wife, and their daughter, Anko. There, they impart their news of Azuki's discovery, which will ensure Eitaro’s position. There, too, the children’s fate will be decided. How can they be themselves and follow their dreams when the world that has so much power over them doesn’t have a place for bird-children?
Then there’s the DaiTengu, the humanoid form, that wants Azuki’s feathers for its wind-making fans even if she isn’t a female Tengu.
Can Azuki escape once more? Will the Dragon Princess defeat the DaiTengu? How can Shota and Azuki survive in a human world when they aren’t entirely human? Can they find a way to live as themselves among humans who will accept them as they are? Will they find a way to chase their dreams and make them whole?
185 pages, ebook
First published June 25, 2015
3 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
About the author
Claire Youmans
22 books11 followers Claire Youmans is an accomplished non-fiction and ficton writer who has also written and edited innumerable articles, engaging audiences for over 20 years. With a deep love for Japan and its culture, Youmans has traveled there extensively studying the country’s culture and folklore.
While working on a play produced in Tokyo, Youmans was so inspired by two minor characters -- Azuki, a Toki-Girl, and her brother, Shota, a Sparrow-Boy -- that she expanded their story into The Toki Girl and the Sparrow Boy series, starting with Coming Home, book 1. With generous doses of adventure, suspense, folklore and fantasy, Youmans has brought their visually compelling story into book form in The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-Boy, a series of exciting and compelling books that age as the charcters grow up. The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-Boy Book 9, The Oni's Shamisen, releases in June 2022.
With further books in development, Youmans now lives in Japan, seeking even more inspiration and motivation to bring that nation’s beauty and culture to life for all adventurous readers through its traditional folklore, history and culture, levened with a healthy dose of magicla realism. And dragons.
While working on a play produced in Tokyo, Youmans was so inspired by two minor characters -- Azuki, a Toki-Girl, and her brother, Shota, a Sparrow-Boy -- that she expanded their story into The Toki Girl and the Sparrow Boy series, starting with Coming Home, book 1. With generous doses of adventure, suspense, folklore and fantasy, Youmans has brought their visually compelling story into book form in The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-Boy, a series of exciting and compelling books that age as the charcters grow up. The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-Boy Book 9, The Oni's Shamisen, releases in June 2022.
With further books in development, Youmans now lives in Japan, seeking even more inspiration and motivation to bring that nation’s beauty and culture to life for all adventurous readers through its traditional folklore, history and culture, levened with a healthy dose of magicla realism. And dragons.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 19, 2020
Part history, part folklore, and part fiction, Youmans’s vivid, deeply intriguing, and seemingly small story of a sibling pair, children who can turn into birds, tells a much larger tale of the Meiji era Japan.
The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-Boy, the series kickoff expertly sets the stage for upcoming adventures of the sibling pair, Azuki and Shota. Wealth and luck bestow Chizuyo and Hachibei after arrival of their daughter Azuki, a Toki bird who can turns into a human child. The family becomes complete after Shota, a Sparrow bird that can turn into a human child, joins as Azuki’s younger brother. But Azuki’s precious feathers get the family into trouble after Hasegawa Genmai, Hachibei’s friend and a malicious overlord, decides to get Azuki for himself to procure her valuable feathers. With their parents killed, the siblings are separated, but they must return home or risk losing their ability to live in human society forever.
Azuki and Shota are back home, dreaming about living peacefully in the human world in the second installment. But among the chaos and uncertainty of the war, the siblings are forced to live with a traveling monk Yuta as a boy acolyte and a pet sparrow. Discovery of a precious asset forces the trio to visit the capitol and relay the information to the properly appointed Lord Eitaro. But the malicious DaiTengu wants Azuki’s feathers for its wind-making fans.
The life has become normal once again for the sibling pair in the third installment. Azuki and Shota are finally content living with Uncle Yuta. But when Azuki suddenly becomes ill, Shota sets out to find Tsuruko, the legendary Crane-girl, hoping she could help Azuki. Renko, the Dragon Princess, is torn between fulfilling her parents’ opposing wishes. Meanwhile, there is trouble brewing in the sea in the form of the Umi-Bozu patrol.
Uncle Yuta’s life has become extremely complicated with everyone dual-natured around him in the fourth installment. If being dual-natured is not difficult enough, Azuki, Shota, and Renko are growing fast and with that becoming a challenge to deal with. And Japan is evolving as well: with changing time, the country is ready to introduce a new system of education. Yuta must prepare himself to guide his family through the storm of change.
In the fifth installment, Youmans takes readers on Uncle Yuta’s newly married bride, Noriko’s journey as she settles in her new home, surrounded by plenty of dual-natured children while trying to unravel the hidden secrets of her past.
The Dragon-sisters Renko and Otohime’s destiny may lie among their ability to come to terms with their dual-nature after twist of fate leaves them drained of their powers in the sixth installment.
In the seventh installment, Youmans introduces new characters as Azuki, Shota, and Renko struggle to adjust as dual-natured people in an ever-changing Japanese society as Japan sets on to embrace Western ideas and technology, including education in order to compete in the civilized world.
Full of grace and distinctive imagery, Youmans’s storytelling is articulate and suave. She’s deft at portraying relationships and inner thoughts and skillfully digs into her characters' turbulent psyches. With their lives caught between two worlds, the siblings struggle to adjust as dual-natured people. She makes their emotional turmoil, inner conflicts, pain, heartaches, and desires both deeply affecting and intimate, giving ample voice to their hardships as well as their accomplishments.
Azuki and Shota both have their own struggles, and although Shota makes for a memorable character, it’s Azuki who steals the show. With her quick wit and big personality, Azuki commands the spotlight. Despite her inner conflict that arises from her being a dual-natured person, she never has problem finding her own voice. The story's chief appeal lies in Azuki, Shota, Renko, and various secondary characters’ ability to shapeshift. Youmans skillfully explores the vast changes in Japanese society that lead to the country’s embracing of Western education, leaving readers with lots to ponder.
The children’s dangerous quests as they face malevolent enemies and perilous circumstances give the fantastical spreads breathtaking drama and splendor, while their resilience in the face of difficulties conveys the message of the importance of summoning one’s own power and never losing hope. Generous doses of cultural insights and the people’s ways of living throughout bolster this fascinating, engrossing tale of dreamy derring-do.
Youmans’s descriptions of landscapes are poetic, and the worldbuilding nuanced. Egrets, mountain ogre, dragons, Tengu, the bird-humanoids, various types of bird-children, the outcasts, and bandits in the middle of all the uncertainty and chaos of the Meiji era Japan come out alive, leaving readers feel exhilarated. As the children grow old, so does the nation.
Youmans’s smoothly paced narrative and crisp prose keep the pace quick, while the mix of folklore, Japanese culture, and traditional way of living help the story feel both fresh and timeless. And just like the traditional folklores, Azuki and Shota’s tale is as much about journey as it’s about destination. Though, there are pains and heartaches, the overall story is lighthearted. Dominated by rich warm tones, the accompanied interior art, the Japanese Woodblock Prints which are contemporary to the time in which the stories take place, is exquisite.
With its soothing and magical quality of a fairytale, the artwork seems at par with the timeless subject matter. Youmans is a natural storyteller who's created a vibrant and cinematic series that young readers are going to love.
This is a must-read for middle graders.
The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-Boy, the series kickoff expertly sets the stage for upcoming adventures of the sibling pair, Azuki and Shota. Wealth and luck bestow Chizuyo and Hachibei after arrival of their daughter Azuki, a Toki bird who can turns into a human child. The family becomes complete after Shota, a Sparrow bird that can turn into a human child, joins as Azuki’s younger brother. But Azuki’s precious feathers get the family into trouble after Hasegawa Genmai, Hachibei’s friend and a malicious overlord, decides to get Azuki for himself to procure her valuable feathers. With their parents killed, the siblings are separated, but they must return home or risk losing their ability to live in human society forever.
Azuki and Shota are back home, dreaming about living peacefully in the human world in the second installment. But among the chaos and uncertainty of the war, the siblings are forced to live with a traveling monk Yuta as a boy acolyte and a pet sparrow. Discovery of a precious asset forces the trio to visit the capitol and relay the information to the properly appointed Lord Eitaro. But the malicious DaiTengu wants Azuki’s feathers for its wind-making fans.
The life has become normal once again for the sibling pair in the third installment. Azuki and Shota are finally content living with Uncle Yuta. But when Azuki suddenly becomes ill, Shota sets out to find Tsuruko, the legendary Crane-girl, hoping she could help Azuki. Renko, the Dragon Princess, is torn between fulfilling her parents’ opposing wishes. Meanwhile, there is trouble brewing in the sea in the form of the Umi-Bozu patrol.
Uncle Yuta’s life has become extremely complicated with everyone dual-natured around him in the fourth installment. If being dual-natured is not difficult enough, Azuki, Shota, and Renko are growing fast and with that becoming a challenge to deal with. And Japan is evolving as well: with changing time, the country is ready to introduce a new system of education. Yuta must prepare himself to guide his family through the storm of change.
In the fifth installment, Youmans takes readers on Uncle Yuta’s newly married bride, Noriko’s journey as she settles in her new home, surrounded by plenty of dual-natured children while trying to unravel the hidden secrets of her past.
The Dragon-sisters Renko and Otohime’s destiny may lie among their ability to come to terms with their dual-nature after twist of fate leaves them drained of their powers in the sixth installment.
In the seventh installment, Youmans introduces new characters as Azuki, Shota, and Renko struggle to adjust as dual-natured people in an ever-changing Japanese society as Japan sets on to embrace Western ideas and technology, including education in order to compete in the civilized world.
Full of grace and distinctive imagery, Youmans’s storytelling is articulate and suave. She’s deft at portraying relationships and inner thoughts and skillfully digs into her characters' turbulent psyches. With their lives caught between two worlds, the siblings struggle to adjust as dual-natured people. She makes their emotional turmoil, inner conflicts, pain, heartaches, and desires both deeply affecting and intimate, giving ample voice to their hardships as well as their accomplishments.
Azuki and Shota both have their own struggles, and although Shota makes for a memorable character, it’s Azuki who steals the show. With her quick wit and big personality, Azuki commands the spotlight. Despite her inner conflict that arises from her being a dual-natured person, she never has problem finding her own voice. The story's chief appeal lies in Azuki, Shota, Renko, and various secondary characters’ ability to shapeshift. Youmans skillfully explores the vast changes in Japanese society that lead to the country’s embracing of Western education, leaving readers with lots to ponder.
The children’s dangerous quests as they face malevolent enemies and perilous circumstances give the fantastical spreads breathtaking drama and splendor, while their resilience in the face of difficulties conveys the message of the importance of summoning one’s own power and never losing hope. Generous doses of cultural insights and the people’s ways of living throughout bolster this fascinating, engrossing tale of dreamy derring-do.
Youmans’s descriptions of landscapes are poetic, and the worldbuilding nuanced. Egrets, mountain ogre, dragons, Tengu, the bird-humanoids, various types of bird-children, the outcasts, and bandits in the middle of all the uncertainty and chaos of the Meiji era Japan come out alive, leaving readers feel exhilarated. As the children grow old, so does the nation.
Youmans’s smoothly paced narrative and crisp prose keep the pace quick, while the mix of folklore, Japanese culture, and traditional way of living help the story feel both fresh and timeless. And just like the traditional folklores, Azuki and Shota’s tale is as much about journey as it’s about destination. Though, there are pains and heartaches, the overall story is lighthearted. Dominated by rich warm tones, the accompanied interior art, the Japanese Woodblock Prints which are contemporary to the time in which the stories take place, is exquisite.
With its soothing and magical quality of a fairytale, the artwork seems at par with the timeless subject matter. Youmans is a natural storyteller who's created a vibrant and cinematic series that young readers are going to love.
This is a must-read for middle graders.
June 30, 2019
What's in store for these bird-children as they venture out with their guardian? Claire Youmans have her hands full with these bird-children that we can certainly look out for more about them.
On their way back, Azuki and Shota figures out what Lady Anko's father needs to stop the take over of his office. Little did they expect to find untraceable foes, new acquaintances, and memorable friends, but it's increasingly becoming clear, on their way to claim their identity, they learn the true value of family. Consisting 26 chapters in this 287 pages read, Youmans brings her best foot forward in Chasing Dreams defining the beauty of Japanese culture. Lacking of mysticism and plot development did bleak the unflinching nature of Youmans' excellent hand. Leaving readers in scruples, the third-quarter of this series is more like a stuffed -bunny. Youmans' rushing nature caused an incongruous hussle which leaves readers on an unpalatable note. Certain moments had an irrevocable adrenaline drive defining fine moments adding a positive light on Youmans.
Maintaining an excellent editorial standard, Youmans' acknowledgement of fulfilling readers interests is something any reader should look forward to through Azuki and Shota.
On their way back, Azuki and Shota figures out what Lady Anko's father needs to stop the take over of his office. Little did they expect to find untraceable foes, new acquaintances, and memorable friends, but it's increasingly becoming clear, on their way to claim their identity, they learn the true value of family. Consisting 26 chapters in this 287 pages read, Youmans brings her best foot forward in Chasing Dreams defining the beauty of Japanese culture. Lacking of mysticism and plot development did bleak the unflinching nature of Youmans' excellent hand. Leaving readers in scruples, the third-quarter of this series is more like a stuffed -bunny. Youmans' rushing nature caused an incongruous hussle which leaves readers on an unpalatable note. Certain moments had an irrevocable adrenaline drive defining fine moments adding a positive light on Youmans.
Maintaining an excellent editorial standard, Youmans' acknowledgement of fulfilling readers interests is something any reader should look forward to through Azuki and Shota.
May 17, 2020
I reviewed this for a book review website.
The book was ok however it doesn't make much sense if you have not read the first on, there are many words that I did not know the meaning of and had to search.
In the end I only read about 40%, I may come back to it if I decide to read the first book.
The book was ok however it doesn't make much sense if you have not read the first on, there are many words that I did not know the meaning of and had to search.
In the end I only read about 40%, I may come back to it if I decide to read the first book.
September 26, 2017
Following the series. Very character based.
September 14, 2015
In the sequel to The Toki-Girl and The Sparrow-Boy, siblings Azuki and Shota find themselves on another wild adventure. Azuki and Shota want to go home, but their homeland is filled with war and unrest. To claim their human identities and inheritance, the two bird children must make a perilous journey to seek a meeting with the rightful lord of their village. A kind monk, Yuta, agrees to help the children get to the capitol to see Lord Eitaro. But their journey is filled with dangerous creatures and obstacles. Will Aziku and Shota get home before it’s too late?
Like its predecessor, The Toki-Girl and The Sparrow-Boy Book 2: Chasing Dreams, is a lovely tale full of sparkling imagination, memorable characters, and wondrous fantasy elements. Author Claire Youmans, once again intertwines real history with enthralling fantasy and adventure to weave a captivating story. From the culture to the language, clothes, food, and the social and political changes of the era, the Meiji-era Japan setting is crafted with great care and authenticity. The fantastical elements throughout The Toki-Girl and The Sparrow-Boy Book 2: Chasing Dreams feel both timelessly classic and fresh. Young readers will be captivated and enchanted by this world full of bird-children, dragons, Tengu, and more!
One of the things I like best about this series, are the characters. From brave and endearing Azuki to charming and amusing Shota, kind and wise Yuta, clever Anko, fun Blackie and Red Wind, and all the wonderful, intriguing characters we meet in this book, The Toki-Girl and The Sparrow-Boy Book 2: Chasing Dreams is full of unforgettable and likable characters.
Azuki and Shota’s journey home is full of wild adventure, unexpected twists, fun surprises, and thoughtful lessons. Youmans concludes book two in a very heartwarming, satisfying way.
my final thoughts: Like book one, The Toki-Girl and The Sparrow-Boy Book 2: Chasing Dreams is an exciting and charming read.
Like its predecessor, The Toki-Girl and The Sparrow-Boy Book 2: Chasing Dreams, is a lovely tale full of sparkling imagination, memorable characters, and wondrous fantasy elements. Author Claire Youmans, once again intertwines real history with enthralling fantasy and adventure to weave a captivating story. From the culture to the language, clothes, food, and the social and political changes of the era, the Meiji-era Japan setting is crafted with great care and authenticity. The fantastical elements throughout The Toki-Girl and The Sparrow-Boy Book 2: Chasing Dreams feel both timelessly classic and fresh. Young readers will be captivated and enchanted by this world full of bird-children, dragons, Tengu, and more!
One of the things I like best about this series, are the characters. From brave and endearing Azuki to charming and amusing Shota, kind and wise Yuta, clever Anko, fun Blackie and Red Wind, and all the wonderful, intriguing characters we meet in this book, The Toki-Girl and The Sparrow-Boy Book 2: Chasing Dreams is full of unforgettable and likable characters.
Azuki and Shota’s journey home is full of wild adventure, unexpected twists, fun surprises, and thoughtful lessons. Youmans concludes book two in a very heartwarming, satisfying way.
my final thoughts: Like book one, The Toki-Girl and The Sparrow-Boy Book 2: Chasing Dreams is an exciting and charming read.
July 22, 2015
by Bree Wolf, author of Fireflies
After thoroughly enjoying 'The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-Boy', I couldn't wait to read the sequel. Azuki and her brother Shota are such endearing and strong characters struggling to find their way through a mythological Japan. The story is written like a beautiful fairy tale, introducing the reader to old Japan full of unknown but fascinating costums and traditions. At a quick pace the adventure moves forward, making you turn page after page, reading long into the night! Highly recommended!
After thoroughly enjoying 'The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-Boy', I couldn't wait to read the sequel. Azuki and her brother Shota are such endearing and strong characters struggling to find their way through a mythological Japan. The story is written like a beautiful fairy tale, introducing the reader to old Japan full of unknown but fascinating costums and traditions. At a quick pace the adventure moves forward, making you turn page after page, reading long into the night! Highly recommended!
June 30, 2015
Well, of course I think it's fabulous! I wrote it! It's very good. So far, everyone who reads it, loves it.
October 20, 2015
Read all the reviews on Amazon! This is "even better than the first one."
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews