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Cautionary Fables & Fairytales
Tamamo the Fox Maiden and Other Asian Stories
“And they lived happily ever after . . . I assume.”
Vengeful spirits, flying ogres, helpful teapots, ghost pepper ghosts, and trickster tigers? That’s just the start of this lively collection of Asian folktales, reimagined and retold in comics!
This second volume of the "Cautionary Fables and Fairy Tales" graphic novel series is a thrilling, funny, and totally unexpected take on stories spanning the entirety of the Asian continent, with loads of lesser-known myths and legends from Tibet, India, Indonesia, and beyond. Featuring the work of Gene Luen Yang, Nick Dragotta, Blue Delliquanti, Carla Speed McNeil, Nina Matsumoto, and many more!
Vengeful spirits, flying ogres, helpful teapots, ghost pepper ghosts, and trickster tigers? That’s just the start of this lively collection of Asian folktales, reimagined and retold in comics!
This second volume of the "Cautionary Fables and Fairy Tales" graphic novel series is a thrilling, funny, and totally unexpected take on stories spanning the entirety of the Asian continent, with loads of lesser-known myths and legends from Tibet, India, Indonesia, and beyond. Featuring the work of Gene Luen Yang, Nick Dragotta, Blue Delliquanti, Carla Speed McNeil, Nina Matsumoto, and many more!
288 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2016
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659 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews
August 23, 2019
A collection of folk tales I'd never heard before from all over Asia. All but a few were terrific. I was surprised at how many of the stories involved someone forcing another person to cook dinner for them. And animals that could change into humans or vice versa. I guess some stories are universal. This was a delight and I'll definitely seek out the other 2 books in this series.
Received a review copy from Iron Circus and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
Received a review copy from Iron Circus and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
May 22, 2019
Check out more reviews @ Perspective of a Writer...
The Premise
Tamamo the Fox Maiden and Other Asian Stories is the Asia Edition of the indie comic series Cautionary Fables and Fairy-Tales. I see they have editions for Africa and Oceania too which is quite exciting as I'm not as familiar with those fairy tales. This is a comic anthology and the second of its type I've ever read. TBH any kind of anthology is going to feel uneven unless 80% of the stories are top notch (I'm talking 4-5 stars each). And Tamamo the Fox Maiden isn't any different. I can say though that there was only a single story where I thought the art was under par. That is quite an achievement!
On the other hand the stories are quite shallow. We are talking 21 stories in under 300 pages after all. They aren't meant to be super deep as we're talking stories 3 pages long to 30 pages with the average 8 to 15 pages. Not a lot of page time to develop a rich story. However they do fulfill their purpose and that is to bring Asian fables and fairy tales to the attention of children and other curious readers. The great thing about this anthology is that the stories range from those perfect for middle grade readers all the way up to adults. So its the perfect volume for a father or mother to read with their children and yet get something out of it as well.
The Buzz
The exciting thing about Tamamo the Fox Maiden is that each story is labeled with the origin country. So if a reader were to become excited to know more about a certain countries fables they can easily look up more stories. Many of the stories concentrate on Japan, and I knew most of them. One in particular was a little shocking and I loved that. The other big country represented is India. There are many regions and I felt like we got a good cross section of different point of views. We also got six stories from small little known countries and those were quite exciting! Though some were quite familiar ideas.
The Feels
At first, as I read deeper into Tamamo the Fox Maiden and Other Asian Stories, I thought it was quite odd the beginning stories heavily laden with message for children were next to the later stories for adults including one that dealt with philosophy (that puzzled me!), a drinking game story and another quite brutal one toward a bird. AS I thought about it though this is a volume all about exposing yourself to different fables and fairy-tales. Thus it makes sense that some of the stories were quite conventional and classic while others were more modern interpretations and retellings. This is about exploration and finding tidbits that you haven't read about before. Sure, more will be new to a child but an adult won't find it without worth.
The Visuals
By far the strength of Tamamo the Fox Maiden is the art. Your taste in art may vary from mine but I only found one story with poor art (and I didn't love the story either.) I actually would have left that one out if I was the editor. But I found many stories with dynamite art! I loved The Flying Ogre by Ron Chan (China) and actually would love to read more (it was my favorite). I also loved Hoichi the Earless by Nina Matsumoto (Japan), The Three Rhymesters by Meredith McClaren (China), The History of the Spectre Ship by Caitlyn Kurilich (Arabian Peninsula) and Tongue Cut Sparrow by Ayano Hattori and Nick Dragotta (Japan). The best part about all of these different artists is there is a little bio of each at the back of the volume where you can read about how to find other of their work! If you find an artist you love then the best thing is to find more of their stories to read.
Tamamo the Fox Maiden and Other Asian Stories is a fun all Asian comic anthology. It will expose you to fables and fairy-tales you may or may not have read about before... but prepare to get a taste from all around Asia! The art is standout and the stories are quick, many are fun, creepy and classic.
While I really loved the purpose of the Tamamo the Fox Maiden anthology after reading the volume and picking out my favorites I would have loved the volume more if each story had been treated more like an original story based on a fable or fairy-tale rather than a straight up retelling. That would have made more sense with the wide audience that the volume was trying to target. An old idea given new life can be appreciated by all readers, while classic stories can feel over done and dull even with new art.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Authenticity
⋆ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Tension
⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⭐⭐ Plot
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Art
Thanks to Netgalley and Iron Circus Comics for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. It has not influenced my opinions.
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You can find this manga review and many others on my book blog every Monday @ Perspective of a Writer. See my manga and graphic novel reviews at the bottom of the page.
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April 9, 2019
I received an ARC copy of this book from Edelweiss
This was a really fun collection. It features traditional stories from all over Asia [not just China, Japan, and India!] and each story is adapted and illustrated by a different writer / artist. The stories vary in length but most of them are fairly short and straight-forward. I liked seeing all the different art styles and also learning about a lot of new fables and fairy-tales that I hadn't previously heard of. I think there was literally one story in here that I had a vague recollection of hearing before, but all the rest of them were new to me. Definitely a great resource if you are looking to branch out of the 'standard' western fairy-tale model, and even though it is targeted towards children I think it's a perfectly enjoyable book for adults as well.
This was a really fun collection. It features traditional stories from all over Asia [not just China, Japan, and India!] and each story is adapted and illustrated by a different writer / artist. The stories vary in length but most of them are fairly short and straight-forward. I liked seeing all the different art styles and also learning about a lot of new fables and fairy-tales that I hadn't previously heard of. I think there was literally one story in here that I had a vague recollection of hearing before, but all the rest of them were new to me. Definitely a great resource if you are looking to branch out of the 'standard' western fairy-tale model, and even though it is targeted towards children I think it's a perfectly enjoyable book for adults as well.
April 23, 2019
I had I hope for this book of fables and fairy tales from Asia but it let me down... The illustrations styles change from one story to another but it was always alright, sometimes better than others, but alright. The problem I found with the story is just the lack of morality/thinking behind it all. Some are entertaining and funny, but nothing really deep and just a bit easy and unoriginal story. I wasn’t captivated by it, I did enjoy it much. It isn’t garbage or anything that bad, but just a low average book.
June 28, 2019
I received this book, for free, in exchange for an honest review.
This book is full with many well told/adapted and illustrated renditions of Asian folktales.
I am not sure if I get the purpose of all of the fables and a couple of them seem to push ideas that seem backwards. However, all in all this didn't detract from the experience it just made it less practical than something more transparent like Aesop's fables. Some of the stories can be a bit scary so I wouldn't read them to my 7 year old without pre-screening the stories.
This book is full with many well told/adapted and illustrated renditions of Asian folktales.
I am not sure if I get the purpose of all of the fables and a couple of them seem to push ideas that seem backwards. However, all in all this didn't detract from the experience it just made it less practical than something more transparent like Aesop's fables. Some of the stories can be a bit scary so I wouldn't read them to my 7 year old without pre-screening the stories.
August 27, 2019
A cute collection of Asian myths, in graphic novel form. I think I learned a few things from these, and I really liked the different art styles for all of them. Gets 4 stars because some stories were significantly weaker than others, but that didn't take away from the overall great experience. I very much enjoyed reading this.
**I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.**
**I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.**
April 30, 2019
On average, a lot of the stories were solid, and beautifully drawn. For a lot of them though, I had to look up whether the original fable and fairy tale truly ended in such a vague and obtuse note (and for the most part, the answer was yes). It seemed a bit of a pity that some of the stories chosen were a bit lacklustre to begin with, because this would've otherwise been a really solid piece of work from the folks at Iron Circus Comics.
The adaptation of #EndoftheWorld for contemporary times was rather clever, and Frog Skin was really cute (and honestly was one of my favourite comics in the collection). The Girl who Married a Tiger, From the Journal of the Monkey King, Urashima Taro, The Tiger, The Brahmin, and the Jackal, Tongue Cut Sparrow, and Hoichi the Earless were solid and faithful reproductions of the original folktale. The History of the Spectre Ship was beautifully drawn, though it wasn't a favourite.
Sadly, After the Rain was... confusing. I'm not familiar with the original tale, and the ending didn't make sense.
So, yes. In all, it was solid. Not all of them were home runs for me, but it was still a good collection.
The adaptation of #EndoftheWorld for contemporary times was rather clever, and Frog Skin was really cute (and honestly was one of my favourite comics in the collection). The Girl who Married a Tiger, From the Journal of the Monkey King, Urashima Taro, The Tiger, The Brahmin, and the Jackal, Tongue Cut Sparrow, and Hoichi the Earless were solid and faithful reproductions of the original folktale. The History of the Spectre Ship was beautifully drawn, though it wasn't a favourite.
Sadly, After the Rain was... confusing. I'm not familiar with the original tale, and the ending didn't make sense.
So, yes. In all, it was solid. Not all of them were home runs for me, but it was still a good collection.
May 2, 2019
'Tamamo the Fox Maiden and Other Asian Stories' edited by Kel McDonald is a treasury of stories told in graphic novel form.
In the 21 stories told from all regions of Asia, the stories have a series of magical animals, crafty gods, and enchanted objects. From a lucky teapot that is actually a disguised Tanuki to a story of the great flood. The real story (or one of them) of Mulan makes an appearance. One of my favorites was called 'Frog Skin' and it's a nice variant of 'The Frog Prince.'
I really had a lot of fun reading this collection of fables and stories. The art is pretty consistently good throughout. Sometimes with a collection like this there are stronger stories than others. Here they seem to be consistently good.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Iron Circus Comics, Letter Better Publishing Services, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
In the 21 stories told from all regions of Asia, the stories have a series of magical animals, crafty gods, and enchanted objects. From a lucky teapot that is actually a disguised Tanuki to a story of the great flood. The real story (or one of them) of Mulan makes an appearance. One of my favorites was called 'Frog Skin' and it's a nice variant of 'The Frog Prince.'
I really had a lot of fun reading this collection of fables and stories. The art is pretty consistently good throughout. Sometimes with a collection like this there are stronger stories than others. Here they seem to be consistently good.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Iron Circus Comics, Letter Better Publishing Services, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
May 4, 2019
This was a great gem I discovered thanks to netgalley, and I think I'll search for the other books in this series of graphic folk tales.
This book includes graphic adaptations of lesser known Asian myths and folk tales. I love the fact that most of these weren't the usual and famous ones I see adaptations of. Each story is by different author and illustrator, so the art style varies a lot. A lot of the stories are so beautiful, with only a few being only okay. Some were short and others were longer. It's just that the title story wasn't the best one, so I'm curious why they chose it as the title. Maybe it's catchier?
I enjoyed reading this book, and I'd totally recommend it if you're fan of folk tales and legends.
This book includes graphic adaptations of lesser known Asian myths and folk tales. I love the fact that most of these weren't the usual and famous ones I see adaptations of. Each story is by different author and illustrator, so the art style varies a lot. A lot of the stories are so beautiful, with only a few being only okay. Some were short and others were longer. It's just that the title story wasn't the best one, so I'm curious why they chose it as the title. Maybe it's catchier?
I enjoyed reading this book, and I'd totally recommend it if you're fan of folk tales and legends.
June 14, 2019
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review
I think with short story collections it's inevitable that I'll like some of the stories but not others, especially when they're all written by different people, but I didn't really like many of these stories, I rated them all individually as I went and the average was around 2.2 which is crazy low. Some of the stories were just a bit grim and I couldn't work out what the point of them was, I suppose they're all based on fairy/folk tales and they're generally quite grim so that's probably why, but it just made some of the stories difficult to enjoy.
I have to mention one really big issue I had with this collection, and I wouldn't have bothered reading it if I'd known this previous to requesting it, but despite this being ASIAN stories, most of the writers/artists who're involved in this are white which really bothers me. There's 25 people credited with work in this collection and from what I could gather from google, only 4 of them are asian. 4 OF THEM! 4! I knew the editor was white so maybe that should have been a clue but I just assumed that there would be mainly asian authors, I have no problem with non-asian authors writing in this kind of collection but 17/25 of the authors/artists are white and that doesn't really seem right to me. I love that this kind of comic collection exists and that there is demand for it, but it's disappointing to see that so few of the stories are own voices. Also, one of the 4 stories by asian authors wasn't new to me, I'd already read it in American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang, and it was good but it didn't really work outside of context of the rest of the book, and it kinda just made me wish I was rereading that instead. Anyway, one good thing was there were more stories by women than men which is amazing for a comic book, so there's that at least.
Here are my ratings for the individual stories, and my favourites are in bold
The Lucky Teapot- 3
#EndoftheWorld- 1
The Great Flood- 2
The Demon with the Matted Hair- 3
Frog Skin-3.5
The Girl Who Married a Tiger- 2.5
Ghost Pepper-2.5
Two Foxes- 1
After the Rain- 1.5
From the Journal of the Monkey King- 3.5
Urashima Taro- 4
The Ballad of Mulan- 2
The Tiger, the Brahmin, and the Jackal- 3.5
Tongue Cut Sparrow- 2
The Legend of Asena- 2
The History of the Spectre Ship- 2
Tamamo the Fox Maiden- 1.5
The Three Rhymesters- 1.5
Gold Sister, Silver Sister, and Wood Sister- 2
Hoichi the Earless- 1.5
The Flying Ogre- 1.5
I think with short story collections it's inevitable that I'll like some of the stories but not others, especially when they're all written by different people, but I didn't really like many of these stories, I rated them all individually as I went and the average was around 2.2 which is crazy low. Some of the stories were just a bit grim and I couldn't work out what the point of them was, I suppose they're all based on fairy/folk tales and they're generally quite grim so that's probably why, but it just made some of the stories difficult to enjoy.
I have to mention one really big issue I had with this collection, and I wouldn't have bothered reading it if I'd known this previous to requesting it, but despite this being ASIAN stories, most of the writers/artists who're involved in this are white which really bothers me. There's 25 people credited with work in this collection and from what I could gather from google, only 4 of them are asian. 4 OF THEM! 4! I knew the editor was white so maybe that should have been a clue but I just assumed that there would be mainly asian authors, I have no problem with non-asian authors writing in this kind of collection but 17/25 of the authors/artists are white and that doesn't really seem right to me. I love that this kind of comic collection exists and that there is demand for it, but it's disappointing to see that so few of the stories are own voices. Also, one of the 4 stories by asian authors wasn't new to me, I'd already read it in American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang, and it was good but it didn't really work outside of context of the rest of the book, and it kinda just made me wish I was rereading that instead. Anyway, one good thing was there were more stories by women than men which is amazing for a comic book, so there's that at least.
Here are my ratings for the individual stories, and my favourites are in bold
The Lucky Teapot- 3
#EndoftheWorld- 1
The Great Flood- 2
The Demon with the Matted Hair- 3
Frog Skin-3.5
The Girl Who Married a Tiger- 2.5
Ghost Pepper-2.5
Two Foxes- 1
After the Rain- 1.5
From the Journal of the Monkey King- 3.5
Urashima Taro- 4
The Ballad of Mulan- 2
The Tiger, the Brahmin, and the Jackal- 3.5
Tongue Cut Sparrow- 2
The Legend of Asena- 2
The History of the Spectre Ship- 2
Tamamo the Fox Maiden- 1.5
The Three Rhymesters- 1.5
Gold Sister, Silver Sister, and Wood Sister- 2
Hoichi the Earless- 1.5
The Flying Ogre- 1.5
August 31, 2019
There is a delightful mix of humor and horror in this collection of myths, legends and tales from Asia, adapted by some very talented writers and artists. I was fascinated by how many of the stories have analogs in Western culture: Noah's Ark, the Flying Dutchman, Rip Van Winkle, Disney's Mulan. Recommended.
September 5, 2022
While I wish there had been stories from more countries, it is not enough for me to knock it down a star. The majority of the stories in here are from India, China, and Japan. A total of 15 out of 20. But I do like the fact that a tale from Georgie was included and that Tibet got its own listing.
I'm not sure what my favorite story is in this collection, but there is something here for everyone. I loved "The Lucky Teapot" and "Ghost Pepper". The women are far more active here then the actual traditional tales. Additionally all the characters are depicted as people of the country the tale is from (so Indian tales have Indian characters and not white people).
The version of Mulan here is very good as well.
I'm not sure what my favorite story is in this collection, but there is something here for everyone. I loved "The Lucky Teapot" and "Ghost Pepper". The women are far more active here then the actual traditional tales. Additionally all the characters are depicted as people of the country the tale is from (so Indian tales have Indian characters and not white people).
The version of Mulan here is very good as well.
September 7, 2020
A brilliant collection of Asian fairytales! I loved them all!
September 17, 2019
NetGalley ARC.
The Lucky Teapot (Japan): 4 stars. Cute story
#EndoftheWorld (India): 2 stars. Meh. Didn’t care for making it “modern day.”
The Great Flood (China): 3 stars. So there was no consequence to them picking up the man?
The Demon with the Matted Hair (India): 4 stars. Really liked this one. Lesson to be learned.
Frog Skin (Georgia): 5 stars. This one is like Rumpelstiltskin!
The Girl Who Married a Tiger (India): 2 stars. Well, that’s cruel.
Ghost Pepper (Laos): 3 stars. Funny.
Two Foxes (Japan): 1 star. I don’t get it? Because the guy tricked the tricksters? Respect?
After the Rain (Myanmar): 3 stars. No moral.
From the Journal of the Monkey King (China): 2 stars. Too short.
Urashima Taro (Japan): 4 stars. Very dark!
The Ballad of Mulan (China): 4 stars. Nice and simple. No need for romance!
The Tiger, the Brahmin, and the Jackal (India): 4 stars. Harsh but fair.
Tongue Cut Sparrow (Japan): 5 stars. Lesson learned! Terrifying! She deserved it.
The Legend of Asena (Turkey): 5 stars. Sweet.
The History of the Spectre Ship (Iraq): 5 stars. I love the illustrations in this one! It’s all hand-drawn pencil sketches. Very cool! The story was very peaceful.
Tamamo the Fox Maiden (Japan): 4 stars. Having recently read Wicked Fox, I’m a little more familiar with kitsune than I was before and so understood this story. The font was hard to read though.
The Three Rhymesters (China): 3 stars. Clever! But short and a little lackluster.
Gold Sister, Silver Sister, and Wood Sister (Tibet): 2 stars. Didn’t like this one. Nothing learned.
Hoichi the Earless (Japan): 3 stars. Dafuq?!
The Flying Ogre (China): 2 stars. Point?
The Lucky Teapot (Japan): 4 stars. Cute story
#EndoftheWorld (India): 2 stars. Meh. Didn’t care for making it “modern day.”
The Great Flood (China): 3 stars. So there was no consequence to them picking up the man?
The Demon with the Matted Hair (India): 4 stars. Really liked this one. Lesson to be learned.
Frog Skin (Georgia): 5 stars. This one is like Rumpelstiltskin!
The Girl Who Married a Tiger (India): 2 stars. Well, that’s cruel.
Ghost Pepper (Laos): 3 stars. Funny.
Two Foxes (Japan): 1 star. I don’t get it? Because the guy tricked the tricksters? Respect?
After the Rain (Myanmar): 3 stars. No moral.
From the Journal of the Monkey King (China): 2 stars. Too short.
Urashima Taro (Japan): 4 stars. Very dark!
The Ballad of Mulan (China): 4 stars. Nice and simple. No need for romance!
The Tiger, the Brahmin, and the Jackal (India): 4 stars. Harsh but fair.
Tongue Cut Sparrow (Japan): 5 stars. Lesson learned! Terrifying! She deserved it.
The Legend of Asena (Turkey): 5 stars. Sweet.
The History of the Spectre Ship (Iraq): 5 stars. I love the illustrations in this one! It’s all hand-drawn pencil sketches. Very cool! The story was very peaceful.
Tamamo the Fox Maiden (Japan): 4 stars. Having recently read Wicked Fox, I’m a little more familiar with kitsune than I was before and so understood this story. The font was hard to read though.
The Three Rhymesters (China): 3 stars. Clever! But short and a little lackluster.
Gold Sister, Silver Sister, and Wood Sister (Tibet): 2 stars. Didn’t like this one. Nothing learned.
Hoichi the Earless (Japan): 3 stars. Dafuq?!
The Flying Ogre (China): 2 stars. Point?
May 4, 2017
Cautionary Fables and Fairy Tales: Asian Edition is the third book in a series of graphic novels that tackles old stories and gives them new life in comic form. This volume was filled with fantastic art and fun, interesting stories! I can't speak to the diversity of creators, but it is wonderful to see a book dedicated to various Asian fables. Even better, Asian tales from places other than exclusively China and Japan! A good book for all-ages, and also a wonderful addition to anyone's comic collection!
February 11, 2020
Beautiful, beautiful, exquisite compilation of modern retellings of myths in modern art form. I will be sure to enjoy this book over and over again- and have so purchased a copy for my private collection. My husband is Indonesian and so this book is also a great way to bring some Asian concepts and values to us and our daughter. I hope she reads this book often growing up. I also loved many of the stories and as soon as I finished it, would proclaim it my favorite- only to have the next one, and the next be proclaimed the same.
April 30, 2019
Recieved via Netgalley. All opinions remain my own.
I appreciate how this one finally gives some disclosure about the intended target audience! I had thought they were for around middle grade age but then some content would catch me and I'd second guess myself, so it was nice to know that these are indeed intended for that age group. In saying that, it can be enjoyed by all. Reading this volume in particular made me recall how much I enjoy fables with animals (although it has made me realise how much, not just these fables but ones across the world, there is this weird relationships with ghosts and or animals). Hopefully the modern take of these older stories will inspire an appreciation of animals amoung youngsters as well as teach them morals and enterain them.
Another thing I liked about this particular volume is that it just felt more put together and like the creators had a better, mroe direct idea of where they wanted these books to go in terms of entertainment, level of education (morals, understanding, etc) and the layout was really good (e.g.clear title that the story is adapted from.)
Also, interesting that the finished copy is in black and white, I feel like collections like this would really beenfit from at least a little colour, especially being aimed at a younger audience, I would feel it would engage them more, however I totally understand that with the ink the cost of the finish product would more than likely have to rise as it would be more expensive to produce.
The great flood story's art style sort of reminded me of Steven Universe. Urashima Taro was a confusing tale because I found it unfair that he ended up how he did because he was never told of the consequences of being down in the sea and for children, I believe they would pick this out and argue against it, as I did in my mind. However, I guess it teaches that life isn't fair. It is also interesting to see how the same tales are told differently in each culture. for e.g, I'm pretty sure in the african edition there was also a story about whether an animal (aligator) should eat the person who saved him, asking three beings for their judgement. The same tale was told here but with different living things. It's fascinating how the world is connected by fables etc
I didn't really understand Tamamo the fox maiden. I was hoping to get more out of it as Kitsunes really interest me, but I felt it was too condensed and we ended up missing a lot of info.
Overall, despite some of the tales being confusing, I think this was probably my favourite of the collections. I love the idea of presenting different fables from different cultures in a fun, graphic novel way, to hopefully engage that younger audience. This is a book I'd be happy to own myself!
Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy! >(^_^)<
Gén
I appreciate how this one finally gives some disclosure about the intended target audience! I had thought they were for around middle grade age but then some content would catch me and I'd second guess myself, so it was nice to know that these are indeed intended for that age group. In saying that, it can be enjoyed by all. Reading this volume in particular made me recall how much I enjoy fables with animals (although it has made me realise how much, not just these fables but ones across the world, there is this weird relationships with ghosts and or animals). Hopefully the modern take of these older stories will inspire an appreciation of animals amoung youngsters as well as teach them morals and enterain them.
Another thing I liked about this particular volume is that it just felt more put together and like the creators had a better, mroe direct idea of where they wanted these books to go in terms of entertainment, level of education (morals, understanding, etc) and the layout was really good (e.g.clear title that the story is adapted from.)
Also, interesting that the finished copy is in black and white, I feel like collections like this would really beenfit from at least a little colour, especially being aimed at a younger audience, I would feel it would engage them more, however I totally understand that with the ink the cost of the finish product would more than likely have to rise as it would be more expensive to produce.
The great flood story's art style sort of reminded me of Steven Universe. Urashima Taro was a confusing tale because I found it unfair that he ended up how he did because he was never told of the consequences of being down in the sea and for children, I believe they would pick this out and argue against it, as I did in my mind. However, I guess it teaches that life isn't fair. It is also interesting to see how the same tales are told differently in each culture. for e.g, I'm pretty sure in the african edition there was also a story about whether an animal (aligator) should eat the person who saved him, asking three beings for their judgement. The same tale was told here but with different living things. It's fascinating how the world is connected by fables etc
I didn't really understand Tamamo the fox maiden. I was hoping to get more out of it as Kitsunes really interest me, but I felt it was too condensed and we ended up missing a lot of info.
Overall, despite some of the tales being confusing, I think this was probably my favourite of the collections. I love the idea of presenting different fables from different cultures in a fun, graphic novel way, to hopefully engage that younger audience. This is a book I'd be happy to own myself!
Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy! >(^_^)<
Gén
April 10, 2019
Uma coleção de releituras de mitos e lendas asiáticas, desde China e Japão até Filipinas, Tibete e Indonésia. Não sei o quão releitura são porque não conhecia a maioria das histórias, mas tem a balada da Mulan que foi muito legal ver uma outra leitura <3
Um ponto negativo dessa antologia é que tão MUITAS histórias, MUITOS artistas e com estilo bem diferentes entre si. Tem histórias que duram 2-3 páginas e outras mais longas então tem um ritmo bem estranho na hora de ler.
Me incomodou um tanto que de 25 artistas e pessoas envolvidas nesse livro só umas 7 ou 8 são pessoas não brancas, sendo que apenas 5 são descendentes asiáticos. Se a proposta era procurar histórias fora do "eixo" China/Coréia/Japão, por que não procurar artistas com ascendências que pudessem colaborar pessoalmente com o projeto?
Um ponto negativo dessa antologia é que tão MUITAS histórias, MUITOS artistas e com estilo bem diferentes entre si. Tem histórias que duram 2-3 páginas e outras mais longas então tem um ritmo bem estranho na hora de ler.
Me incomodou um tanto que de 25 artistas e pessoas envolvidas nesse livro só umas 7 ou 8 são pessoas não brancas, sendo que apenas 5 são descendentes asiáticos. Se a proposta era procurar histórias fora do "eixo" China/Coréia/Japão, por que não procurar artistas com ascendências que pudessem colaborar pessoalmente com o projeto?
July 30, 2019
This was a really great collection of Asian folklore retold for modern day in the eyes of artists through their own lens.. I was really surprised by the quality of art and the writing but pleasantly so! The stories were funny and each had their own lesson which you are supposed to take something back with you, of course. A lot of them were adapted for the modern world as well which I thought was exceptionally well done. All in all, this is a riveting graphic novel and deserves plenty of praise.
Thanks very much to Netgalley and to the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest and fair review.
Thanks very much to Netgalley and to the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest and fair review.
shelved
August 31, 2019Started off well enough. But after having read Vasilisa the Wise and Other Tales of Brave Young Women, I am greedy for more information about the tales: where are they from? why did you choose this one? how did you choose to interpret it for this audience? There was none of that information, which would have visually broken up the unrelenting black and white illustrations as well as provided some context for the stories.
April 10, 2019
*Advance Reader Copy*
Cautionary Fables is right. This is filled with pleasing art and tales from across Asia, each serving to share a lesson of the area of its origin. The dialogue isn't always great and sometimes the art is unappealing, but in the end, it was an enjoyable collection with just enough good to make up for the bad.
3.8 Stars
Cautionary Fables is right. This is filled with pleasing art and tales from across Asia, each serving to share a lesson of the area of its origin. The dialogue isn't always great and sometimes the art is unappealing, but in the end, it was an enjoyable collection with just enough good to make up for the bad.
3.8 Stars
May 6, 2020
This was absolutely hilarious and entertaining. I can't even say which one of the tales I enjoyed the most. They were all great and the different art styles fantastic. What would make this edition even better would be a full colored edition. I so wished this wouldn't only be in black and white!
I can recommend this to absolutely anybody.
Thank you so much Netgalley. What a treasure!
I can recommend this to absolutely anybody.
Thank you so much Netgalley. What a treasure!
June 3, 2019
This book is beautiful, with wonderful and humorous stories, but I have one issue. In a book of Asian folktales, I would have liked to see a great proportion of the stories written and drawn by Asian authors and artists. It seems like a pretty big drawback and an opportunity missed for the publisher.
Based on review copy from NetGalley.
Based on review copy from NetGalley.
June 16, 2022
And now for some stories from the Asian continent
Like in the last volume of the series The Girl Who Married a Skull and Other African Stories This book contains a variety of stories reimagined for a modern audience of varying lengths. As a gateway book to inspire readers to seek the original stories I find these books are a good kindling (better to read then to burn) to inspire the fire in people to learn about different cultures. Now that said some of the stories in this book were created with a certain culture in mind and some of the stories are far shorter then one might care for (I love "journey to the West" but only a pinch of it can be found here) so the readers of these stories might come off as confusing or outright boring but with 21 stories I am sure at least some of the stories will be enjoyable to anyone that reads this book.
For me personally I had a few I really enjoyed and could even remember a few from other readings though as I said before these stories are reimaginings so got changed here and there. One such change would be the story Frog Skin (from Georgia) which sounds remarkably like The Frog Princess in the beginning at least. Of the stories my favorites might just be #EndofoftheWorld (India) and Hoichi the Earless (Japan) which if I recall is pretty true to the original version I have read in the past. Of my least favorites I fear From the Journal of the Monkey King (China) was a bit of a disappointment and The Three Rhymesters (also China) was not only short but I couldn't understand what the point of the story was...humility maybe?
Like in the last volume of the series The Girl Who Married a Skull and Other African Stories This book contains a variety of stories reimagined for a modern audience of varying lengths. As a gateway book to inspire readers to seek the original stories I find these books are a good kindling (better to read then to burn) to inspire the fire in people to learn about different cultures. Now that said some of the stories in this book were created with a certain culture in mind and some of the stories are far shorter then one might care for (I love "journey to the West" but only a pinch of it can be found here) so the readers of these stories might come off as confusing or outright boring but with 21 stories I am sure at least some of the stories will be enjoyable to anyone that reads this book.
For me personally I had a few I really enjoyed and could even remember a few from other readings though as I said before these stories are reimaginings so got changed here and there. One such change would be the story Frog Skin (from Georgia) which sounds remarkably like The Frog Princess in the beginning at least. Of the stories my favorites might just be #EndofoftheWorld (India) and Hoichi the Earless (Japan) which if I recall is pretty true to the original version I have read in the past. Of my least favorites I fear From the Journal of the Monkey King (China) was a bit of a disappointment and The Three Rhymesters (also China) was not only short but I couldn't understand what the point of the story was...humility maybe?
Read
October 23, 2024Like any anthology, it's a bit hard to review this - the quality varies wildly depending on the author/artist. Overall I found it a fun read, although I would have loved a little more information about what parts of the stories were embellishments/adaptations and what parts were found in the original stories. Because clearly some liberties were taken - most obvious in the one that heavily uses social media.
Frog Skin was my favorite work of the collection.
Frog Skin was my favorite work of the collection.
April 5, 2022
While this had some new stories that I haven't read before, I didn't really love this experience. The quality of the art and stories are uneven. And with old myths like this, sometimes the story just ends with the plot running out of things to happen, leaving you without a sense of payoff or conclusion.
August 21, 2022
This is a collection of stories, and as such, the quality of each tale varies--sometimes a great deal. Some of these were beautifully-drawn, some had well-told stories, and some had both...but not all of them. It's a pretty hit-or-miss sort of thing, but they were all fairly interesting stories, at least.
March 18, 2021
First of all I was flabbergasted to find a tale in here from Laos! Secondly, this was a good compilation of folktales from all over Asia (many of them from Japan) and illustrated by some really popular artists.
September 19, 2022
Like any anthology, some of the tales were more fun to read than others but all were pretty good overall! My biggest complaint is that some only get 2-3 pages.
Worth picking up for fans of fairy tale retellings!
Worth picking up for fans of fairy tale retellings!
March 4, 2023
This series continues to be very interesting and entertaining. I was very surprised to discover a story in both the African tales and in this, the Asian tales, that was basically the same with very minor details different. I'd love to see the path of how that story traveled
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