Niimi Nankichi, illustrated by Kuroi Ken,
Buying Mittens.
University of Hawaii Press, 1999

This classic Japanese folktale tells the story of a little fox, who experiences his first snow and then goes into the village to buy mittens for his cold paws. His mother warns him to be afraid of people, but he finds people to be more likable than he expected. It is a story of mother's love and a child's curiosity.

Kuroi Ken's illustrations are the real draw of this book. Painting white foxes in a book that is made up almost totally of snow scenes must have been a challenge, but each illustration conveys both the chill of the scenes and the warmth of the story. Kuroi's use of just a few colors to define the contours of the scenes and highlight of the objects make each turn of the page a delight.

Sumi Hayashi