Judy Sierra, ilIustrated by Meilo So,
Tasty Baby Belly Buttons.
Alfred A. Knopf, 1999

Here is a rare gem a Japanese folk tale in which the hero is not only a feisty female, but one who wields both a sword and a spatula with great ease and expertise. Tasty Baby Belly Buttons presents an unforgettable character in Uriko-hime, who emerges from a melon - imitating the origins that legendary hero, Momotaro who was found inside a peach.

Fearlessly, Uriko sets out to rescue kidnapped babies from the clutches of the oni, gigantic monsters clad only in loincloths who consider baby belly buttons a delicious treat.

Accompanied by her loyal dog, she is later joined by a pheasant and a monkey. This brave company con founds the huge monsters with their craftiness and miniscule size. The ensuing battle between the behemoths and their knee-high tormentors gets a little violent but only in the Three Stooges tradition. The story ends happily with the babies reuniting with their parents, the oni pledging repentance, and Uriko returning to her home, welcomed by her own doting parents.

This story is fast paced. Even the illustrations are drawn in such a manner as if to catch the speed of Uriko's sword cutting through the air, her ponytail and wooden clogs flying. The oni look more comic than horrific with their outsized bellies and hairy knees Strangely enough, the village children look like little oni themselves with their chubby cheeks and bottoms. Thus, even the premise of monsters seeking to gobble up baby navels becomes less ominous. Having met Uriko at birth, the young reader will sense right away that all will go well in this tale, what with such a clever and courageous child warrior.

Fatima Lim-Wilson