Yokai Stories

That line from the introduction really sums up this delightful book. These stories would be a perfect introduction to the yokai world for kids, but even a well-read yokai fan will find a lot to like here. Though they're simply written, the stories maintain the subtlety and scariness of the originals. They haven't been made cute: like the yokai themselves, some are funny, some are sweet, a couple are really creepy! The illustrations likewise strike just the right note, subtle with a quiet color palette and a timeless folkloric feeling (I do wish the baku piece had printed better). And you must read all the stories in order to realize how cleverly the author has tied the sequence of tales together through the characters themselves. If you've encountered yokai through anime, TV, or the latest "Fantastic Beasts" movie, and want to read more - or if you want to add something different to your Japanese folklore collection - this book would be a great choice.

A fantastic collection of sixteen original short stories, each centered on a different Yokai (traditional Japanese monster) encounter and with lovely accompanying illustrations. The stories seem intended for younger readers, but are heart-felt and clever enough to be well worth the time of adults as well (reminiscent of stories by Ray Bradbury or Neil Gaiman). I especially enjoyed that while they take place in a variety of time periods, and are mostly stand-alone, there are enough interconnected plot points that they should still be read in order.

"When his mother told him he needed to get out there, to do more things, Akira didn't see the point. Nothing was better than what was in a book."I'm with Akira, a character in the first story, especially if the book is about yokai. This is a charming collection of stories based on Japanese folklore. Some of the characters have rather modern concerns (a one-eyed giant with a restaurant delivery job) and some, more classic problems (being about to be eaten by a spider woman). Some of the stories have simple folktale-like plots, others (my favorites) are just little vignettes about yokai life. The art is very cool - quite different from any other yokai art I recall seeing but very moody and interesting. You don't need to already know anything about yokai to enjoy it, so buy it for everyone you know, but if you have several shelves full of yokai books like I do, you still don't have anything like this, so what are you waiting for?

I read through this right away and enjoyed it a lot. The writer's voice is nicely colloquial, but he's not talking down to us. They are all new stories, based on Japanese folklore, but not set in a specific time or place. I think I WON'T give a copy to my 7-year-old nephews-- I think it would scare them still-- but a pre-teen or a younger kid who can deal with a whiff of fright would be a good fit. Several of the stories deal with social anxieties (being "weird"), and the writer deals with these topics in a kindly, mentoring way. Also considers why we humans persist in thinking about spooks, even when we "know better." HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

I had the impression that this would be more like a field guide or book of folktales with more traditional illustrations that I could give my son, who enjoys heavily illustrated guidebooks and nonfiction on monsters, creatures, and cryptids. I hoped it would be grounded in Japanese culture and folklore, rather than that, though, Davisson chose to set his stories in a vague time and place and mostly in the modern era. My son is a fan of kaiju and I hoped this would expand his horizons a little further. This would have been a lovely book of stories to share with him when he was 9, but it's not to a teenager's taste. It is beautifully constructed and illustrated, although the illustrations are not in any kind of traditional style, and I am probably going to end up keeping it for myself.

I bought this for my eight year old and the stories were very short and not what I was expecting originally. As this was my first introduction to yokai stories I guess I was just expecting something different. We read a lot of children’s books and dark folklorish stories. Several of the vignettes are very nice and after reading more of the stories I have grown to like them and can appreciate the effort that went into translating old folklore into more modern western context. The art is still just okay for me. Overall, I felt the need to improve my original rating after not having liked the book much initially.

It has intresting stories even though it didn't have the answer I was looking for but that's not the important part what is important is that it was so worth the money and the stories are something you'll get lost in makes you wonder if these stories are true

This was a wonderful read with children. It is a very nice introduction to Japanese mythology and legend. It is a bit dark for really young children. My 7 year-old was entranced and listened contently to every word.

I was expecting the stories to be traditional tales of Yokai, but these are re-imaginings of the Yokai. Not what I was after, but excellent children's stories with artful illustrations

Gorgeous book with enchanting artwork. Ordered for a gift, unfortunately arrived badly damaged and had to be returned, but will definitely get another when I see one in new condition.