Kojuro and the Bears

by Junko Morimoto (Illustrator), Helen Smith

The hunter and the bear celebrate the wheel of life. This book is the winner of the "CBC Book of the Year" award in 1987.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 1986

About the author

Junko Morimoto (1932–) graduated from Kyoto University of Fine Art and worked as an art teacher at an Osaka high school before becoming Art Director of the Children's Art Studio in Osaka. Her books, which include The Inch Boy, Mouse's Marriage, and My Hiroshima, have been published in the United States, Japan, Australia, England, and other European countries. My Hiroshima is now used as a text in Hiroshima high schools to study English and to promote peace. Junko currently lives in Australia.

Reviews

[Jack Kirby and the X-man · Rating 3 out of 5]

Junko Morimoto began her picture book illustration career with The inch boy and Piece of Straw Oe - both adaptions of traditional Japanese folk tales. This story is based on a more modern, but extremely widely known, Japanese story - The Bears of Mt. Nametoko by Kenji Miyazawa, adapted into English by Helen Smith.

[Kristina Juhl · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Mount Nametoko is impressive as it rises from a dark sea of cloud. Rushing down its side are the Ozoro Falls, and it was here that the great bears of Mount Nametoko once lived."

I love that opening!

I read this book when I was 9 years old - almost 30 years ago - and haven't seen it since, although it has been with me in my heart and mind.

I loved this book so much that I actually memorised the entire thing.

Great childhood book, recommend to all.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read - or read to us, rather - in prep. Has really stayed with me and I'd love to hunt it down and read it again.