Little Daruma and Little Kaminari: A Japanese Children's Tale

A universal symbol of good luck in Japan, Little Daruma makes his U.S. debut with two tales: Little Daruma and Little Tengu and Little Daruma and Little Kaminari, both by Satoshi Kako, trans. by Peter Howlett and Richard McNamara. In the first, Little Daruma, whose body resembles a kidney bean with fleshy arms and legs, and whose face bears the markings of a Samurai warrior, pines for all the things Little Tengu has (a fan, a hat, clogs), including his hana (the word doubles as ""nose"" and ""flower,"" in Japanese). With the help of his family, the hero emulates them all. The second title, the hero attempts to rescue Little Kaminari's lost possession and winds up on a journey through the clouds with his new friend.