The Farmer and the Poor God: A Folktale from Japan

by Ruth Wells

Book Overview

The farmer and his family can't wait to escape the Poor God who lives in their attic. They'll leave before the sun comes up, and they'll never be poor again But something keeps them from leaing, and in their Poor God they find richness they would not have found anywhere else.Ruth Well's retelling of this Japanese folktale, with Yoshi's lush illustratuons, creates a compelling book and reminds us that sometimes what we're looking for is in the most...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0689802145
• ISBN13: 9780689802140
• Release Date: April 1996
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.3" x 11.3"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Kindergarten to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

Deserves more attention than it gets

This is a wonderful story about finding one's true calling and the nature of real happiness. We bought it when my daughter was in preschool - we loved it then and still do. Unlike Shel Silverstein's "The Giving Tree," which is aimed at pretty much the same age group, I was far more comfortable with what she would take from "The Farmer and the Poor God." This story really deserves wider acclaim than it receives. Thanks, Ruth and Yoshi, for a great kids' story that adults can enjoy, too.

The Farmer and the Poor God

This was a summer reading book I read for fourth grade. I liked the farmer because he discovered he was an artist and found he could make a living making sandals. The moral of the story was if work hard then you will be successful and happy. I especially liked how the illustrator Yoshi weaved her illustrations on cloth. You can see the cloth design on every page.