Book In Review

        Tasty Baby Belly Buttons is a Japanese folktale that is retold in this book written by Judy Sierra.  The story tells of the Oni (which is something like an Ogre) who come into a Japanese village and steals the babies of the village to have their favorite snack—baby belly buttons.  The adults of the village are frozen with fear.

         One young child who was gifted to her aging parents; as they had no children and so hoped for one.  She arrived in a melon as a newborn babe; therefore…she had no belly button to steal.   Her mother always dreamed of a child to teach to make millet dumplings with.  The father always dreamed of a child to teach how to be a warrior to protect those who were weak or helpless.  Together they raised this young child to do wonderful things.  She alone… was brave enough to battle the Oni and win the babies of the village back. 

          This book may not be for very young children as the images in the book may be a bit too scary for them.  If they love to be dazzled with stories of good versus evil it may be fine…you just have to know your child.  The drawings of the Oni are a bit big, overwhelming and repulsive…as scary things should be.  But if your child is meek or easily frightened this book may not be for them.

          Tasty Baby Belly Buttons was illustrated by Meilo So.  The book was copyrighted in 1999 and published by, Alfred A. Knopf and distributed by Random House, Inc.    http://www.randomhouse.com/kids