Asian Folktales for Children: Traditional Tales from Japan, Korea, China, India, The Phillippines and Other Asian Lands

by David Conger, Patrick Yee (Illustrator), Liana Romulo, Joan Suyenaga

Overview

**Winner of Moonbeam Children's Book Award Gold Medal**

Every culture has its own unique favorites folktales, and discovering them offers a fun and meaningful way to learn about life in other parts of the world. Asian Folktales for Children brings together 7 delightful folktales from across Asia—including Korea, Japan, India, the Philippines, Indonesia, China and Thailand.

These stories have been passed down for generations from grandmothers and grandfathers to their grandchildren, sitting around the hearth or at bedtime—stories full of wonder, wisdom, and adventure.

These timeless tales introduce young readers to brave animals, clever tricksters, magical brushes, and heartwarming lessons; the stories include:

• Why Cats and Dogs Don't Get Along (Korea)
• Baka the Cow and Kalabaw the Water Buffalo (Philippines)
• The Mousedeer Becomes a Judge (Indonesia)
• Liang and His Magic Brush (China)
• The Lucky Farmer Becomes King (Thailand)
• The Clever Rabbit and Numskull (India)
• The Crane's Gratitude (Japan)

Perfect for reading aloud or independent reading, this beautifully illustrated multicultural collection sparks imagination and opens doors to cultures across Asia.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780804858977
Publisher:	Tuttle Publishing
Publication date:	04/28/2026
Pages:	64
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.00(d)
Age Range:	5 - 14 Years

About the Author

David Conger was born in Tacoma, Washington. He studied electrical engineering and Japanese at Brigham Young University. He first became interested in Asian history and folklore while living in Japan for two years.

Marian Davies Toth's work has achieved national recognition in the United States. She has an abiding fascination in folklore and during her stay in Thailand, she collected and compiled enchanting tales and legends of old Siam. While there, she taught creative writing at the International School in Bangkok.

Joan Suyenaga, born and raised in Hawaii, grew up with Japanese Children's Favorite Stories on her family bookshelf. She has been writing, translating and editing for the past twenty years in Indonesia. She is the author of Indonesian Children's Favorite Stories.

Liana Romulo spends much of her free time traveling, scuba—diving, and hunting through new and unusual bookstores. A dedicated yoga practitioner, she lives mostly in the Philippines but has also lived in Thailand, Belgium, and the United States. Having grown up in different parts of the world, she knows how important it is to preserve her own heritage and share it with others throughout the world. Her first picture book, Filipino Children's Favorite Stories, was a national best—seller in the Philippines.

Patrick Yee holds a degree in Graphic Design, specializing in illustrations from Camberwell College of Arts, London Institute, and a Masters Degree from Brighton University. He has won the MacMillian Children's Picture Book Award (England) twice, and has illustrated more than 100 books. Yee is a part—time lecturer in LaSalle SIA, Nayang Academy Of Fine Arts, AWWA Special School and Frobel Academy.

Editorial Reviews

"The stories are retold in crisp, contemporary idiom and use rich, expressive language that makes them great for reading aloud, whether at home or in school." —Papertigers blog

"The illustrations allow the reader to picture the culture as well as the setting. The stories bring in various parts of the culture…as well as some of the structure of the society. As always I find these stories a fun way to bring the culture alive…" —Crafty Moms Share blog

"There are such beautiful illustrations in this book; some full pages of color and others are partial pages worked around the text. […] It's nice to have a collection of folktales from different countries in one book that are so well blend together, such as these." —Castle View Academy

School Library Journal Reviews Tuttle's Collection of Bilingual Folktales

"Every folktale in this rich collection is presented in dual language…While the settings and characters may be unfamiliar, the structure of the tales will be familiar to anyone who likes folktales…The books have different illustrators, but each features high—quality artwork to accompany the traditional tales."

From the Publisher