Do you believe in magic?, Do you know the real stories behind the legends?, Have you ever experienced something strange or difficult to explain?
I could not say if the magical or fanciful exists or not or if it is just a product of the imagination of those who want to believe in it, but the truth is that the doubt is there, and if we pay attention to the stories of the past, tales of grandmothers, legends and stories, you will always find magic in them. Coincidence or reality?.
At home we are followers of legends and strange stories based on real events. I firmly believe that behind each of them hides a truth, although time decorates them at will.
When I was little I liked to venture into abandoned houses, old buildings or deserted places in search of ghosts, goblins or any other indication that something “strange” lives with us. Now we are lucky to live near a forest of fairies and goblins that, beyond being a tourist attraction, is a totally magical place.
Even Disney tales are based on fairy tales, many of them in the stories of the Brothers Grimm, but much more sweetened. I have always wondered, did the Brothers Grimm have such creativity, or do their stories hide true stories?
Many of his stories are based on German and French legends that are passed down from generation to generation and I love to look for the origins and compare the different versions.
If you like all this as much as we do, you will love a book that I want to show you. I have taken my time to review him because it was impossible for me not to stop at some of his stories to stop and look for more information and details.
Under the Moon, a book of short stories edited by Picarona that collects seventy-eight stories that Yoshi Yoshitani has been collecting over time. A delight for those of us lucky enough to have this book in our hands.
Under the Moon. Yoshi Yoshitani.
Yoshi Yoshitani was born and raised between two cultures, Japanese and American. Anyone who knows a little about Japanese culture knows that it is a great source of legends, myths, superstitions and incredible characters. And as a fact, for me the best horror movies are those of Japanese origin.
Yoshi’s family on both sides was very fond of stories, something that obviously permeated her judging by her love of fairy tales, legends and tales from different backgrounds and cultures, but all under the same Moon.
In these seventy-eight stories you surely recognize some for having been versioned many times as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid or La llorona. Luckily most were unknown to me, and I say luckily because I have been fascinated to know those stories and have new legends and stories to look for to know more about them.
There are so many stories in the book that perhaps some of them sound too much from having seen or read it before. That’s how I discovered, for example, that I knew The Snow Queen before, and that I had seen the film with the same title without knowing that it was an adaptation of a Danish fairy tale.
Another family story is that of Hah-nu-nah, the turtle of the world. Not for some other tale or movie, this time for the story of Hindu mythology that the world is supported by four elephants that in turn are held on a large turtle.
We could stay here for hours talking about every story contained in Under the Moon, but I think my words would never do justice to the book, I really recommend it to enjoy the whole family, at any age.
While I found it fascinating and it serves as a reference to spend hours looking for origins and similarities, my son liked that they are not stories he has heard before, most are completely unknown to him, and the few he knows, differ a little from the version he had read so far.
Sheet.
Title: Under the moon
Texts: Yoshi Yoshitani Illustrations: Yoshi Yoshitani
Publisher: Picarona
Theme: legends, stories.
ISBN: 978-84-9145-614-8
Details: 184 pages, 15 x 24 cm
78 stories for any age.
Although Picarona is a children’s label, I firmly believe that Under the Moon is a book that children and adults alike will love. His stories are tremendously addictive and captivating, but summarized enough so that they don’t overstretch or bore younger readers.
The author has bothered to write down the origin of each story, as much as she could, because, as she explains, in some cases of stories that have been transmitted by voice by commercial routes or travelers, it is difficult to know where it began.
It is wonderful to have the origin and get an idea of the type of traditions, beliefs or culture behind those places.
The range of places in the world where the stories of Under the Moon come from is immense: the Sioux of Dakota, Japan, Scotland, the Inuit people in Alaska, Brazil, Hawaii, India, Russia, Italy and dozens of other places around the globe.
Another wonder is the illustrations that accompany each story, all based on a tarot deck previously published by Yoshi and at the same time related to each of the tales. I do not have the pleasure of knowing that deck, but I can say that in this book the images speak for themselves and perfectly identify each of the stories they represent.
Under the Moon is an album to enjoy calmly and savor a thousand times more. The perfect gift for a child who loves good stories or a curious adult
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