A mother tells her son the story of Little Oh, a girl made of paper who becomes separated from her human mother. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

K-Gr 4--This appealing original fantasy set in old Japan reunites the creators of The Rainbabies (Lothrop, 1992). This story, too, features a magical child, an origami paper doll made by a woman who lives alone and works as a potter. The woman puts the doll in a lacquer box beside her bed at night, and the next morning the doll comes to life and names herself after the woman's astonished exclamation. Delighted with the living paper doll that calls her "mother," the woman tries to protect the tiny, fragile child from harm. Inevitably, Little Oh becomes lost and embarks on a series of dangerous adventures before she finds her way back home. Along the way, Little Oh meets a man and his son, who needs a mother, and her own final transformation brings the story to a satisfying conclusion. While the narrative echoes folktales told around the world, the realistic colored paintings establish setting and character with loving specificity. Each double-page spread, elegantly balancing art and text, takes a carefully imagined point of view. Whether long shots or close-ups, the illustrations resonate with the changing emotions of the story: love, danger, loss, flight, reunion. The artwork celebrates imperial Japan: the familiar subjects of Japanese art, mountains and mist, gardens, pine trees, reeds, and a flying crane are rendered accurately in fresh, original interpretations. The artist's precise portraits of the characters, captured mid-gesture, invite readers into the heart of this warm, old-fashioned story.Margaret A. Chang, North Adams State College, MA Copyright 1997 Cahners Business Information, Inc. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Ages 5-8. The duo who created The Rainbabies (1992) return, this time with an original folktale set in Japan. A mother tells her son a story: One day a lonely potter makes an origami girl that comes to life. Little Oh is a tiny treasure, and the potter wants to keep her safe, but Little Oh insists on going to the market where the woman sells her wares. As her "mother" has feared, the paper girl gets lost; eventually, she is rescued by a friendly crane. Thanks to her mother's foresight, Little Oh has her name and address written on her back. The father and son who find her bring her home, where Little Oh turns into a real girl. The woman and man marry, and the four become a family. In an ending twist, the mother, who has been telling the Little Oh tale to her son, is the potter who created the now-real Little Oh. The too-long tale has several hard-to-fill holes, especially, Little Oh's unexplained materialization into a real girl. The ending is also more confusing than enlightening. LaMarche's well-executed artwork, airy in some places, boldly realistic in the portraits, makes up for some of the story's lacks. (Reviewed Sept. 1, 1997)0688142087Ilene Cooper From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.