Welcome to Litsy!

“'My dumpling! My dumpling! Has anybody seen my dumpling?'

“I have,' said a very stern Jizo. 'It rolled by me just two minutes ago. But don't run after ut, for you will surely meet a wicked oni.!“

This folktale is a great resource for exploring world cultures with students, traditional storytelling, and character traits like perseverance and being brave. With its humor and art, it can spark conversation on folklore, problem-solving, and global perspectives in the elementary classroom.

Genre: Caldecott
Publication year: 1972

The Funny Little Woman (1972), a Caldecott Medal winner, is a folktale because it's a traditional Japanese story passed down through oral tradition. With repetition, humor, and Blair Lent's art, it highlights bravery and cleverness as the woman outsmarts the oni.

“But just then the earth gave way, and head over heels she tumbled and tumbled.“

I would use this in a classroom during a unit on fairy tales and wonder tales. I think this story does a great job of showing the story and imagination through the literature and illustrations.

The Funny Little Woman was written in 1973 and is a Japanese folktale of a wonder tale. This is a wonder tale because of the magical elements the story includes. It is also a trickster tale as the Little Woman finds sneaky ways to escape in the story.

“Long ago, in Old Japan, there lived a funny little woman who liked to laugh, 'tee-he-he,' and who liked to make dumplings out of rice.“

I would use this book to introduce students to world folktales and Japanese culture. It provides opportunities for comparing folktales across cultures, discussing story elements like repetition and clever protagonists, and exploring themes of resilience and humor. Students could also retell the story, act it out, or create their own folktales to connect with the oral tradition.

The Funny Little Woman highlights its folktale roots through both story and style. The tale centers on an ordinary woman whose dumpling leads her into an encounter with mischievous on, blending humor, danger, and cultural tradition. Like many folktales, it features supernatural beings, repetition of events, and a clever protagonist who triumphs through wit and determination.