4 Thumbs Up (my daughter's & mine) for Little Pink Fish!
Elizabeth Falconer has another winner with "Little Pink Fish." Her ability to combine fresh interpretations of traditional Japanese folk tales is truly exceptional. And, the music of the traditional Japanese koto in melodies and sound effects gives the child an education in music ethnocology without them even knowing it. In "Atabichi, the Hoppositional Frog," the lovely minor chords of Okinawan music provide a backdrop for the story that gives it authenticity and the unique flavor of Okinawan culture that is separate from the rest of Japan.

As a person of Japanese descent raised in America, I'm truly grateful that an artist like Ms. Falconer is available to families who want to maintain cultural ties with our heritage. For our children, they are certainly grateful that this is being done in a fun way! However, for those children of other cultures, "Little Pink Fish" still has a universal appeal that doesn't come off as "educational," it's just captivating and purely enjoyable story telling. It's recommended for ages 4 and up, but my 2-year old daughter was singing along with "Tomodachi Kintaro...." during her first listening experience the other night before bed. The next morning, she was asking for "Little Pink Fish" upon waking.

I highly recommend Ms. Falconer's Koto World CDs to parents and children alike. Besides the story telling CDs, the koto music ones are also wonderful for all ages. "Oyasumi" has become our standard new baby gift to friends who all say how much they love it! -- Tatsuo Tomeoka , Amazon Reviewer

Youngsters will enjoy these fun-filled stories. -- School Library Journal

Each story has musical accompaniment, a song, humorous touches, and unique character voices. Fun storeis with interactive opportunities! -- Chicago Parent

The adventures of this little fish, for whom Fish School is simply not enough, are both humorous and inspiring... -- Dirty Linen

"A first-rate collection from start to finish."
Storyteller Elizabeth Falconer brings five humorous Japanese Folktales to life on this excellent, high-spirited recording. She enhances each tale by masterfully playing the koto, a Japanese musical instrument with 13 strings. Thanks to her skillful musicianship, the koto take on a personality all its own. The best stories on this collection are "The Cricket's Chirp," a pourquoi tale and the delightful "the Looooong Name." "The Cricket's Chirp," a story about a singing snake tricked by a cricket, answer a variety of questions such as why crickets chirp and why worms live underground. It packs a surprising punch at the end and listeners will feel sad for the songless snake. Falconer sings snake's funny ditty (which sounds like the "Alphabet Song"), and children can sing along. "The Looooong Name" is a whimsical variation of "Tikki Tikki Tembo," in which parents are so impressed with their newborn son they gave him a breathtakingly long name meant to represent the child's various admirable traits. Thanks to a Japanese/English glossary in the liner notes, children can learn these adjectives describing the child. The other stories are also a lot of fun. Falconer uses the koto to great effect in the titular story about two frogs who want to see the world. The instrument captures the sound of these frogies hopping. "Roofle!" offers an action-packed story about fear in which a robber and a wolf encounter a mysterious creature. The koto dramatizes a wild wolf ride in the night. "Papachu" captures a mouse's journey to find the perfect husband for his beautiful daughter. Falconer is an enormously gifted storyteller, filling each tale with a sense of fun and adventure. The production is excellent, offering crystal clear sound and captivating musicianship. Source notes for the tale are provided. A first-rate collection from start to finish. -- Brian E. Wilson, School Library Journal, August, 2003

日本の民話を題材に英語と筝でつづったエリザベスファルコナーの筝ワールド第４弾。今回は「京都カエルと大阪カエル」『へびとミミズ』『ふるやのもり」など５話。子どもの頃、母が話してくれたり、絵本で読んだ記憶がうっすらとよみがえり、懐かしい。昔、民話語りのテープなども良く聞いたが、バックに流れる音楽や効果音がかなり作り込まれ、にぎやかなものが多かった。しかし、この作品は母親でもある彼女の心地よい落ち着いた声と優しい筝の音色がメイン。それがけって人の口から口へ伝えられてきた民話の本質を引き出している。聞きはじめるとすぐに子どもに戻り、お話の世界にひきこまれる。英語の勉強をする日本人にも親しみやすい作品だ。(海) Hogaku Journal, Tokyo

"Unique and inviting..."
Elizabeth Falconer artfully blends original koto music and finely crafted storytelling in this excellent production. While these three traditional stories may be familiar to some listeners, her inventive use of her the 13-stringed instrument makes this a unique and inviting recording. The title story, told from the crane's point of view, recounts the bird's transformation into a young woman and her relationship with an elderly, childless couple. "The Tanabata Legend" explains the sad tale of the Weaver Star and the Cowherd Star separated because the night sky is in disarray. "The Golden Arrow" is a classic quest with the prince required to perform three tasks in order to win the hand of a koto-playing princess. Throughout the recording, Falconer accentuates the story's action and emotion with well-placed koto music. There are also two musical solos on the disc that add to the pleasing qualities of the presentation. Useful liner notes and an attractive cover add to the recording's overall quality. This excellent production would be a valuable asset to collections seeking fresh multicultural titles. -- School Library Journal

"Truly, her albums are worth collecting."
Japanese storytellers have provided some of the most magical and haunting stories in the international repertoire of modern tellers. Falconer is at the top of her form in her latest presentation, a collection of traditional Japanese tales ideal for family listening. Her vocal cadences ar both soothing and intense, ideal for self-accompaniment on the koto, with which she provides perfect sound effects as well as songs and a breathtaking koto solo at the album's conclusion. To the best of my knowledge, no other American storyteller tells the bewitching story of the magical crane who transforms herself into the devoted daughter of a poor old couple with more conviction and pathos than she. Falconer's adaptation is unique in that she relates the story in the first person -- from the crane's point of view, a perspective that could stimulate interesting conversations. Falconer, who has studied music and storytelling in Japan, counts the multi-awarded Plum Boy! and Other Tales from Japan among her recent successes. Truly, her albums are worth collecting. -Antoinette Botsford, NAPRA ReView Magazine

"Intyriguing, sweet stories...."
Listeners will be immediately drawn in by Falconer's enthusiasm, the gentle koto music and the delightful Japanese folktales. Koto is a 13-stringed wooden instrument that came to Japan from China more than 1,000 years ago; Falconer began studying the instrument in 1979. She expertly blends the music into these endearing tales. The soothing sounds of this melodic instrument heighten action, create suspense, provide sound effects. (I especially liked how she replicated the sprightly sound of flowing water) and make the background music that gives these tales an air of authenticity. These intriguing, sweet stories are sure to hold a youngster's attention. They have adventure (a girl who dares befriend a "ferocious" mountain dragon), magic (a fan that changes the size of your nose) and trickery (a rabbit tricks a crocodile into helping him cross the river). Children will also be enchanted by Falconer's gentle, expressive voice and repetitive chants that children vice in a couple of the tales. This endearing recording is bound to be a favorite choice for quiet times or bedtime." -Naomi Leithold, Chicago Parent Magazine, Aug. 2004

"A delightful recording...."
What a delightful recording! My kids love it. My daughter's favorite is the one about the runaway rice ball. Her younger brother's favorite is called "Grow Nose, Grow," which stars a Japanese badger named Mr. Tanuki. They have been singing the catchy "Bean Jam Sweets" tune for days now. We have it in the car and have been listening to it all over town. Personally, I love the sound of the koto - it adds a lot of atmosphere to the stories. --Amazon.com Review

"Awesome!"
Words can't describe how wonderful this cd is. I love all the folktales told by Elizabeth Falconer. They bring me back to my childhood days when my Obaachan told me these stories with the same love, care and enthusiam that Falconer brings. Being konketsuji (half Japanese) myself, I truly appreciate the bilingualism in this cd. Awesome! :) Ito-san, CD Baby Reviewer

"An unusual, entertaining tour-de-force performance by a gifted artist."
Steeped in the culture and language of Japan, Elizabeth Falconer is a storyteller with a feather-light touch. Weaving Japanese words into each story, she's also a master of the 13-string, Japanese koto, and accompanies these colorful Japanese folk tales on that eloquent instrument. In the title story, a boy, born from a plum, becomes a hero when he and his friends-a dog, a monkey and a pheasant-divert a pack of demon thieves from evil-doing and rescue a village. "Kumo the Spider" repays a farmer's good deed and spins not only cloth but clouds. "Issunboshi" is about a boy who's an inch tall and follows his dream to become a Samurai, with magical results, and in "Shiro and Kuro," a monkey teaches a couple of quarrelsome kitties a lesson in sharing. "The Tale of a Snail" paints vivid word pictures of a husband and wife planting and harvesting their rice fields and adopting a little snail, who comes to them courtesy of the Water God, as their son-with rewarding results. It's an unusual, entertaining tour-de-force performance by a gifted artist. -Parents' Choice

"Great stories with great lessons."
Japanese folktales told to koto music told by a "storyteller with a feather-light touch." Naturally, they are great stories, with great lessons, but what completes the experience is the authentic music in the background of the stories. The music helps to punctuate the plot lines, and create an overall mood for each of the tales. Great for entire families and even classrooms. -CD Baby

"Fun, fascinating, and highly educational...."
Here's the short-take on Elizabeth Falconer's Plum Boy! And other tales from Japan: Buy the recording. And don't miss one of Falconer's upcoming library performances -- they're free, although I'd happily pay to see this talented artist live. A newcomer to storytelling and a magical musician, Falconer weaves original and traditional Japanese folktales with the soothing sounds of the ancient koto on Plum Boy! The resulting hour-long CD is a listening treat that is both calming and exciting. Filled with important life lessons, Japanese words, and cultural reflections, Plum Boy! And other tales from Japan is a fun, fascinating, and highly educational introduction to Japanese arts and language. While listening for the first time, my 4-year-old repeated the simple Japanese words and refrains Falconer injects into her tales. By the end of the 14-minute title story " Plum Boy! ," she was singing right along with Falconer's two young sons in a rousing chorus of the Japanese translation of Plum Boy: "Sumomotaro-san, Sumomotaro- san!"

"Falconer's storytelling voice is powerful, yet soft."
Falconer, who now lives in Renton, Washington, spent 12 years in Japan and began studying koto in 1979. Since then, she has become a master player of the courtly 13-string instrument introduced in Asia more than 1,000 years ago. Her storytelling career began three years ago when she adopted her sons Jesse and Brian, then ages 3 and 5. "I have always loved all things Japanese. We started reading and reading to them and I was just amazed at how they got into the stories," Falconer says. By adding koto and chorus musical highlights, Japanese words and cultural intonations to the tales, she say, her sons and other listeners are able to experience Japanese cultures on a number of levels. The five tales on the recording offer some pretty universal values: a.k.a., be grateful, share, love is power. But Falconer lets "the stories tell it all... What I want people to walk away with is the sense anything is possible. Some of the things that happen in the story are imaginary, but the overriding theme is that anything is possible if you try." Falconer calls her unique melding of music and words "musical adventures." It's an apt definition -- each listening session seems to take you someplace new. Falconer's storytelling voice is powerful, yet soft. She does not rush a tale, but instead lets it roll out in waves, giving young listeners time to latch on to themes and follow along. My daughter was particularly enamored of "Kumo the Spider." A less on the importance of appreciation and gratitude, the story also explains why the Japanese word for spider and cloud (kumo) are the same. Falconer's koto tunes feel like a unique character in each story, rather than extraneous accompaniment. The delicate sounds give the stories flavor and help sail the listener into the bay off another culture. The instrument's own ancient history also works to give stories a timeless quality. Plum Boy! is the first release from Falconer's new Koto World recording label. Fortunately, a second release is due out this fall. --Cheryl Murfin Bond, Seattle's Child, June 2000