Although a few old tales have dark aspects to them, they are by far outnumbered by stories that are fun, adventerous, magical, and warm. I personally make sure that the stories I write and record emphasize positive aspects of the Japanese stories that are my focus, and bring out aspects such as cooperation, generosity, friendship and trust. In general, for all of their fearsome aspects, folktales are empowering. The writer G.K. Chesterton noted,."Children already know about dragons. What fairy tales tell children is that dragons can be slain." (May I add, in the case of, "Hana and the Dragon," Dragons can even be befriended!)

Folktales are here for a reason. We all need seeds to grow on.

It wasn't until I started reading out loud to my own kids that I realized the incredible importance of this act. First of all, the words, reverberating in the air, take on more meaning than when being read silently. When the books are written well, the beauty of the language itself is something to appreciate, and for young listeners to grow to appreciate. Of course, your child can also learn to read as you read out loud. But most of all it is the act of sharing a story together, either through listening to a CD while you fix dinner or reading before bedtime, that has an element of nourishment to it that I was unaware of until I started my own family. Through sharing a story, you are sharing something special together. You can refer to it later, you can make the characters a part of your life: "Hmmm. I wonder what Plum Boy would do?" and you can re-visit it, again and again, with your kids. Sharing folktales is a bonding experience, it is an intellectually stimulating experience, and it is a growing experience. It connects you to each other, and to the world as it has existed, for eons. Every parent knows the fears that bring cautionary tales to life; every child knows the feeling of curiousity about what might be just around the corner. Together, you can explore your feelings through folktales.

Folktales used to seem simplistic to me, before I had kids. The outcome would often be obvious, and the well-known stories were stored in the compartment of my brain that holds drawers of old, throw-away things I didn't think about much, like outdated clothing. It wasn't until I had an actual need - two boys looking to me for direction - that they suddenly took on meaning. Books in general are what I turned to; folktales became an integral part of our reading diet. The many animals in the stories, I suddenly realized, are us. The events that happen in the stories - why, they happen to us, in a more modern context. And the old language and beautiful old-fashioned pictures are our ties to our past, as relevant to the present as a fresh-grown flower.

With all of this said....don't overthink it. Just go to the library or bookstore, see what titles strike your fancy (or your child's fancy), take a quick look at it, and if it seems interesting, take it home. I have come across so many story gems this way...like so many bits of magic, right here in my own life.

Stop, look, and listen to folktales. As Albert Einstein said: ."If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales."

No matter how rich or how poor, city or country living, color of skin, we are all faced with decisions to make, challenges to face, and obsacles to overcome. Things happen that we don't want to happen. How are we to handle life? Folktales hold the answers to so many of these things -- throughout the ages, these questions have been dealt with. Of couse, there is not just one way to solve a problem -- the variety of ways to approach life is reflected in folktales as well!

We all know that listening to or reading tales develops the skills for good readers, listeners, and writers. But most of all stories are good for the imagination. They inspire and stimulate, especially the young mind. When I share my "Koto Tales" in public performances, I can see the childen's faces change as they step into the story, become a part of the story. And for a moment, they are the ones balancing in a rice bowl, floating down a river; they are the ones flying high in the sky on a dragon, and they are the ones falling down into the hole and meeting the mice. Afterwards, they invariably ask if different stories are true - that is how utterly alive it seems to them. Put a story CD in the car, and watch what happens. Your child will step into the story. This is an experience you can share together as much as you share a book. (And your hands are free to do other things!) Listening to stories is different from watching television, and in some ways even more intellectually developing than reading a story, because your child is actually using her imagination to create the story from hearing the words. There are no pictures to watch or look at. Just their imagination. Parents have told me again and again that when the story CD starts, kids are captivated. It pleases me to no end, because that is the gift I have strived to create - the gift of imagination, of discovery. It fills me with joy.

Again, a quote from Albert Einstein "When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than any talent for abstract, positive thinking."