Yoshiko Uchida The Wise Old Woman

Uchida, Y. (1994). The Wise Old Woman. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books.

(1). What did you like or dislike about the book?
I liked that this was a short story where a woman was able to provide the answers to the riddles over the men. I thought it was neat that the son disobeyed the rules and hid his mom and she ended up provided the solution needed.

(2). What in your life may have influenced your reaction or response to this book?
I was influenced by my joy trying to figure out riddles and the meaning of things. This contributed to my enjoyment reading this story.

(3). How would you compare this book to another book or books, or book or books by same author?
This story reminded me of the story of Moses. Moses and all children were to be killed. Moses parents put him in a basket for someone to save. He was found, raised illegally, and turned out to be an amazing biblical character. Thankfully someone didn’t listen and spared the lives of the old woman and Moses.

(4). What new thing (information or insight) did you learn about children's literature in reading this book?
I learned that children’s stories can tell a message and prove that adults don’t always have all the right answers.

Other Books by Yoshiko Uchida
The Invisible Thread: An Autobiography
The Terrible Leak
Picture Bride
The Dancing Kettle and Other Japanese Folk Tales (1949)
New Friends for Susan (1951)
The Magic Listening Cap: More Folk Tales from Japan (1955)
The Full Circle (1957)
Takao and Grandfather's Sword (1958)
The Promised Year (1959)
Mik and the Prowler (1960)
Rokubei and the Thousand Rice Bowls (1962)
The Forever Christmas Tree (1963)
Sumi's Prize (1964)
The Sea of Gold, and Other Tales from Japan (1965)
In-Between Maya (1967)
Hisako's Mysteries (1969)
Sumi and the Goat and the Tokyo Express (1969)
Makoto, The Smallest Boy (1970)
Journey to Topaz: A Story of the Japanese American Evacuation (1971)
Samurai of Gold Hill (1972)
The Birthday Visitor (1975)
The Rooster who Understood Japanese (1976)
The Bracelet (1976)
originally published as a short story, Journey Home (1978)
Jar of Dreams (1981)
Desert Exile: The Uprooting of a Japanese-American Family (Autobiography) (1982)
Best Bad Thing (1983)
Picture Bride (1987)
Invisible Thread: An Autobiography (1991)
Magic Purse (1993)
Two Foolish Cats
The Happiest Ending
The Magic Purse
The Birthday Visitor
Sumi's Prize
A Jar of Dreams