The Warrior and the Wise Man

Written by David Wisniewski

Grade:

1-3

ISBN-13:

978-0688161590

Publisher:

HarperCollins (1998)

When the emperor must choose one of his twin sons as heir, he challenges them to bring him the five eternal elements: earth, water, fire, wind, and cloud. Tozaemon, the greatest warrior in the land, bravely charges out to seize each element from the demon and warriors that guard it. Toeman, the wisest in the land, has a gentler approach but must follow in the wake of his brother and attempt to make amends along the way. As Tozaemon steals each element, Toeman offers up each element that he receives in order to repair the damage done by his brother. Upon returning to the emperor, Tozaemon claims his inheritance but must face the combined armies of each element waiting at the gates. However, it is through his brother’s wisdom and prudence that both Tozaemon and the kingdom are saved. Beautiful paper cut outs and medieval Japanese imagery make this original fairy tale incredibly captivating.