Yuki and the One Thousand Carriers

Deftly written by Gloria Whelan and beautifully illustrated by Yan Nascimbene, "Yuki and the One Thousand Carriers" is a children's picture book about a girl in 17th century Japan who is required with her family to make a 300 mile journey along the Tokaido Road from Kyoto to Edo. One thousand carriers men go with her to carry all that the family needs in baskets and chests. Along the trip, which will take many weeks Yuki's teacher has asked her to write a haiku each day. Yuki's father is the governor of the province, so ordinary people must show respect to him and his family. There are also many samurai warriors to protect the entourage of the governor. Yuki is apprehensive about the journey, but she packs her favorite umbrellas, kimonos, and fans, and tucks in her pet dog, Kita. On the journey, Yuki stays at 53 inns with her Mother and Father. For supper, she eats bean curd soup, sushi, shrimp, dumplings, pickled ginger, and carp. Kita eats too. Yuki's daily Haiku reflect her experiences on the journey. The journey goes through mountains, where snow has forgotten that it is spring. Sometimes the room Yuki shares with her mother at the inn is small and not clean. Then her mother scolds the innkeeper. In a fisherman's village, Yuki has broiled eel, shark and octopus for dinner. At Suruga Bay, Yuki spies Mt. Fuji, a sacred mountain forbidden to women and girls. Yuki's haiku says, "When the darkness comes/ and the spirits are fast asleep/ Yuki will climb Fuji." When Yuki grows tired of riding in the palanquin, her mother allows her to walk a little way with Kita, and they enjoy feeling the grass and plum blossoms under their feet. Finally the 1000 carriers and Yuki reach the Nihonbashi Bridge and Edo. Yuki writes "Everywhere I see/ something to delight my eyes/ I stop looking back." "Yuki and the One Thousand Carriers" is poignantly enhanced by delicate water color illustrations of the long journey. Memorable moments are captured both visually and in the poetry of Yuki's wonderful haiku. The author was inspired to write the tale of "Yuki and the One Thousand Carriers" by beautiful woodcuts of Japanese printmaker Hiroshige.