Urashima and the Kingdom Beneath the Sea

The brave young fisherman who visits the Kingdom Beneath the Sea in this magical legend is sometimes thought of as Japan's own Rip Van Winkle. The glowing colors and exotic patterns of Shiro Kasamatsu's illustrations, originally painted half a century ago, lend a unique air of enchantment to a classic folk tale, retold in lilting verse by writer, translator and lyricist Ralph F. McCarthy.