In this Caldecott Medal-winning tale set in Old Japan, a lively little woman who loves to laugh pursues her runaway dumpling-and must outwit the wicked three-eyed oni when she lands in their clutches.

"The pictures are in perfect harmony with the humorous mood of the story. . . . It's all done with a commendable amount of taste, imagination, and style."-School Library Journal (starred review)

"A beautifully convincing tale."-The New York Times Book Review

"Using elements of traditional Japanese art, the illustrator has made marvelously imaginative pictures."-The Horn Book

"Lent's pictures are a lively blend of finely detailed, delicate drawings and rip-roaring good humor."-The Boston Globe

"A good read-aloud with lots of suspense."-Learning

Awards:
ALA Notable Children's Book
Child Study Association Book of the Year
The Horn Book Fanfare

Arlene Mosel was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1921. She was a librarian and an author who wrote two award-winning children’s picture books with Blair Lent: Tikki Tikki Tembo, which won the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award and was an ALA Notable Book as well as a New York Times pick for best children’s book, and The Funny Little Woman, which won the Caldecott Medal and a 1974 Hans Christian Andersen International Children’s Book Award.