Moses Aaron has a reputation as one of Australia’s best story tellers.  He performs regularly to schools and festivals, so it is no surprise he has adapted this traditional Japanese tale into a picture book that itches to be read aloud. 

Gombei is a duck catcher who catches just one duck a day – all he needs to survive.  But one winter’s day he gets greedy and tries to catch a hundred ducks.  The disasters this brings on him are both funny (for the audience) and an important lesson (for the greedy Gombei). 

David Mackintosh’s illustrations are simple line and wash, bold and clear.  They could easily be appreciated from a slight distance by an audience in a group presentation helped, too, by big text at some key points.  

Gombei’s lesson is typical folk fable and just as relevant today.  This is a good book to read and a good story to tell.

Other books by this author:
Mandragon (Mark McLeod/Random House, 1998)

Review by David Beagley

© 2003 David Beagley