This book relays a powerful message about culutural traditions! The story doesa great job at explainging the tradition and making it to where the traditoion is very much alive and veyr much real. I belive I would perosnally show this book around a breakin the school year. It helps studnets understand that even thiugh their family traditions may be different from others does not mean that they are not important traditions. ( )

The book follows Kogi and his search for painting freedom. I love Japanese folktales and this one is just as impressive as any other one's I've read. The central theme surrounding the book is freedom. The author basically says that once we found our freedom, it is one day gone from us. I love that theme and never thought about it until now. This book makes me want to go to Lake Biwa after looking at the illustrator's work of art and try to find that golden fish named Kogi. ( )

The artist Kogi struggles to draw life-like images and becomes a fish to experience the creature’s freedom. After Kogi is caught and killed, he awakes again as a human his artwork improves and he chooses to wade back into Lake Biwa and live as a golden fish.

Kogi’s Mysterious Journey is based on a Japanese legend and is interpreted by Elizabeth Partridge within a frame narrative that is published by Dutton Children’s Books. The artwork in the story is speaks well to the Japanese tradition of art. The illustrator, Aki Sogabe, distinguishes well the difference between kogi’s lifeless work and his lively drawings. The weakest point in the story occurred when the fish version of Kogi was killed. Afterwards, Kogi wakes up in his own bed, implying the experience was only a dream. This detracts from the magic of the story and may cause readers to have trouble believing Kogi actually turns into a fish at the end of the story. Overall, Partridge and Sogabe have successfully revitalized a culturally relevant legend.