Jinmenju
I need a separate category for “demons I could not fit into either Deadly Wish or Deadly Flowers.” Like the jinmenju–peaches with faces. They hang upon the boughs of trees and giggle at you as you walk past.
That’s it. That’s all they do. If they laugh too hard they fall off the branches. I guess you might eat them then (they are said to be sweet), although I don’t know who would want to.
Not exactly terrifying, but there’s just something about them. I wish I’d had my characters in an orchard at twilight so that peaches could laugh at them.
Read MoreNinjas Are Here!
It’s here, it’s here–the very first hot-off-the-press copy of Deadly Wish. Mark your calendars for the release date of September 26th.
Ninjas, bandits, pirates, thieves, and delightfully creepy demons–all here!
Read MoreFuna Yurei
These funa yurei are more robust and less skeletal and spooky than the ones Kata meets in Deadly Wish. Note the headgear, however. A white, triangular headdress such as that used in an ancient Buddhist funeral ceremony is a dead giveaway (pardon the pun) of a funa yurei.
If you are sailing off the coast of Japan and the fog sweeps in, beware…you might be approached by a funa yurei.
The spirits of sailors who have died at sea, funa yurei sometimes try to sink boats and sometimes to snag an unlucky soul to take their own place on a ghostly ship. Often a funa yurei will demand a bucket or a ladle from its victims. If they refuse the ghost will sink their ship in vengeance. If given a bucket, the ghost will pour water into the ship, swamping it. How to get out of this hopeless situation? Hand the ghost a bucket or ladle with the bottom removed. It will futilely try to scoop water up with the bottomless vessel, leaving you free to sail quickly away.
(Kata, the heroine of Deadly Wish, did not know this trick. She was forced to try and come up with other ideas to defeat the funa yurei she encountered.)
Read MoreSarah L. Thomson
A children’s book author publishing award-winning nonfiction, poetry, picture books and novels including…
“Readers will treasure the blossoming friendship between opposites in this whimsically illustrated tale. Short chapters and plenty of action make for an accessible and appealing reading experience. . . . Touching and inspiring.”
—Kirkus Reviews