Kuma no ko Ūfu

Oof is a little bear cub prone to growling “Oofoo.” Oof likes playing, eating, and thinking, and in this collection of tales for younger readers, he mulls a number of questions that arise during his interactions with his parents and the other animals. There are nine tales in all, including “Sakana ni wa naze shita ga nai?” [Why Don’t Fish Have Tongues?] and “Iza to iu tokitte, donna toki?” [When “The Time Comes,” What Kind of Time Is It?].

    In the story “Ūfu wa oshikko de dekiteru ka??” [Is Oof Made of Pee?!], Oof becomes curious about what things are made of. A fox called Tsuneta teasingly suggests that, because Oof pees, he must be made of pee. Oof wrestles with the profound question of what he truly is, finally arriving at the self-affirming conclusion that “I am made of me.” In “Chōcho dake ni naze naku no?” [Why Only Cry for Butterflies?], Tsuneta asks Oof why he eats meat and fish without crying, but does cry when he accidentally causes the death of a butterfly. The thorny issue of life feeding on life remains open to the end. Oof’s knack for identifying and pondering these questions in his daily life reflects the philosophical side children often display.

    No major events occur in the story, but the cheerful conversations between animal characters, rhythmical onomatopoeia, and fresh depictions of nature, all in a clear, lucid style, have won over child readers for decades. This book was followed by its sequels and the ten-volume Kuma no ko Ūfu no ehon [Oof the Bear Cub Picture Book] series, but this first book is of the deepest philosophical interest. (OM)