Golden Threads

This lovely, touching story is told from the point of view of Fox, an adorable stuffed toy with a sweet face. Fox’s girl, Emi, loves her toy dearly; the two are happy living in their mountain home surrounded by abundant nature. One fall day, Emi places a golden leaf from the ginkgo tree near their home in the pocket of Fox’s denim overalls. While she goes in to have tea with her obaasan (grandmother), a seemingly harmless rainfall turns into a strong storm, and the beloved toy is separated from its owner and lost to the night. Alone and worse for wear, Fox can see a path of moonlight on the water leading back to Emi’s home. Fox wonders if it will ever make its way back to Emi and their mountain home – and whether Emi will still love her toy in the condition it’s in after the storm. Fox is soon found by an elderly man who takes it home for his granddaughter, Kiko (Kiko is depicted with a visual impairment and is recovering from a leg injury. She is first seen using a wheelchair, then later a crutch and cast, and finally a cane as she gradually heals throughout the timeline of the book). Kiko takes Fox in and cleans the stuffed toy up. Fox’s scent reveals to her where it must have come from, and, as she mends the tears in its fur with a golden thread, she comforts the toy, musing that it must be missed.

Seasons pass, and Fox and Kiko are happy. Kiko’s leg begins to heal (mirroring Fox’s recovery), and when autumn returns, a golden ginkgo leaf (like the one found in Fox’s pocket) reminds Kiko that wherever that tree is, there is someone who misses Fox. Though Kiko knows she will miss Fox too, she knows it is important to return the toy to its rightful home. Her ojiisan (grandfather) rows them across the lake, following the path of golden ginkgo leaves, and they find Emi. Emi is overjoyed to see her Fox and embraces both Fox and Kiko. On the final page, Emi’s obaasan and Kiko’s ojiisan share tea in the background while Emi and Kiko share tea in the foreground with Fox between them, and a new friendship between the two girls is formed.

With engaging onomatopoeia, lyrical text, and a universal story of enduring friendship, belonging, and the kindness of strangers, Golden Threads will appeal to many readers. Japanese Canadian Miki Sato’s beautiful three-dimensional illustrations of layered paper, fabric, and surfaces bring the story to life with charm and emotion. There is a lot to see, and, with sparse text, just as much meaning in the story is found in the detailed illustrations. Golden Threads would likely make a better one-on-one read than a storytime book with a group.

The story is a lovely introduction for young readers to a few aspects of Japanese culture. The author’s note at the end of the book informs readers that the story was inspired by the Japanese art of kintsugi (repairing broken pottery with resin and gold paint – a method used to encourage people to repair, instead of replace, a once-broken item to give it new value). Kintsugi, it is noted, is an example of the ancient philosophy of wabi-sabi – the Japanese concept that we can find beauty in things that are imperfect; “a way of living that accepts the natural cycle of growth and decay”. The note tells readers: “We all fall down, get hurt, feel broken… but the stories we have to tell from our experiences make us stronger.” Though rooted in Japanese culture, this story will ring nostalgic for readers of classic Western literature as well, evoking memories of The Velveteen Rabbit (where toys become ‘real’ for having been worn by years of a child’s love), as well as Corduroy and his girl Lisa (Corduroy, too, needs to find home and is similarly cared for and loved despite – or perhaps for – his imperfections). Golden Threads is a sweet, tender tale to be pored over and cherished.