These ten stories are engaging and funny, written in brisk, uncomplicated prose that will appeal to any reader

The writing is elegant and crisp throughout. Heartstrings are pulled with no trace of sentimentality. I think readers of this book, whether they go to boarding school or not, will love it for the light it sheds on an experience which can be painful for many children

Miyazawa moves you to sorrow, to laugh, chuckle, marvel - he makes you live

A marvelous writer who deserves to be much better known in English

Miyazawa seems to have been something of a genius

A humble and gifted writer

[Miyazawa] had stories for many of our basic human vices, and for our basic forms of goodness, too. And this only scratches the surface of his work's appeal... Everything in Miyazawa's work seethes with life. Each leaf, flower, blade of grass, and berry seems to have its own special action.

Superb fables... in the prettiest edition of Miyazawa yet

Thanks to the blend of pin-sharp, bright-hued backdrops with outlandish happenings and wholesome messages, Ghibli-movie fans should feel at home

This Japanese writer found fame for his poetry and short stories only after his death in 1933. At last, this sublime collection introduces English-speaking readers to his curious and whimsical world

Six enchanting examples in the best tradition of storytelling . . . A treat for the
nines-plus.

I fell in love with it . . . an important, essential, beautiful collection of stories.

The talented Jamila Gavin is an author to watch and these refreshingly original and exciting stories are guaranteed to enchant children of every age.

Blackberry Blue and Other Fairytales is a beautifully written collection of stories that belongs on pretty much everybody's bookshelf. The descriptions that the author gives of these wonderful worlds are just magical and it is so easy to lose yourself in those words. Even though the stories are fairly short I fell deeply into the world created by the author every time and ended up feeling disappointed at the end of each story because I didn't want it to end . . . These stories are beautiful and magical and are perfect for older children and grown-ups alike.

An extraordinary and charming read for any young girl or boy.

It is the storytelling and the language that gives the collection the power to entrance; to be drawn into the spell of the story . . . I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the reading.