The traditional Japanese tale of the unhappy stonecutter, specially retold as part of the Usborne Reading Programme for children just starting to read alone.

 

This book features in the following series: First Reading Level 2, Usborne First Reading .

. This book is part of a reading scheme, meaning that it is a book aimed at children who are learning to read.

This book was published 2015 by Usborne Publishing Ltd .

Lynne Benton was born in Bournemouth, but moved to Bath at 18 to train as a teacher, and has lived there ever since. She has taught in several primary schools in the area, as well as working as pianist and receptionist in a Dancing school and bringing up four children. In 1982 she and her husband, Robin, a fellow-teacher and composer, co-wrote a musical play for primary schools based on the story of Jason and the Golden Fleece (still, happily, in print) but it was only when their children began leaving home for university that she began writing seriously. In 1996 she was a prizewinner in the Independent's Children's Story of the Year competition, and since then has had several fiction books published. As well as writing longer novels for older children she enjoys writing humorous "bite-size" stories for younger ones.