In this reimagining of a Japanese folk tale, Momoko is born from a peach to make the world a better place. Despite rumours of a terrible ogre that lives nearby and eats children, Momoko bravely sets out with a pocketful of dumplings and the timid Monkey, Dog, and Pheasant to find out the truth for herself.When the farmer and her husband find a giant peach at their door, they can't imagine how it got there. But they are even more surprised when the skin bursts open and out leaps . . . a girl. Momoko is here to make the world a better place, and what better way to start than by investigating the rumours about a fearsome local ogre? Everyone says the ogre has teeth like knives, shoots flames from his eyes, and eats small children.But Momoko wants to find out for herself, and her new friends Monkey, Dog, and Pheasant might just be able to help her - as long as she's willing to share those tasty peach dumplings.In Peach Girl, Raymond Nakamura creates a quirky modern telling of an old Japanese folktale. Award-winning illustrator Rebecca Bender's spirited acrylics bring to life a spunky heroine, a trio of expressive animals, and a vivid Japanese landscape.

Raymond Nakamura is an educational consultant and an avid science blogger who has worked with the Vancouver Aquarium, Nikkei National Museum, and Science World British Columbia. Now living on Canada's west coast, he explored his Japanese heritage while spending time at a marine station and teaching ESL in Southern Japan. Raymond's own spunky daughter inspired the character of Momoko in Peach Girl, his first book. Author/Illustrator Rebecca Bender is best known for her award-winning Giraffe And Bird books. Her other publications include How Do You Feel? and Peach Girl (illustrations). Rebecca graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design with the medal for illustration and is now an art director and designer. She lives in Burlington, Ontario, with her husband and two children.