In this adaptation of a Japanese folktale, a family struggling with poverty discovers richness in unexpected places through an encounter with the Poor God in their attic.

The farmer and his family cannot wait to escape the Poor God who lives in their attic. They’ll leave before the sun comes up, and they will never, ever be poor again once they escape his shadow. But when something stops them from leaving and the father encounters the Poor God, the family finds a richness they would not have found elsewhere.

Ruth Well’s powerful retelling of this Japanese folktale paired with Yoshi’s lush illustrations creates a compelling book reminding readers that sometimes what we are looking for is in the most unexpected places.