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203rd out of 1,973 books
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The Five Chinese Brothers
The classic story about five clever brothers, each with a different extraordinary ability is "a dramatic retelling of an old Chinese tale." (The New York Public Library)." . . . when Bishop makes the tall brother stretch, the sea-swallower work, or the robust one hold his breath, young children will laugh and laugh."--"New York Herald Tribune Books...more
Paperback, 45 pages
Published
June 18th 1996
by Paperstar Book
(first published 1938)
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This book is a disgusting example of Orientalism in action in the educational system of the United States during the 20th Century. The cover alone should warn you of the prejudicial and stereotyped contents.
I love this book dearly.
I love this book dearly.
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It's a classic, but it was way too upsetting for me when I read it in kindergarten and I never liked it after that. (The death of a child and four attempts at execution? I know the Grimms' fairy tales aren't much better, but sheesh... )
Like many, I'm also not too keen on the illustrations. I'm sure fans will protest that there are also stories of European/American identical quintuplets (though I've never heard of any), but it is SUCH an old racist stereotype to portray all Chine...more
Like many, I'm also not too keen on the illustrations. I'm sure fans will protest that there are also stories of European/American identical quintuplets (though I've never heard of any), but it is SUCH an old racist stereotype to portray all Chine...more
The freakiest illustration was the brother who swallowed the ocean.
And why didn't he just breathe through his nostrils instead of killing the little boy?
In the same league of cruel Oriental childrens stories as the, ah, filmstrip Rikki Tikki Tembo No Sarembo Chari Bari Ruchi Pip Berry Pembo.
Speaking of which, back when SNL was good (the Charles Rocket years) there was a oneshot character named Filmstrip Man who spoke in that...that style.
Beep...more
And why didn't he just breathe through his nostrils instead of killing the little boy?
In the same league of cruel Oriental childrens stories as the, ah, filmstrip Rikki Tikki Tembo No Sarembo Chari Bari Ruchi Pip Berry Pembo.
Speaking of which, back when SNL was good (the Charles Rocket years) there was a oneshot character named Filmstrip Man who spoke in that...that style.
Beep...more
Aw, this book! I loved this book! When I was in second grade we were all divided into groups, and the advanced readers (Me! That was me!) got to act this particular picture book out in front of our peers. I was the brother had a neck of iron, rendering him incapable of being beheaded. I thought it was awesome at the time, although really as mutant powers go, it’s pretty limited. I mean, you could still take an ax to the chest. Or the head. Or any of your vital organs / arteries. So clear...more
The actual story begins with the first Chinese brother going out to fish, he brings with him a young boy from town who has begged repeatedly to go out with him. Before the fishing begins the first Chinese brother reminds the boy that he must obey his hand signals and return to shore when he calls him back. He then proceeds to bend over and draw the entire ocean into his mouth, revealing the ocean floor. The young boy runs about happily collecting stones and other treasures. He sees but chooses t...more
This is an interesting story about five twin brothers who all have differetn special talents, such as swallowing the see, unable to be burned, an iron neck, the ability to stretch and the ability to not breathe. The first brother accidentally commiitts a crime and is sentanced to death but the other brothers use their talents to escape the punishment and the judge finally gives up. They all live happily ever after.
This story was easy to read and has a unique and differetn story ...more
This story was easy to read and has a unique and differetn story ...more
The Five Chinese Brothers is a retelling of a Chinese tale about five brothers who look exactly alike, yet have different powers. The brothers use these powers to their advantage to keep from being killed after the first brother unintentionally causes the death of a little boy.
I write this review from the POV of a student studying multicultural literature and a teacher. I did like the story, which, when read aloud to young children, would cause them to laugh at the clever brothers ...more
I write this review from the POV of a student studying multicultural literature and a teacher. I did like the story, which, when read aloud to young children, would cause them to laugh at the clever brothers ...more
Absolutely one of my favorite books as a kid. I took it out from the library over and over again. When I was a teenager and my brother was 4 or 5, I started taking it out again to read to him. An entertaining story of 5 brothers and their special abilities, and how they used them to help each other.
The Five Chinese Brothers, is a trickster tale where one brother gets in some trouble and the rest of them use their special abilities to help him get out of it. A good book for problem-solving lessons. I used this one to go along with math trail blazers unit on graphing.
I used to like this book as a kid. Good thing is now that I'm taking an Asian American childrens and teen literature class at SF State. We are analyzing the popularity, the good points of this book, and also its awful points: the artistry making all Chinese look the same, the insipid yellow coloration, and the silly "justice" the book portrays. Many Asian Americans hate it! The solution is to make sure to give children plenty of other opportunities to read great Asian American Lit...more
This cumulative folktale uses the idea of execution in a witty manner. Since we are told the special talents of the five Chinese brothers in the beginning, we understand why none of them die and we can enjoy seeing the judge and the village people bewildered that nothing will kill this Chinese man. The illustrations are simple, using only black, white, and orange, but they are needed to understand the story. I find it interesting how the color orange is used in the pictures for shading, espec...more
This was my favorite book in kindergarten. It may even be the book responsible for motivating me to become a reader. I loved the story and I love reading it to my kids now.
Most people who have read this book, I think, have been profoundly disturbed by at least one of the brothers. For me it was the sea-swallower.
Sean, awsome book. I just remember that one of the brothers tried to suck up the ocean or something. Ahh, childhood.
This was one of my favorite books as a child. I enjoy it because the brothers out smart the village because for some reason nobody knows there is five of them. They each have their own power or talent that allows them to drink the see, iron neck, hold breath forever, and couldn't burn, they are like modern day super hero's. I think the book is teaching that if you make a promise to someone you should stay true to that promise because you never know what can happen if you don't. Also that a famil...more
Age:
Grades 2-4
Genre:
folktale
Diversity:
Chinese family
Illustrations:
The illustrations look like they were drawn with marker or pen.
Personal response:
The book was interesting to read on the internet. I believe it is also available as a physical book as well. The story and characters (brothers) are very clever to utilize their special strengths in order to help each other. I thought the book was fun and well-done.
Curricular o...more
Grades 2-4
Genre:
folktale
Diversity:
Chinese family
Illustrations:
The illustrations look like they were drawn with marker or pen.
Personal response:
The book was interesting to read on the internet. I believe it is also available as a physical book as well. The story and characters (brothers) are very clever to utilize their special strengths in order to help each other. I thought the book was fun and well-done.
Curricular o...more
Re-read with my son last night - I remembered that the first brother was going to be put to death, but I had actually forgotten what happened to the little boy - No way this one would make to print today, huh? I still love it, though, and Hugh is the perfect age for it. He loved all the brothers' "super powers" and he loves the illustrations. He ws actually disappointed because the version he read to me last night was in an anthology and he thought I would miss all the "cool pictu...more
In China lived five brothers, each in appearance exactly like the others. Each, too, had a special ability: the first could swallow the sea; the second had an iron neck; the third could stretch his legs very far; the fourth couldn't be burned; and the fifth could hold his breath indefinitely. When a young boy is drowned while collecting shells from the sea bed after the first brother had drunk up the sea, the first brother is sentenced to be killed. However, his brothers' special talents may be ...more
OK, today the cover and the fact that these brothers all looked alike might be deemed racist, or at the very least stereotypic.
However, one has to realize this was written about 70 years ago. Fact is, it wasn't long before this was written that in California, you would see railroad workers looking very similar to the illustration. The world was larger then :)
This was my favorite book in childhood, and I read it to my children and grandchildren and it has become a famil...more
However, one has to realize this was written about 70 years ago. Fact is, it wasn't long before this was written that in California, you would see railroad workers looking very similar to the illustration. The world was larger then :)
This was my favorite book in childhood, and I read it to my children and grandchildren and it has become a famil...more
I really enjoyed this story, I had not ever read the story and thought the message was very good. I thought the drawings tried to stay true to chinese culture and that the element of repetitive lines with the judge was very well done. The drawings did not hold a ton of color but I thought this worked very well and made the reader (me) feel like I was reading a true folktale that has stayed true to what the tale might have been orginially.
This book was published in 1938 but is still a classic through the generations.
The storyline revolves around 5 Chinese Brothers that look exactly the same. Each has a special gift that comes in handy when one brother is falsely accused of neglecting the safety of a child. The story is a retelling of an old Chinese tale.
The artwork is simple and dated yet surprising expressive. A fun read that my children have enjoyed over and over.
The storyline revolves around 5 Chinese Brothers that look exactly the same. Each has a special gift that comes in handy when one brother is falsely accused of neglecting the safety of a child. The story is a retelling of an old Chinese tale.
The artwork is simple and dated yet surprising expressive. A fun read that my children have enjoyed over and over.
Five identical brothers each have a different unusual attribute which help them avoid punishment when one brother uses his "gift" for the enjoyment of a child. The child does not heed that brothers call. The tragedy that results means the brother will be put to death.
It sounds rather gruesome when I type it like this, but it was one of my favorite books when I was a child. This is at least the third time that I have read it.
It sounds rather gruesome when I type it like this, but it was one of my favorite books when I was a child. This is at least the third time that I have read it.
Alise Durkota
rated it
This book is neat but I don't know tat I would include it in my classroom library for any grade level. It uses words like execution, drowning and other "murder methods". The storyline however is neat. Four brothers out smart a judge by using their talents to defy different punishments. I could see how making copies of just the pictures may be a good idea. The pictures could be put in order to practice sequencing, or they could be put together in an order and looked at as pieces of data...more
We all really liked this book. The boys loved how each brother had a special "power" that could help save the other brothers. It was a little tense for them until they realized that each brother could in fact save the others and then they joyfully shouted out which power would be used next. It was sad that a little boy was drowned at the beginning, but it's dealt with fairly lightly and they weren't disturbed by it. And that kid was really naughty. Not that he deserved to die beca...more
I vaguely remember reading this as a child; the story is familiar, but I know it wasn't a favorite. It's an interesting and entertaining tale of 5 identical brothers who use their unusual talents to help each other and save their brother from being executed. It's absurd enough not to be scary, but it's still a bit gruesome.
This story just does not make a very good children`s book. First, a child dies. Then, as punishment, the first brother is sentenced to be executed and the storyline is how he manages to escape being killed.
It is pretty to difficult to explain words like "execution" "drown" "smother" "burn" in a bedtime story!
It is pretty to difficult to explain words like "execution" "drown" "smother" "burn" in a bedtime story!
Over all I enjoyed this book. I remember reading this book when I was younger. Reading it know to when i read it as a child its kind of interesting. I wish I could remember what I thought about the book because reading about the 5 brothers and there different powers is different from now then it was then.
The Five Chinese Brothers shows children about life in a far away place called China. Even though this book uses characters with imaginary abilities, it shows how families stick together and support each other. This book can be read to a class when talking about families or talking about imagination.
I like that the naughty little boy is never seen again. (It's just been that kind of a day.) I also like that the brothers use their special talents to save one another. It's sort of justice in the face of ignorance (the First Chinese Brother never gets to actually explain what happens or anything).
This book is a good introduction to fables and repetitive elements to children in upper elementary grades. I would not read it to any grades younger than 2nd or 3rd grade because it can be a tad violent (each brother is destined to be executed in different ways, and this can be scary), but it ends as a lesson and portrays the brothers' smart ways to stay alive and work together. I think children enjoy the interesting and clever ways that the brothers help each other out. However, this book can a...more
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Claire Huchet Bishop (1899 – 13 March 1993) was a children's novelist and librarian, winner of the Newbery Honor for Pancakes-Paris and All Alone, and the Josette Frank Award for Twenty and Ten. The Five Chinese Brothers won the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1959.
An American born in France or Geneva, Switzerland, Bishop attended the Sorbonne and started the first children's library in F...more
More about Claire Huchet Bishop...
An American born in France or Geneva, Switzerland, Bishop attended the Sorbonne and started the first children's library in F...more
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