Newbery Honor winner

Minli is very poor, but doesn't realize it thanks to all the stories her Ba tells her. This is how she learns the history of The Fruitless Mountain (where they live), the Old Man in the Moon and several other fanciful tales. Her Ma, however, sees these as worthless and a waste of time and often laments they don't have enough food or gold. As Minli grows older, she becomes aware of her mother's unhappiness and decides to set out to change their fortune, which can only be done by seeing the Old Man in the Moon. Along the way, she meets a dragon, who becomes a good friend and helps her travel. She also learns many more stories, sees much of the world and even meets a king!

This is a wonderfully woven story (with many stories) that explores some fun Chinese legends, history and ideas. The stories within the story are artfully done, changing the font and adding illustrations to indicate it's a separate tale from the main narrative. The intricacies come together delightfully, without hitting the reader over the head. Character development is superb, especially the growth of Ma and Ba, arguably secondary characters. Minli's childlike belief is refreshing and the friendship she has with Dragon is remarkable. The illustrations are beautiful, colorful and fit the imagery of the text, rather than forcing it. Overall, a quick read that will fit the bill for folk/fairy tale lovers.