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The Khan's Daughter: A Mongolian Folktale
Hearing it foretold that he will marry the Khan's daughter someday, poor shepherd boy Mongke journeys to the Khan's court to prove himself worthy but is taught a lesson by the strong-minded princess that neither of them will forget.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 1997
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103 people want to read
About the author
Laurence Yep
120 books295 followersBorn June 14, 1948 in San Francisco, California, Yep was the son of Thomas Gim Yep and Franche Lee Yep. Franche Lee, her family's youngest child, was born in Ohio and raised in West Virginia where her family owned a Chinese laundry. Yep's father, Thomas, was born in China and came to America at the age of ten where he lived, not in Chinatown, but with an Irish friend in a white neighborhood. After troubling times during the Depression, he was able to open a grocery store in an African-American neighborhood. Growing up in San Francisco, Yep felt alienated. He was in his own words his neighborhood's "all-purpose Asian" and did not feel he had a culture of his own. Joanne Ryder, a children's book author, and Yep met and became friends during college while she was his editor. They later married and now live in San Francisco.
Although not living in Chinatown, Yep commuted to a parochial bilingual school there. Other students at the school, according to Yep, labeled him a "dumbbell Chinese" because he spoke only English. During high school he faced the white American culture for the first time. However, it was while attending high school that he started writing for a science fiction magazine, being paid one cent a word for his efforts. After two years at Marquette University, Yep transferred to the University of California at Santa Cruz where he graduated in 1970 with a B.A. He continued on to earn a Ph.D. in English from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1975. Today as well as writing, he has taught writing and Asian American Studies at the University of California, Berkeley and Santa Barbara.
Although not living in Chinatown, Yep commuted to a parochial bilingual school there. Other students at the school, according to Yep, labeled him a "dumbbell Chinese" because he spoke only English. During high school he faced the white American culture for the first time. However, it was while attending high school that he started writing for a science fiction magazine, being paid one cent a word for his efforts. After two years at Marquette University, Yep transferred to the University of California at Santa Cruz where he graduated in 1970 with a B.A. He continued on to earn a Ph.D. in English from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1975. Today as well as writing, he has taught writing and Asian American Studies at the University of California, Berkeley and Santa Barbara.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 3, 2020
I was pleasantly surprised with this book and found that I really liked the overall story and I'm glad I bought it. This is one to keep and re-read.
Mongke's dad told him that he'd marry the Khan's daughter one day. He waited for years while he tended sheep for this to come true and then realized the futility in that because the khan's daughter didn't even know he existed much less about his dad's prophecy. So he traveled to the city to seek her out.
I hated his hairstyle of a small patch of hair above his forehead, with a shaved section followed by hair coming out of the rest of his head. It looked like he was balding, but all the men wore their hair like that so it must have been their style. Not a good look.
He announced to the Khan, his family, and advisors, that he was destined to marry his daughter. The wife was outraged that this dog presumed to marry her daughter, but the daughter, Borte, only laughed, saying that if a khan could marry a commoner's daughter, then a commoner could marry a khan's daughter. She was likable already.
His wife wanted to set three tasks for him to prove himself. The first was to go into the mountains and take the wealth of the 7 demons. Mongke was afraid "but he had caught sight of the Khan's daughter and would have agreed to anything. "Just point the way." That was nice. It was also nice that Borte felt bad for him and baked him 14 loaves of bread, 7 with sesame seeds and 7 without.
But her mom poisoned the sesame bread and told him to eat those loaves on the way and the plain ones on the way back. Mongke ate the plain loaves first to avoid seeds stuck in his teeth which was fortuitous. The 7 demons spotted him and he fled, leaving his stuff. They ate the sesame bread and died, and in the meantime Mongke realized the khan's daughter would think him a coward and so rode back. He took their treasure and brought it back to the khan. He didn't have to battle the demons and prove his strength, but he was successful technically.
Next the wife said Borte's husband must be brave and told him to drive their enemy from the land. He was even more afraid but told her to point the way. He led a group of men which were all afraid, but he was determined. He stupidly ended up running into a tree and uprooting the whole thing. The enemy thought he was a demon and they fled. A stupid mistake which actually worked. I didn't care for the misunderstanding and wish he had actually thought of a way to win and prove himself.
He came back with spoils but Borte insisted he meet her condition now. I hated Mongke's attitude, being full of himself, saying he vanquished demons and armies and feared nothing. He was a coward the first time and an accident played in his favor, and the second time was just ridiculous. How could he think he did anything in either scenario?
Borte said there's always someone stronger and braver than him and he had to conquer Bagatur the Clever and Mighty. Mongke was boastful and told her to point the way. Mongke saw the black rider and tried to shoot an arrow but missed. Bagatur shot at him but it was to miss and he said next time he won't. I knew instantly that it was Borte. It was just way too predictable because I've heard of things like this before. It was no surprise at all.
Mongke fell from his horse and told the man that the Khan's daughter had warned him but he didn't listen. He met his match, and he begged Bagatur to take his stuff and spare him. I didn't like that he pleaded like that. It was nice though that he wanted one last look at her, it would be worth the humiliation and shame.
He was shirtless and wearing pants and boots, and saw her in the field. She asked if he'd met Bagatur and I HATED that he lied and said he'd beat him so bad that he gave him his stuff because he felt so sorry for him. Borte put the scarf to her mouth and spoke in Bagatur's voice. It was cute that she was standing up and held the scarf in front of her mouth, teasing him. Mongke told her she'd won and he lost, and was embarrassed. Borte wanted a husband who wouldn't get killed at the first change, more than a hero. Mongke told her "I will always listen to you. Just point the way." which was nice. She said he passed and they wouldn't tell anyone about this, especially her mom.
They were married and her dad gave Mongke half of everything he owned and treated him as an equal. Their enemies knew their reputation of courage and wisdom and stayed away and lived happily the rest of their lives. I wish we knew more about them like if they had kids, etc. But I liked the last page with the yellow grass and their horses near them, as he plaid an instrument and she lay in the grass.
Mongke's dad told him that he'd marry the Khan's daughter one day. He waited for years while he tended sheep for this to come true and then realized the futility in that because the khan's daughter didn't even know he existed much less about his dad's prophecy. So he traveled to the city to seek her out.
I hated his hairstyle of a small patch of hair above his forehead, with a shaved section followed by hair coming out of the rest of his head. It looked like he was balding, but all the men wore their hair like that so it must have been their style. Not a good look.
He announced to the Khan, his family, and advisors, that he was destined to marry his daughter. The wife was outraged that this dog presumed to marry her daughter, but the daughter, Borte, only laughed, saying that if a khan could marry a commoner's daughter, then a commoner could marry a khan's daughter. She was likable already.
His wife wanted to set three tasks for him to prove himself. The first was to go into the mountains and take the wealth of the 7 demons. Mongke was afraid "but he had caught sight of the Khan's daughter and would have agreed to anything. "Just point the way." That was nice. It was also nice that Borte felt bad for him and baked him 14 loaves of bread, 7 with sesame seeds and 7 without.
But her mom poisoned the sesame bread and told him to eat those loaves on the way and the plain ones on the way back. Mongke ate the plain loaves first to avoid seeds stuck in his teeth which was fortuitous. The 7 demons spotted him and he fled, leaving his stuff. They ate the sesame bread and died, and in the meantime Mongke realized the khan's daughter would think him a coward and so rode back. He took their treasure and brought it back to the khan. He didn't have to battle the demons and prove his strength, but he was successful technically.
Next the wife said Borte's husband must be brave and told him to drive their enemy from the land. He was even more afraid but told her to point the way. He led a group of men which were all afraid, but he was determined. He stupidly ended up running into a tree and uprooting the whole thing. The enemy thought he was a demon and they fled. A stupid mistake which actually worked. I didn't care for the misunderstanding and wish he had actually thought of a way to win and prove himself.
He came back with spoils but Borte insisted he meet her condition now. I hated Mongke's attitude, being full of himself, saying he vanquished demons and armies and feared nothing. He was a coward the first time and an accident played in his favor, and the second time was just ridiculous. How could he think he did anything in either scenario?
Borte said there's always someone stronger and braver than him and he had to conquer Bagatur the Clever and Mighty. Mongke was boastful and told her to point the way. Mongke saw the black rider and tried to shoot an arrow but missed. Bagatur shot at him but it was to miss and he said next time he won't. I knew instantly that it was Borte. It was just way too predictable because I've heard of things like this before. It was no surprise at all.
Mongke fell from his horse and told the man that the Khan's daughter had warned him but he didn't listen. He met his match, and he begged Bagatur to take his stuff and spare him. I didn't like that he pleaded like that. It was nice though that he wanted one last look at her, it would be worth the humiliation and shame.
He was shirtless and wearing pants and boots, and saw her in the field. She asked if he'd met Bagatur and I HATED that he lied and said he'd beat him so bad that he gave him his stuff because he felt so sorry for him. Borte put the scarf to her mouth and spoke in Bagatur's voice. It was cute that she was standing up and held the scarf in front of her mouth, teasing him. Mongke told her she'd won and he lost, and was embarrassed. Borte wanted a husband who wouldn't get killed at the first change, more than a hero. Mongke told her "I will always listen to you. Just point the way." which was nice. She said he passed and they wouldn't tell anyone about this, especially her mom.
They were married and her dad gave Mongke half of everything he owned and treated him as an equal. Their enemies knew their reputation of courage and wisdom and stayed away and lived happily the rest of their lives. I wish we knew more about them like if they had kids, etc. But I liked the last page with the yellow grass and their horses near them, as he plaid an instrument and she lay in the grass.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2022
The Khan’s Daughter- A Mongolian Folktale by Lawrence Yep- Children’s Illustrated Colour Picture Book- The book narrates the story of a Mongolian Village boy named Möngke whose father had predicted about him that once he becomes rich, he will marry the Khan’s daughter. Möngke that one day he would marry the Khan’s daughter once he becomes rich. Möngke was working with his owner as a herdsman. One evening after work, he informed about his journey and left his village for Khan’s city. Möngke reached Khan’s city, he found that a neighbor was about to attack them so Khan was preparing for war. Möngke went to Khan’s camp and informed about what his father had predicted about him. Khan’s daughter was impressed but her mother was not. Khan’s daughter said that if Khan can marry a commoner, why can Khan’s daughter not marry a commoner. Therefore, the Khan and Khan’s wife decided to test Möngke in three different tests. Thus, Möngke got an opportunity to witness the Khan’s beautiful daughter. He decided to take the risk of attempting to the three tests. The first task was to bring all the treasure that belonged to the seven demons. Möngke didn’t know how he was going to do that but Khan’s wife provided him with poison mixed bread & sesame. The demons ate the poisoned bread and died. Möngke collected their riches and submitted to the Khan. Second test was to fight the war with the attaching army. Möngke went to face them with small army which ran away when the other army came near. Möngke was stuck in a tree with his horse. He forced himself out. Now, with his body covered with tree and sitting on a horse to attack, he was a fearful sight. The enemy army ran away for fear that they may be more to such warriors. He returned as a victor. He was put to a final test fight with a warrior. He surrendered. On his return he informed the Khan’s daughter. She liked him and they were married. Message from the folktale is that hard-working young man succeeds it he tries. He should believe in himself. Our attempts must be persistent. Coloured pictures of Mongolian culture and the drawings help the reader in relating to the story. I have read the Hindi language translation of this book.
March 26, 2018
Yep, Laurence. The Khan’s Daughter (1997).
(Folktale-other)
Möngke didn’t want to make his father a liar so he went out to look for his bride. His father told Möngke that one day he would marry the Khan’s daughter once he becomes rich. Möngke wasn’t becoming rich so he set off to look for his wife on his own. Once he found her, Khan and Khan’s wife they decided to test him three different times and if he passes then he can marry the Khan’s daughter. Möngke saw how beautiful the Khan’s daughter was so he decided that he would do anything to be her husband. The first task was to bring all the treasure that belonged to the demons. Möngke didn’t know how he was going to do that but he made it possible. The second test was to fight all the enemies and he also made that happen. There was one final test and the Khan thought he wouldn’t pass that test but he did. This folktale tells a story of a hard-working young man. He believed that he could do it and he did it. He made the impossible possible. He is proof that hard work pays off. By reading this book students will learn about being persistent. Each page had a boarder that represented the Mongolian culture and the drawings were detailed and colorful. My favorite picture was the one showing the seven demons. The target audience is 8-11 years old because this folktale offers a great message that will help the audience understand.
(Folktale-other)
Möngke didn’t want to make his father a liar so he went out to look for his bride. His father told Möngke that one day he would marry the Khan’s daughter once he becomes rich. Möngke wasn’t becoming rich so he set off to look for his wife on his own. Once he found her, Khan and Khan’s wife they decided to test him three different times and if he passes then he can marry the Khan’s daughter. Möngke saw how beautiful the Khan’s daughter was so he decided that he would do anything to be her husband. The first task was to bring all the treasure that belonged to the demons. Möngke didn’t know how he was going to do that but he made it possible. The second test was to fight all the enemies and he also made that happen. There was one final test and the Khan thought he wouldn’t pass that test but he did. This folktale tells a story of a hard-working young man. He believed that he could do it and he did it. He made the impossible possible. He is proof that hard work pays off. By reading this book students will learn about being persistent. Each page had a boarder that represented the Mongolian culture and the drawings were detailed and colorful. My favorite picture was the one showing the seven demons. The target audience is 8-11 years old because this folktale offers a great message that will help the audience understand.
September 25, 2018
This book was really well done. It is about a young man who is determined to marry the Khan's daughter. He sets out, and when he gets there the Khan's wife says he must pass three tests before he is allowed to marry her daughter. He passes all three of them and ends up getting to marry the Khan's daughter. I think this book would be really good for a lesson on earning respect and working hard for what you want.
July 21, 2018
Beautifully illustrated with the appropriate and historical costumes, this folktale follows a young man trying to fulfill his father's prophecy and the Khan's daughter who helps him succeed in his three tasks. Cleverly told about a culture we see little of....
December 5, 2020
It starts out as a typical fairy tale of a foolish farm boy winning the hand of a princess through luck and courage, but with a fun twist at they end that shows their marriage will be a true partnership. Also, gorgeous illustrations that show both wonderful detail and movement.
January 15, 2024
I have loved so many books by Laurence Yep. This one is another! Great retelling of a Mongolian folk tale. Loved the art. And the lesson. I plan to add this to the study when we add Mongol to the geography lesson.
February 6, 2019
It was an odd one
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November 6, 2016Title (italicize): The Khan’s Daughter: A Mongolian Folktale
Author: Laurence Yep
Illustrator (if separate from author): Jean and Mou-Sien Tseng
Genre: Non-European Folktale
Theme(s): fighting, love, competition
Opening line/sentence (type directly from text): “A long time ago there was a poor old man who told his son…”
Brief Book Summary (2-3 sentences in your own words): This is a story about how a man fights all sorts of armies and people to fulfill his supposed destiny that he heard when he was younger. He wins against all sorts of people until he meets his greatest competition, who just so happens to turn out to be the woman he was fighting for.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1 (cut & paste):
Karen Morgan (Booklist, February 1, 1997 (Vol. 93, No. 11))
Yep begins this retelling of a Mongolian folktale by introducing Mongke, a confident, likable young shepherd who believes that his destiny includes both marriage to the khan's daughter and the ability to meet every challenge placed before him. Although he bests some tremendous opponents, his most difficult match proves to be the khan's daughter herself. Yep's strong folkloric narrative is amplified by splendid watercolor illustrations: some children will like the liveliness of the horses; others will relish the gruesome demon spirits, pore over the battle scenes, or enjoy the finely detailed costumes. With engaging human characters, frightful monsters, dramatic tension within a warrior-based society, powerful illustrations, and plenty of action, this is the sort of book that will appeal to diverse ages and sensibilities. A wonderful choice. Category: For the Young. 1997, Scholastic, $16.95. Ages 5-8. Starred Review.
(PUBLISHER: Scholastic (New York:), PUBLISHED: c1997.)
Professional Recommendation/Review #2 (cut & paste):
Janice M. Del Negro (The Bulletin of the Center for Children s Books, March 1997 (Vol. 50, No. 7))
This is a satisfying tale of love, destiny, and rueful comeuppance, as a young commoner wins the hand of a great Khan's daughter in spite of her interfering mother. Pursuing his fortune as foretold by his father's prophecy, M ngke presents himself to the Khan as the destined husband of his only daughter, Borte. The Khan has a sense of humor about the whole thing, but not so his wife, who demands that M ngke pass three impossible tests before being found worthy. But "Borte thought he might have possibilities," and with her assistance and some very good luck, M ngke is triumphant and the happy couple's future is assured. Yep's lively language has a slyly mischievous subtext that adds a humorous undertone to this tale of love-and wisdom-found. The watercolor illustrations are just as lively, with a strong sense of composition that is consistently successful. The earthy palette suits the land of sweeping steppes, ornate ornaments and costume, and daring cast of characters. Specific source notes are included. R--Recommended. Reviewed from galleys (c) Copyright 1997, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 1997, Scholastic, [32p], $16.95. Grades 4-6.
(PUBLISHER: Scholastic (New York:), PUBLISHED: c1997.)
Response to Two Professional Reviews (3-4 sentences in your own words): This story talks about what everyone loves to hear, that the boy overcomes the challenges faced in front of him and wins the girl. The reviews talk about the summary of the book and also bring up the interesting fact that the author, Laurence Yep, made this story subtly comical, which makes it that much more entertaining.
Evaluation of Literary Elements (3-4 sentences in your own words): The story is very ext heavy. However, the main character is humorous and very relatable which makes the story easier to read. The book also has very detailed pictures that take up at least one page, if not two. The pictures are beautifully done and help with the lack of descriptive words to show the reader what exactly is going on.
Consideration of Instructional Application (3-4 sentences in your own words):This story would be used most likely in grades 3-5. They could use this to teach about Mongolian history, traditions, etc. Before this book I personally didn't know what a Khan was, so this story could be used to expose them to the Mongolian culture.
Author: Laurence Yep
Illustrator (if separate from author): Jean and Mou-Sien Tseng
Genre: Non-European Folktale
Theme(s): fighting, love, competition
Opening line/sentence (type directly from text): “A long time ago there was a poor old man who told his son…”
Brief Book Summary (2-3 sentences in your own words): This is a story about how a man fights all sorts of armies and people to fulfill his supposed destiny that he heard when he was younger. He wins against all sorts of people until he meets his greatest competition, who just so happens to turn out to be the woman he was fighting for.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1 (cut & paste):
Karen Morgan (Booklist, February 1, 1997 (Vol. 93, No. 11))
Yep begins this retelling of a Mongolian folktale by introducing Mongke, a confident, likable young shepherd who believes that his destiny includes both marriage to the khan's daughter and the ability to meet every challenge placed before him. Although he bests some tremendous opponents, his most difficult match proves to be the khan's daughter herself. Yep's strong folkloric narrative is amplified by splendid watercolor illustrations: some children will like the liveliness of the horses; others will relish the gruesome demon spirits, pore over the battle scenes, or enjoy the finely detailed costumes. With engaging human characters, frightful monsters, dramatic tension within a warrior-based society, powerful illustrations, and plenty of action, this is the sort of book that will appeal to diverse ages and sensibilities. A wonderful choice. Category: For the Young. 1997, Scholastic, $16.95. Ages 5-8. Starred Review.
(PUBLISHER: Scholastic (New York:), PUBLISHED: c1997.)
Professional Recommendation/Review #2 (cut & paste):
Janice M. Del Negro (The Bulletin of the Center for Children s Books, March 1997 (Vol. 50, No. 7))
This is a satisfying tale of love, destiny, and rueful comeuppance, as a young commoner wins the hand of a great Khan's daughter in spite of her interfering mother. Pursuing his fortune as foretold by his father's prophecy, M ngke presents himself to the Khan as the destined husband of his only daughter, Borte. The Khan has a sense of humor about the whole thing, but not so his wife, who demands that M ngke pass three impossible tests before being found worthy. But "Borte thought he might have possibilities," and with her assistance and some very good luck, M ngke is triumphant and the happy couple's future is assured. Yep's lively language has a slyly mischievous subtext that adds a humorous undertone to this tale of love-and wisdom-found. The watercolor illustrations are just as lively, with a strong sense of composition that is consistently successful. The earthy palette suits the land of sweeping steppes, ornate ornaments and costume, and daring cast of characters. Specific source notes are included. R--Recommended. Reviewed from galleys (c) Copyright 1997, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 1997, Scholastic, [32p], $16.95. Grades 4-6.
(PUBLISHER: Scholastic (New York:), PUBLISHED: c1997.)
Response to Two Professional Reviews (3-4 sentences in your own words): This story talks about what everyone loves to hear, that the boy overcomes the challenges faced in front of him and wins the girl. The reviews talk about the summary of the book and also bring up the interesting fact that the author, Laurence Yep, made this story subtly comical, which makes it that much more entertaining.
Evaluation of Literary Elements (3-4 sentences in your own words): The story is very ext heavy. However, the main character is humorous and very relatable which makes the story easier to read. The book also has very detailed pictures that take up at least one page, if not two. The pictures are beautifully done and help with the lack of descriptive words to show the reader what exactly is going on.
Consideration of Instructional Application (3-4 sentences in your own words):This story would be used most likely in grades 3-5. They could use this to teach about Mongolian history, traditions, etc. Before this book I personally didn't know what a Khan was, so this story could be used to expose them to the Mongolian culture.
April 13, 2011
The Khan's daughter is married to a man of non-royal blood because he can do many tasks, one of which is learning to be humble because his to-be wife defeated him in battle. This is a good book for young girls that like to be princesses but also like to be active. Also good for children that want to learn more about the mongolian culture.
March 25, 2015
This Mongolian folktale is perfect to share when learning or teaching about Ancient China in World History, or just for fun. The illustrations are beautiful and greatly add to the story. The only negative I have to mention is that I wish there had been additional information in the afterword portion sorting out fact from fiction since some of the people in this store were real people in history.
March 21, 2010
This is a fairy tale with girl power! The princess in the story is not only wise but a warrior who teaches her suitor to be wise and brave too. Good for talking about fairy tales from around the world and showing woman as strong characters.
September 11, 2015
My favorite part about this Mongolian Folktale is that the Khan's daughter outwits them all and has the final say about the proposal of marriage and the hierarchy within the marriage. We read this picture book to complement our Middle Ages history lesson about the Mongols.
August 13, 2016
A very lucky peasant attempts to win a princess with three quests. It has an unusual twist at the end. Longish, but an engaging story.
March 14, 2012
A clever mongolian folktale about a commoner trying to marry the Khan's daughter.
February 25, 2013
This book is colorful. This book is the tale of focusing and completing dreams that you have. This book is great for 4th grade. There are a few boig words in this text.
January 19, 2015
Such a cute story! In many ways a typical folktale, the illustrations set it apart as showcasing a very different culture than most western tales. Loved it!
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September 27, 2016Mongte was given three tasks to marry the Kahn's daughter. HE completed the first two with luck and the third he failed.
November 11, 2016
See: Demi's books
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews