The Seventh Sister: A Chinese Legend

Legends of the World

by Cindy Chang, Charles Reasoner

A lonely shepherd is saddened when he must let the maiden he loves return to help her sisters weave the tapestry of the night sky.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, China, Fantasy

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

Reviews

[Ann Marie Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal reaction: I enjoyed this Chinese folktale, because it is a pourquoi tale that explains the creation of the Milky Way and the two bright stars we see on the seventh day of the seventh month. It is also a love story, which is a universal topic that many cultures value. I liked how this story was about friendship and unity because Mei’s sisters helped Chang and Mei come together and be happy.

Purposes/use in the classroom: I think this would be a good folktale to read aloud to a lower-level elementary class. It could be read during an “outer space” unit, when we talk about stars and the Milky Way. It could also be used to show that many cultures have different ideas and stories about outer space and many other topics. This book would be a good way to teach different perspectives and beliefs.

Other: I think this book is diverse in itself because it is a Chinese pourquoi folktale that encompasses storytelling, friendship, and love. It shows the Chinese culture and some of their beliefs about the Milky Way and the night sky. It also shows how different cultures view science and how the universe was made.

[Jayna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty love story about Chang and Mei. Mei is one of the seven sisters that makes the night sky. Chang is a farmer that works and lives all alone. They are both sad and lonely. The magpies come up with a way for the two to unite and be happy with one another. Without Mei the sisters cannot finish the night sky in time, so she must return. She misses Chang alot, and her tears create the milky way. The magpies find a way for them to reunite once a year. This explains the two bright stars seen on the seventh day of the seventh month.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strange. I just read another story from China in which the moon and sun are personified lovers, separated by the Milky Way, allowed to be together only one day (night?) of the year. Here the lovers are each a bright star. I think the other story was part of The Moon Lady

Anyway, China is a big country, and not as homogenous as some might think, so variants are fine with me.

The other thing that bothers me is that this has a young man steal the maiden's robe to keep her on earth. I do not like any variant of that theme, whether it's a weaver of the night, a crane, or a selkie.... At least in this one, he did manage to charm her into true love, and she only returned to the heavens because of necessary duty.

[Megan DeHart · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely, if bittersweet Chinese legend on the origin of the milky way and the stars. Two lovers, one a mortal farmer, the other a sister among the seven that weave the tapestry of the heavens fall in love. They find though that being together, while making them happy, is harmful for the rest of the world (as the sun never sets). Even though its difficult they decide to let go for the greater good, and are rewarded by being cast as stars in the sky, able to meet on one night a year by crossing a bridge of magpies across the milky way.

[Sierra Dirksen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a beautiful story with amazing pictures. It is about a young man named Chang who steals the cloaks of a fair maiden, so she is forced to stay on earth instead of finishing the night sky. They fall in love, but she has to return to the sky. There love is so strong that the magpies make a bridge so that once a year they can be together. Overall a great story.

[Mariel_Candano · Rating 5 out of 5]

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[Kristy McRae · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 6-year-old son checked this one out--he's fascinated by all things Asian. This is a beautiful little folk tale, with lovely illustrations. It also includes a page of history at the end, describing the origins of the folk tale.

[Hannah Starnes]

This book can be used when talking about the Chinese culture in a social studies setting. You can also bring in ELA standards by having the students write their own version of the story/what this folktale is based on.

[★ gwiz ★ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Chinese myth - legend told in a beautiful picture book.

[Jazz Feylynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Chinese myth - legend told in a beautiful picture book.

[Ashten Wolff]

This is a Chinese legend about two lovers being separated, and only magpies to bring the together once a year.