What do you think?
Rate this book
Myths & Legends
Chinese Myths & Legends
Retells traditional myths and legends of the Chinese people, providing brief commentary on the cultural context of the stories.
- GenresMythology
64 pages, Hardcover
Published August 1, 2002
About the author
Philip Ardagh
180 books180 followersOver six-and-a-half feet tall, with a bushy beard, Philip Ardagh is not only very big but also very hairy. He is the author of the Eddie Dickens Trilogy and when not writing silly books, Mr. Ardagh is quite serious and frowns a great deal. He lives in a seaside town somewhere in England with his wife and their son, Fred.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 30, 2019
It probably isn't very flattering that my first instinct, upon finishing this book, was to throw my hands up and exclaim, "Finished, at last!" Of course, my reaction is less of a commentary on this specific title, than on Philip Ardagh's entire eight-volume World Book Myths & Legends Series, which I have been working my way through over the last two weeks. A rather uneven set, with some particularly weak continental collections -
North American Myths & Legends
,
South American Myths & Legends
- I would not recommend it, as a whole, to the young folklore enthusiast, although some titles are better than others.
I'm glad this was the final installment I read, as it was one of the better ones, allowing me to complete my project on a more positive note. With introductory remarks, seven Chinese tales, an extensive list for further reading, a "Who's Who" in mythology, a glossary, and an inclusive index, all in 64 pages, it is as concise as any other entry in the series. Still, the tales themselves are well-told, and feel as if they belong together, culturally. Selections include:
Gourd Girl and Gourd Boy, which follows two young siblings who free the Thunder God against their father's explicit instructions, eventually becoming gods themselves.
The Archer and the Suns, in which Yi the Archer must shoot down nine of the ten suns - children of Di-Jun, God of the Eastern Sky, and his wife Xi He - when they all rise at the same time.
The Princess and the Hound, the story of a lowly courtier named Wu, who falls in love with the Princess, and experiences banishment when the emperor discovers it. True love wins out, although in a most unexpected way!
Journey Into the Underworld, in which a Buddhist monk's efforts to free his mother's soul from torment in the underworld lead him to become Di Zang Wang, Lord of the Underworld.
The Rice Road, in which an arrogant and greedy merchant learns a hard lesson from Li Xuan, one of the Eight Immortals.
The Ugly One, which follows the story of industrious scholar Kui, who attempts to kill himself after the emperor - horrified at his appearance - refuses to give him his well-earned honors, but becomes the God of Examinations instead.
And finally, The Adventures of Monkey, which relates the early exploits of the Monkey King, including how he came to be immortal.
I'm glad this was the final installment I read, as it was one of the better ones, allowing me to complete my project on a more positive note. With introductory remarks, seven Chinese tales, an extensive list for further reading, a "Who's Who" in mythology, a glossary, and an inclusive index, all in 64 pages, it is as concise as any other entry in the series. Still, the tales themselves are well-told, and feel as if they belong together, culturally. Selections include:
Gourd Girl and Gourd Boy, which follows two young siblings who free the Thunder God against their father's explicit instructions, eventually becoming gods themselves.
The Archer and the Suns, in which Yi the Archer must shoot down nine of the ten suns - children of Di-Jun, God of the Eastern Sky, and his wife Xi He - when they all rise at the same time.
The Princess and the Hound, the story of a lowly courtier named Wu, who falls in love with the Princess, and experiences banishment when the emperor discovers it. True love wins out, although in a most unexpected way!
Journey Into the Underworld, in which a Buddhist monk's efforts to free his mother's soul from torment in the underworld lead him to become Di Zang Wang, Lord of the Underworld.
The Rice Road, in which an arrogant and greedy merchant learns a hard lesson from Li Xuan, one of the Eight Immortals.
The Ugly One, which follows the story of industrious scholar Kui, who attempts to kill himself after the emperor - horrified at his appearance - refuses to give him his well-earned honors, but becomes the God of Examinations instead.
And finally, The Adventures of Monkey, which relates the early exploits of the Monkey King, including how he came to be immortal.
January 9, 2011
Well I checked this book out yesterday afternoon, planned on glancing thru the pages, stopped to read a bit and didn't finish "glancing" until later in the afternoon having read the whole book from cover to cover. It's fantastic. Maybe it's because I've never read Chinese myths & legends before....but I thoroughly enjoyed learning the stories of this culture. There are enough stories to spend a week reading one per day.
The other bonus is the back of the book...and since this is a part of a World Book series...it makes sense. It starts off with a resource guide..not just for the Chinese myths for the whole series. This list gives about 10 other references which could be collected as extra backup. My favorite resource was the "Who's Who in Myths and Legends". I could see using something like this to have students create a Hall of Fame for each culture as we learn about them. (I very much appreciate the pronunciation guide in the Who's Who because I'm quite terrible at pronouncing names/words from places that I don't speak the language.) And again this Who's Who covered all the characters from the 8 volume set.
The other bonus is the back of the book...and since this is a part of a World Book series...it makes sense. It starts off with a resource guide..not just for the Chinese myths for the whole series. This list gives about 10 other references which could be collected as extra backup. My favorite resource was the "Who's Who in Myths and Legends". I could see using something like this to have students create a Hall of Fame for each culture as we learn about them. (I very much appreciate the pronunciation guide in the Who's Who because I'm quite terrible at pronouncing names/words from places that I don't speak the language.) And again this Who's Who covered all the characters from the 8 volume set.
March 9, 2011
I think that the chinese have to many legends, that really don't make much sense. This book was boring with all the learning about gods, but it was interesting to find out why they dress the way they dress, and believe the way they believe.
October 14, 2018
Este deve ser dos meus livros preferidos desta coleção. As ilustrações e as histórias escolhidas são muito boas e, apesar de o livro ser pequeno, dão uma boa amostra dos mitos e lendas chineses que às vezes são um pouco sem sentido, mas muito interessantes ainda assim.
Mitos e lendas incluídos:
- A Rapariga e o Rapaz da Cabaça - mito sobre o aprisionamento do deus dos trovões e do castigo da humanidade.
- O Arqueiro e os Sóis - história sobre o mítico arqueiro Yi, que matou nove sóis, nove dos dez filhos do deus do céu do Oriente, para impedir que a terra morresse queimada.
- A Princesa e o Cão - uma lenda sobre um amor proibido entre uma princesa e um simples jovem.
- A Viagem ao Mundo Inferior - uma história sobre como a persistência compensa e como um monge budista chegou inteiro ao submundo e foi nomeado rei desta dimensão.
- A Estrada de Arroz - mito taoista que põe lado a lado a ostentação dos ricos e a miséria dos pobres e conta como um dos Oito Imortais deu uma grande lição de humildade a um arrogante e avarento mercador.
- O Feioso - conta-nos o percurso de um homem muito estudioso e inteligente, mas extremamente feio, que passou depois a ser venerado como deus dos exames.
- As Aventuras de Macaco - relata-nos algumas histórias do travesso Macaco, dos problemas que causou a tudo e todos e como finalmente Buda conseguiu dar-lhe uma lição.
Mitos e lendas incluídos:
- A Rapariga e o Rapaz da Cabaça - mito sobre o aprisionamento do deus dos trovões e do castigo da humanidade.
- O Arqueiro e os Sóis - história sobre o mítico arqueiro Yi, que matou nove sóis, nove dos dez filhos do deus do céu do Oriente, para impedir que a terra morresse queimada.
- A Princesa e o Cão - uma lenda sobre um amor proibido entre uma princesa e um simples jovem.
- A Viagem ao Mundo Inferior - uma história sobre como a persistência compensa e como um monge budista chegou inteiro ao submundo e foi nomeado rei desta dimensão.
- A Estrada de Arroz - mito taoista que põe lado a lado a ostentação dos ricos e a miséria dos pobres e conta como um dos Oito Imortais deu uma grande lição de humildade a um arrogante e avarento mercador.
- O Feioso - conta-nos o percurso de um homem muito estudioso e inteligente, mas extremamente feio, que passou depois a ser venerado como deus dos exames.
- As Aventuras de Macaco - relata-nos algumas histórias do travesso Macaco, dos problemas que causou a tudo e todos e como finalmente Buda conseguiu dar-lhe uma lição.
August 21, 2019
This was fine. I recognized some of the stories from other books I have been reading lately, but it seems to be meant for somewhat younger children. It was okay for what it was but it, unfortunately, wasn't what I was looking for.
August 11, 2012
best referrence !
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews