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MEI LI
After spending an eventful day at the fair held on New Year's Eve, Mei Li arrives home just in time to greet the Kitchen God.
48 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1938
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 188 reviews
January 31, 2018
I was a little nervous, reading this 1939 Caldecott Medal winner to my two Chinese daughters, without pre-reading it. I wasn't sure if this was going to be yet another children's book with Chinese characters who have mere slits for eyes and say the most ridiculous things (like the Siamese cat in Disney's Aristocats).
I have found most children's books produced in the United States before, say, 1980, to be culturally insensitive to Chinese children, and most of the books in our current library that feature Chinese characters are ones from the modern day, for that very reason. This was a pleasant surprise. It turns out the illustrator was an artist who went to China on a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1931 and became well-known at prominent art museums (including the Met) for his Chinese and Mongolian lithographs.
It took this artist, Thomas Handforth, more than two years to produce the story and the art of Mei Li, and it was worth it. Mei Li is an adorable and relatable little girl who wants the adventure and opportunities that boys experience, simply by being male.
It was a perfect book to discover, especially right before the Lunar New Year, and my girls and I laughed at the illustrations of very small children running around, lighting fireworks right in their hands.
And. . . camels. Camels in China!
I have found most children's books produced in the United States before, say, 1980, to be culturally insensitive to Chinese children, and most of the books in our current library that feature Chinese characters are ones from the modern day, for that very reason. This was a pleasant surprise. It turns out the illustrator was an artist who went to China on a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1931 and became well-known at prominent art museums (including the Met) for his Chinese and Mongolian lithographs.
It took this artist, Thomas Handforth, more than two years to produce the story and the art of Mei Li, and it was worth it. Mei Li is an adorable and relatable little girl who wants the adventure and opportunities that boys experience, simply by being male.
It was a perfect book to discover, especially right before the Lunar New Year, and my girls and I laughed at the illustrations of very small children running around, lighting fireworks right in their hands.
And. . . camels. Camels in China!
January 8, 2014
3.5 STARS
I had low expectations for "Mei-Li" based on what little I’d heard and the fact that it was written by a Westerner about Chinese culture in the 1930s/40s. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was neither as misogynistic or culturally insensitive as I’d feared it would be. I certainly wouldn’t want it to be a first or only primer on Chinese culture or women’s rights, but I believe it could be an enjoyable and educational addition to family or classroom read-alouds if bracketed with enough discussion.
Mei-Li herself is an interesting and endearing character. I appreciated her spunk and her bravery, yet she also had her moments of vulnerability. I loved that she could be daring and wild one minute, then enjoy dressing up as a princess the next, and I think that many little girls (my own childhood self, included) could relate to that. Mei-Li gets to be a heroine, and so does the girl to whom she gave the coin in the beginning, so there's some definite "girl power" here, I felt. The men may pooh-pooh this saying she is brave "for a girl", and this is certainly a shame, but none can deny what she accomplished.
I am also a huge fan of the illustrations. I think they are so sweet and beautiful! And I feel that they were lovingly created. I cannot speak to how culturally accurate they are, but with my untrained eye I felt transported to another time and place and I certainly don’t feel that any disrespect was meant in his portrayal. I was interested to learn more about the illustrator and how popular his Asian pieces were back in the day. It was also interesting to learn that he based the story on a real little girl he knew during his stay in China.
Of course, the benefit of the “moral” of Mei-Li’s story is perhaps up for debate. I must say the opening poem where Mei-Li’s usefulness is essentially compared to various domestic animals was quite disgusting! That aside, I’m not sure I was as enraged by the story itself as some readers were. Certainly it was no paean to women’s rights, but opening poem aside, I’m not sure it was worse than any Western book of the same era since, essentially, most girls during that era were raised to “rule over a [domestic] kingdom”, too. I am deeply saddened when the role of homemaker is seen as “less than” for a woman, not only because it seems to demean the good work of our grandmothers and great-grandmothers and so on, but because many women today still take up the role of homemaker with great pride and joy. Of course, the very significant difference is that most women today have a choice, and are able to chart the course of their lives, whereas in Mei-Li’s day she had no choice. That is the true heartbreak; but my anger and sadness is at a past that took so long to offer equality, not with the author who portrayed things as he saw them.
I had low expectations for "Mei-Li" based on what little I’d heard and the fact that it was written by a Westerner about Chinese culture in the 1930s/40s. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was neither as misogynistic or culturally insensitive as I’d feared it would be. I certainly wouldn’t want it to be a first or only primer on Chinese culture or women’s rights, but I believe it could be an enjoyable and educational addition to family or classroom read-alouds if bracketed with enough discussion.
Mei-Li herself is an interesting and endearing character. I appreciated her spunk and her bravery, yet she also had her moments of vulnerability. I loved that she could be daring and wild one minute, then enjoy dressing up as a princess the next, and I think that many little girls (my own childhood self, included) could relate to that. Mei-Li gets to be a heroine, and so does the girl to whom she gave the coin in the beginning, so there's some definite "girl power" here, I felt. The men may pooh-pooh this saying she is brave "for a girl", and this is certainly a shame, but none can deny what she accomplished.
I am also a huge fan of the illustrations. I think they are so sweet and beautiful! And I feel that they were lovingly created. I cannot speak to how culturally accurate they are, but with my untrained eye I felt transported to another time and place and I certainly don’t feel that any disrespect was meant in his portrayal. I was interested to learn more about the illustrator and how popular his Asian pieces were back in the day. It was also interesting to learn that he based the story on a real little girl he knew during his stay in China.
Of course, the benefit of the “moral” of Mei-Li’s story is perhaps up for debate. I must say the opening poem where Mei-Li’s usefulness is essentially compared to various domestic animals was quite disgusting! That aside, I’m not sure I was as enraged by the story itself as some readers were. Certainly it was no paean to women’s rights, but opening poem aside, I’m not sure it was worse than any Western book of the same era since, essentially, most girls during that era were raised to “rule over a [domestic] kingdom”, too. I am deeply saddened when the role of homemaker is seen as “less than” for a woman, not only because it seems to demean the good work of our grandmothers and great-grandmothers and so on, but because many women today still take up the role of homemaker with great pride and joy. Of course, the very significant difference is that most women today have a choice, and are able to chart the course of their lives, whereas in Mei-Li’s day she had no choice. That is the true heartbreak; but my anger and sadness is at a past that took so long to offer equality, not with the author who portrayed things as he saw them.
January 6, 2018
I do think the art in this story is beautiful. There is no color, it is just drawings.
This is from the 30s set in China. I don't know if Thomas studied Chinese culture, if he was Chinese, but the drawings feel like it is someone who knows. It is a book of it's time and in the story the woman has her place and this story is laying down gender roles for both. It does shows how things were.
There is New Year's Festival that Mei Li goes to see with her 3 lucky pennies and 3 lucky marbles. She is scared of many of the things there are to do and she goes home where she finds her Kingdom to rule over and she is happy. I guess that's all I have to say.
This is from the 30s set in China. I don't know if Thomas studied Chinese culture, if he was Chinese, but the drawings feel like it is someone who knows. It is a book of it's time and in the story the woman has her place and this story is laying down gender roles for both. It does shows how things were.
There is New Year's Festival that Mei Li goes to see with her 3 lucky pennies and 3 lucky marbles. She is scared of many of the things there are to do and she goes home where she finds her Kingdom to rule over and she is happy. I guess that's all I have to say.
August 20, 2011
1939 Caldecott Medal Winner
Fantastic black and white illustrations in this book. It looks like it was done with ink and brush, with tiny dots for shading. The story is about how Mei Li sneaks out with her brother San Yu to attend the big New Years celebration and tries to prove in various ways that there are things for girls to do at the fair.
It's dated, but I didn't feel like it was particularly insulting to Chinese people--it sounded like the author based it on a real little girl whom he knew at the time, and that the events reflected a Chinese New Year celebration of the period. I don't know if the "candle-top pigtail" is a stereotype or not, but I guess it could sound a little demeaning if you're looking for that.
Overall, I was mainly disappointed with the message that girls can go out and have fun sometimes, but ultimately can only be "princesses of the home." While Mei Li is shown doing some things just as well as her brother, and often, in fact, being smarter than her brother, she still has to go back home in the end to the only place where she is allowed any kind of authority. In its favor, though, Mei Li did see women performing at the fair, so there are obviously some women in this world who can express themselves! I would probably read this book to a kid, but include some discussion of gender roles.
Fantastic black and white illustrations in this book. It looks like it was done with ink and brush, with tiny dots for shading. The story is about how Mei Li sneaks out with her brother San Yu to attend the big New Years celebration and tries to prove in various ways that there are things for girls to do at the fair.
It's dated, but I didn't feel like it was particularly insulting to Chinese people--it sounded like the author based it on a real little girl whom he knew at the time, and that the events reflected a Chinese New Year celebration of the period. I don't know if the "candle-top pigtail" is a stereotype or not, but I guess it could sound a little demeaning if you're looking for that.
Overall, I was mainly disappointed with the message that girls can go out and have fun sometimes, but ultimately can only be "princesses of the home." While Mei Li is shown doing some things just as well as her brother, and often, in fact, being smarter than her brother, she still has to go back home in the end to the only place where she is allowed any kind of authority. In its favor, though, Mei Li did see women performing at the fair, so there are obviously some women in this world who can express themselves! I would probably read this book to a kid, but include some discussion of gender roles.
October 6, 2017
Mei Li is looking forward to her family's New Year visit from the Kitchen God. When her brother San Yu heads to the fair to purchase items to impress the God, Mei Li sneaks along even though girls are supposed to stay at home. Based on that set-up, I expected a Mulan-like story challenging gender roles - but the sexist moral of this story is that girls are happiest at home. I realize this comes from a less enlightened time period and a culture with different values, but the message of the story makes me hesitant to give it to kids without some kind of disclaimer for their parents. It would be a nice way to broach the subject of sexism with school-age kids, though!
September 29, 2019
Young Mei Li wants to accompany her brother San Yu to the New Year Fair in the nearby city in this Caldecott Medal-winning picture-book from 1938 - it won the medal in 1939, the second year in which the award was given out - sneaking away from her walled home, and winning a ride by exchanging one of her precious marbles for the privilege. Once there, she enjoys many of the sights and activities of the day - buying firecrackers (which San Yu sets off), riding circus ponies, having her fortune told - before meeting up with Uncle Wang and returning home. It is only then that she learns the meaning of the young priest's prediction that she would "rule over a kingdom."
It is pure serendipitous good timing that I picked up this second Caldecott Medal-winner just now, as there is an article about it in the current issue of The Horn Book Magazine - described as the first of a series of planned articles celebrating the history of the Caldecott Medal, "Mei Li and the Making of a Picture Book" was written by Kathleen T. Horning, and is accompanied by the additional online material: Thomas Handforth, China, and the Real Mei Li - and I gained quite a bit of useful background information about the book and its creator from it. According to Horning, Mei Li is somewhat atypical of early Caldecott winners, in that it is a genuine picture-book, rather than an illustrated book - the early award committees had a period of adjustment, as they learned the difference between the two - and is also an innovative entry in the genre as a whole, featuring illustrations that cross two-page spreads, rather than being confined to a single page. The author/artist who created the book, Thomas Handforth, was the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, and spent a number of years working in China, basing this story on a young girl that he knew while there.
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Mei Li, having approached it with the expectation - largely the result of so many other vintage children's titles that I have read - that it might contain some racially or culturally problematic material. I didn't see anything here to offend, in that respect - I didn't get a feeling of condescension, or notice any strange "Oriental" stereotypes - although the gender norms did grate a bit. Mei Li is an adventurous little girl, but when all is said and done, the ending of the story emphasizes the fact that the domestic sphere is where she belongs. I also thought the story was a little uneven at times, jumping from one activity to the next. Having said that, this was an engaging enough story, and the black and white artwork was quite charming! The level of detail is quite amazing, and I thought the human faces were particularly expressive and well done. Recommended to readers who are interested in vintage picture-books, or who are investigating older Caldecott titles.
It is pure serendipitous good timing that I picked up this second Caldecott Medal-winner just now, as there is an article about it in the current issue of The Horn Book Magazine - described as the first of a series of planned articles celebrating the history of the Caldecott Medal, "Mei Li and the Making of a Picture Book" was written by Kathleen T. Horning, and is accompanied by the additional online material: Thomas Handforth, China, and the Real Mei Li - and I gained quite a bit of useful background information about the book and its creator from it. According to Horning, Mei Li is somewhat atypical of early Caldecott winners, in that it is a genuine picture-book, rather than an illustrated book - the early award committees had a period of adjustment, as they learned the difference between the two - and is also an innovative entry in the genre as a whole, featuring illustrations that cross two-page spreads, rather than being confined to a single page. The author/artist who created the book, Thomas Handforth, was the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, and spent a number of years working in China, basing this story on a young girl that he knew while there.
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Mei Li, having approached it with the expectation - largely the result of so many other vintage children's titles that I have read - that it might contain some racially or culturally problematic material. I didn't see anything here to offend, in that respect - I didn't get a feeling of condescension, or notice any strange "Oriental" stereotypes - although the gender norms did grate a bit. Mei Li is an adventurous little girl, but when all is said and done, the ending of the story emphasizes the fact that the domestic sphere is where she belongs. I also thought the story was a little uneven at times, jumping from one activity to the next. Having said that, this was an engaging enough story, and the black and white artwork was quite charming! The level of detail is quite amazing, and I thought the human faces were particularly expressive and well done. Recommended to readers who are interested in vintage picture-books, or who are investigating older Caldecott titles.
January 5, 2014
We are working our way through the Caldecott Medal winners and are just tracking down the last few that we haven't read yet. As this book was written before my parents were even born, we were excited to see children's literature from long ago. The illustrations are terrific - the black and white drawings are very expressive and engaging and I can appreciate the time (2 years) that the author/illustrator took to create them. The story, I felt, was fine. It did depict girls as being less privileged and able than boys, but that was (and to some extent, still is) true in China and many other nations around the world today.
I loved the spark of determination and mischievousness that Mei Li displays as well as her generosity and kind heart. I also enjoyed the brief glimpse into Chinese culture. I would recommend that parents use this story as a springboard for a discussion of girls roles throughout the world and how lucky we are in our country that girls are not so limited. We did not know when we borrowed the book that the story centered around Chinese New Year celebrations, so we were thrilled that we read it just after this year's celebrations.
This book was selected as one of the books for the January 2014 - Quarterly Caldecott discussion at the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
I loved the spark of determination and mischievousness that Mei Li displays as well as her generosity and kind heart. I also enjoyed the brief glimpse into Chinese culture. I would recommend that parents use this story as a springboard for a discussion of girls roles throughout the world and how lucky we are in our country that girls are not so limited. We did not know when we borrowed the book that the story centered around Chinese New Year celebrations, so we were thrilled that we read it just after this year's celebrations.
This book was selected as one of the books for the January 2014 - Quarterly Caldecott discussion at the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
December 5, 2016
I started reading this to my son, and then I stopped. Because San Yu, Mei Li's brother, is a kind of a jerk. My son is 3, and I can't get into a realistic discussion of gender roles with him. So, I told him this isn't true anymore, that girls can do anything that boys can, and please go and play with your legos while mommy can stew on something written in the 30s, and should have died a natural death but didn't because it won the Caldecott Medal. (This last is my opinion).
It bugged me when the book's characters went on about oh what will a girl do at a fair. Because what does a boy do anyway? You look at the various things in the fair and eat stuff and come back. In Mei Li's case, she does a whole lot of things that San Yu only makes fun of because she's not very good (walking at stilts for example). At least she tries, he doesn't at all. Which is also not a good lesson for my son, because at the end of it, because for one thing the boy turns out to be a bit of a coward as well as a jerk, but he's a boy and he automatically gets everything that the more resourceful girl doesn't get.
I guess it can be read as an introduction to China and to the traditional roles of women to older children who can be more objective. The drawings are really pretty, and I found Mei Li herself exquisite.
It bugged me when the book's characters went on about oh what will a girl do at a fair. Because what does a boy do anyway? You look at the various things in the fair and eat stuff and come back. In Mei Li's case, she does a whole lot of things that San Yu only makes fun of because she's not very good (walking at stilts for example). At least she tries, he doesn't at all. Which is also not a good lesson for my son, because at the end of it, because for one thing the boy turns out to be a bit of a coward as well as a jerk, but he's a boy and he automatically gets everything that the more resourceful girl doesn't get.
I guess it can be read as an introduction to China and to the traditional roles of women to older children who can be more objective. The drawings are really pretty, and I found Mei Li herself exquisite.
December 29, 2008
Young Mei Li disobeys her parents and the traditions of her society by following her brother into the walled city the morning before New Year's Day. The story takes place in China almost a century ago, and readers will delight in this little girl's adventure into the city as well as her attempts to leave the city before the gates close for the night! Mei Li is both curious and brave, and readers will relate to her attempts to prove herself worthy of the trip in her big brother's eyes. The realistic black and white illustrations coincide perfectly with the text, and young listeners will take their time absorbing the details of this foreign time and place. Both author and artist, Handforth lived in China for several years, and claimed that the story was based on a real Chinese girl. Beyond the Chinese cultural markers, children will identify with Mei Li's young spirit. A must for elementary school libraries and art libraries.
March 31, 2008
It's unfortunate that this early Caldecott winner (only the second book to win) depicts girls as being unable to do many of the things boys do simply because of tradition. However, if using this book in class, it could be a good example of how things have changed in the world, how sex roles are not quite as rigid as they used to be.
January 1, 2014
I was worried about this one at first because it depicts non-white characters in the 1930s. Then I felt a bit better after reading the illustrator/author lived in China and spent two years on a book about a real little girl he knew. Then my heart sank again after reading the poem translated from the Chinese at the beginning that seems to imply girls are worthless.
However, the entire story exists to contradict the poem by showing all the things a girl can experience and accomplish at a New Year's festival-- even within limitations imposed by her culture. The spunky Mei Li isn't the sole strong female character. Lizda the beggar girl keeps five policemen and five soldiers from closing the gate so Mei Li's family can get home.
The lithographs are dynamic, charming and devoid of expected stereotypes, with fun details to point out to little ones and plenty of animals.
However, the entire story exists to contradict the poem by showing all the things a girl can experience and accomplish at a New Year's festival-- even within limitations imposed by her culture. The spunky Mei Li isn't the sole strong female character. Lizda the beggar girl keeps five policemen and five soldiers from closing the gate so Mei Li's family can get home.
The lithographs are dynamic, charming and devoid of expected stereotypes, with fun details to point out to little ones and plenty of animals.
March 7, 2013
While Mei Li presents the idea of a young girl who attempts to make something of herself in a society that views females as essentially worthless, at the end of the tale she isn't very successful, and seems to accept that the best place for her, at least for now, is in the house.
This book is very much a product of its time, so it's interesting historically but not really the best for modern children too young to place it in a historical context.
Veg*n families might want to know that the treatment of animals in this book isn't any more enlightened. A pig is addressed as "ugly," a duck as "stupid," and the young girl attempts to assert her bravery by facing a "dancing" bear with a ring through his nose.
This book is very much a product of its time, so it's interesting historically but not really the best for modern children too young to place it in a historical context.
Veg*n families might want to know that the treatment of animals in this book isn't any more enlightened. A pig is addressed as "ugly," a duck as "stupid," and the young girl attempts to assert her bravery by facing a "dancing" bear with a ring through his nose.
November 9, 2016
Mei Li is the youngest child in a loving family. She’s easy to spot with her “candle stick” pigtail atop her head. One day she goes with her brother to the New Year Fair. They have many adventures and eat wonderful treats, but almost miss getting back through the city gates!
Originally published in 1938, this won the 1939 Caldecott medal. Wonderful illustrations bring the Chinese cultural celebration to life. This is a great way to introduce very young children to a different country and its culture. The children get into a few scrapes, but all ends well.
Originally published in 1938, this won the 1939 Caldecott medal. Wonderful illustrations bring the Chinese cultural celebration to life. This is a great way to introduce very young children to a different country and its culture. The children get into a few scrapes, but all ends well.
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January 18, 2012Caldecott Winner - 1939 I decided not to rate this one. I always struggle to rate a book that was likely advanced for the year it was published. It rubs me completely wrong for present day and the message it sends about the place of a girl, but part of me is impressed that a book about a Chinese character won an award during that time period.
September 2, 2016
Eh okay I'm so torn because I loved the artwork. The shading and the intricacy in which the faces and areas were drawn is simply mesmerizing; however, it was tough reading about a little girl who was no more than an animal to her family and the community. It makes sense in a historical way but it did make it difficult to read at some points.
May 26, 2015
The kids and I are reading through the Caldecotts this summer. We enjoyed the story. Yes, some of the language and ideas seem dated but we enjoyed chatting about that. They said they were pleasantly surprised.
March 27, 2014
This review also appears on my blog.
Mei Li wishes to go to the New Year Fair in the city, but little girls always have to stay home. Undaunted, she sneaks out to visit the city, following her brother. What adventures await?
Thomas Handforth's Mei Li is the winner of the 1939 Caldecott Medal. Unlike the previous winner, Animals of the Bible , Mei Li is a real picture book.
The story centers around a young Chinese girl, Mei Li, who is unsatisfied with remaining at home, while the New Year Fair is going on. "If I always stay at home," she asks, "what can I be good for?" So off she goes to have adventures like her brother, San Yu. He wonders what a girl could do at the fair, but she bribes him to take her with him, all the same.
The fair is as exciting as Mei Li had hoped, and she shows her doubting brother all the things that a girl can do, at the fair. Looking at a group of circus performers, she tells him, "They can walk on stilts. They can balance on a tight-rope. They can throw pots and pans in the air with their feet. And so can I!"
Mei Li doesn't juggle pots and pans with her feet, but she does ask a strong circus girl to lift her upside-down in the palm of her hand; she feeds a bear a bit of bean-cake; and she dances on the back of a circus pony. Later, a fortune teller predicts that Mei Li will rule over a kingdom--naturally, she believes him. Soon after, they must hurry home, so they will be in time to greet the Kitchen God.
When she returns home, Mei Li's mother refers to her as "the princess who rules our hearts." She is surely a princess, but what sort of kingdom will she rule over? That night, the Kitchen God explains:
Mei Li is based on Handforth's experiences while living in China for six years, beginning in 1931, the characters and drawings are based on people he knew, and the titular heroine is based on Pu Mei Li, a four-year-old girl he met there. Much more information about this, including a photograph of the real Mei Li holding Handforth's picture book, can be found in this article from The Horn Book Magazine by Kathleen Horning (who, coincidentally, wrote From Cover to Cover: Evaluating and Reviewing Children's Books , which I read almost exactly two years ago).
The illustrations are in ink, done with a brush, which Handforth felt better captured the spirit of China. Few of the illustrations feature any background, but the figures represented are generally very dynamic. The book does feature a number of two-page spreads, varying text positioning depending on the artwork. The illustrations depict the actual scenes in the book, making Mei Li much more of a 'real' picture book than its predecessor for the Caldecott Medal.
Mei Li has been criticized for sexism. Not without grounds: Mei Li is told that her 'kingdom' is the home, and the book ends with a poem extolling the virtues of a woman who keeps a good house:
Furthermore, Mei Li is shown to be frightened of fireworks, allowing San Yu to set them off while she plugs her ears, and she gives her last lucky penny to San Yu to throw at a bell (for the promise of money all year), since she is sure that she could never hit it.
I think these criticisms are a little misguided; at least, they don't look at the whole picture. Compare what Mei Li does at the fair to what San Yu does: while Mei Li balances upside down on a circus performer's hand, San Yu dresses up as a wise man for a play; while Mei Li feeds a real bear a cake, to show her bravery, San Yu pretends to hunt a lion that is really two boys with a mask; Mei Li dances on the back of a prancing horse, after which San Yu throws her penny at a bell and goes off to buy a kite (a fake hawk, which he later uses to frighten Mei Li). Mei Li's adventures at the fair are real, and San Yu's are merely imaginary. Certainly it is Mei Li who comes off best in their little competition!
Too, Mei Li gives her first lucky penny to a beggar girl she meets when entering the city, and it's that girl who holds the gates open so that she can leave the city and return home to greet the Kitchen God, "And even five policemen and five soldiers could not force her away until Mei Li was through the gate." Not so easily cowed, this girl!
Finally, though the statement of the Kitchen God that the house is Mei Li's kingdom may be reinforcing the domestic role of women, Mei Li responds that it will do "for a while, anyway", which also means that eventually, it won't be enough. And Handforth wrote, of the real Mei Li:
Certainly some older children's books do not stand the test of time, as cultural values march on ( The Five Chinese Brothers or Shen of the Sea , both coincidentally also dealing with China, are examples of this, for different reasons), but I wouldn't fear to recommend Mei Li.
Relatively little is to be found online about this book or its author. There is some other material from The Horn Book Magazine, linked above, including the magazine's contemporary review of the book, written by Elizabeth Coatsworth, originally published in the July-August 1939 issue. The Art Institute of Chicago, The Smithsonian American Art Museum, and The Seattle Public Library Northwest Art Collection each provide a few samples of Handforth's other art, including one picture which must (I think) have been the original model for a scene from Mei Li.
Altogether, I find Mei Li to be a much worthier recipient of the Caldecott Medal than its predecessor, and a good book, besides. I hope that the later recipients continue more in this vein!
Mei Li wishes to go to the New Year Fair in the city, but little girls always have to stay home. Undaunted, she sneaks out to visit the city, following her brother. What adventures await?
Thomas Handforth's Mei Li is the winner of the 1939 Caldecott Medal. Unlike the previous winner, Animals of the Bible , Mei Li is a real picture book.
The story centers around a young Chinese girl, Mei Li, who is unsatisfied with remaining at home, while the New Year Fair is going on. "If I always stay at home," she asks, "what can I be good for?" So off she goes to have adventures like her brother, San Yu. He wonders what a girl could do at the fair, but she bribes him to take her with him, all the same.
The fair is as exciting as Mei Li had hoped, and she shows her doubting brother all the things that a girl can do, at the fair. Looking at a group of circus performers, she tells him, "They can walk on stilts. They can balance on a tight-rope. They can throw pots and pans in the air with their feet. And so can I!"
Mei Li doesn't juggle pots and pans with her feet, but she does ask a strong circus girl to lift her upside-down in the palm of her hand; she feeds a bear a bit of bean-cake; and she dances on the back of a circus pony. Later, a fortune teller predicts that Mei Li will rule over a kingdom--naturally, she believes him. Soon after, they must hurry home, so they will be in time to greet the Kitchen God.
When she returns home, Mei Li's mother refers to her as "the princess who rules our hearts." She is surely a princess, but what sort of kingdom will she rule over? That night, the Kitchen God explains:
"This house is your kingdom and palace. Within its walls all living things are your loyal, loving subjects."
Mei Li sighed happily, "It will do for a while, anyway."
Mei Li is based on Handforth's experiences while living in China for six years, beginning in 1931, the characters and drawings are based on people he knew, and the titular heroine is based on Pu Mei Li, a four-year-old girl he met there. Much more information about this, including a photograph of the real Mei Li holding Handforth's picture book, can be found in this article from The Horn Book Magazine by Kathleen Horning (who, coincidentally, wrote From Cover to Cover: Evaluating and Reviewing Children's Books , which I read almost exactly two years ago).
The illustrations are in ink, done with a brush, which Handforth felt better captured the spirit of China. Few of the illustrations feature any background, but the figures represented are generally very dynamic. The book does feature a number of two-page spreads, varying text positioning depending on the artwork. The illustrations depict the actual scenes in the book, making Mei Li much more of a 'real' picture book than its predecessor for the Caldecott Medal.
Mei Li has been criticized for sexism. Not without grounds: Mei Li is told that her 'kingdom' is the home, and the book ends with a poem extolling the virtues of a woman who keeps a good house:
This is the thrifty princess,
Whose house is always clean,
No dirt within her kingdom
Is ever to be seen.
Her food is fit
For a king to eat,
Her hair and clothes
Are always neat.
Furthermore, Mei Li is shown to be frightened of fireworks, allowing San Yu to set them off while she plugs her ears, and she gives her last lucky penny to San Yu to throw at a bell (for the promise of money all year), since she is sure that she could never hit it.
I think these criticisms are a little misguided; at least, they don't look at the whole picture. Compare what Mei Li does at the fair to what San Yu does: while Mei Li balances upside down on a circus performer's hand, San Yu dresses up as a wise man for a play; while Mei Li feeds a real bear a cake, to show her bravery, San Yu pretends to hunt a lion that is really two boys with a mask; Mei Li dances on the back of a prancing horse, after which San Yu throws her penny at a bell and goes off to buy a kite (a fake hawk, which he later uses to frighten Mei Li). Mei Li's adventures at the fair are real, and San Yu's are merely imaginary. Certainly it is Mei Li who comes off best in their little competition!
Too, Mei Li gives her first lucky penny to a beggar girl she meets when entering the city, and it's that girl who holds the gates open so that she can leave the city and return home to greet the Kitchen God, "And even five policemen and five soldiers could not force her away until Mei Li was through the gate." Not so easily cowed, this girl!
Finally, though the statement of the Kitchen God that the house is Mei Li's kingdom may be reinforcing the domestic role of women, Mei Li responds that it will do "for a while, anyway", which also means that eventually, it won't be enough. And Handforth wrote, of the real Mei Li:
No Empress Dowager was ever more determined than she. A career is surely ordained for her, other than being the heroine of a children’s book.
Certainly some older children's books do not stand the test of time, as cultural values march on ( The Five Chinese Brothers or Shen of the Sea , both coincidentally also dealing with China, are examples of this, for different reasons), but I wouldn't fear to recommend Mei Li.
Relatively little is to be found online about this book or its author. There is some other material from The Horn Book Magazine, linked above, including the magazine's contemporary review of the book, written by Elizabeth Coatsworth, originally published in the July-August 1939 issue. The Art Institute of Chicago, The Smithsonian American Art Museum, and The Seattle Public Library Northwest Art Collection each provide a few samples of Handforth's other art, including one picture which must (I think) have been the original model for a scene from Mei Li.
Altogether, I find Mei Li to be a much worthier recipient of the Caldecott Medal than its predecessor, and a good book, besides. I hope that the later recipients continue more in this vein!
January 8, 2018
* Potentially problematic, could possibly still work for classroom with adequate explanation.
Thomas Handforth was not from China, however, he did live in Beijing for around 5 years and Mei Li is based on a real girl. Apparently she was a regular in the courtyard where he did his drawings and she helped recruit others to pose for sketches and so on.
However, he still wasn't part of that culture and I'm not sure how people of Chinese background feel about this book. I wasn't able to find anything in a google search. The unnecessarily stilted English in some portions may be problematic. However, in general the book is meant to be positive towards the culture, whether that's actually achieved I'm not certain.
Things which are problematic include fairly rampant sexism with all the things a girl is not allowed to do. However, in the book Mei Li is somewhat rebelling against those things. Additionally, at the end of the book she is told she will be the princess of her own home to which she responds that it will do for now. This was written almost 30 years after the first wave of feminism in China which apparently coincided with Revolution of 1911. In that context, this makes sense and is even progressive for the time. However, if you are including this in the classroom it would seem necessary to explain the context.
Overall, the illustrations are still awfully cute. Mei li is an adorable little girl and her personality really shows through.
Thomas Handforth was not from China, however, he did live in Beijing for around 5 years and Mei Li is based on a real girl. Apparently she was a regular in the courtyard where he did his drawings and she helped recruit others to pose for sketches and so on.
However, he still wasn't part of that culture and I'm not sure how people of Chinese background feel about this book. I wasn't able to find anything in a google search. The unnecessarily stilted English in some portions may be problematic. However, in general the book is meant to be positive towards the culture, whether that's actually achieved I'm not certain.
Things which are problematic include fairly rampant sexism with all the things a girl is not allowed to do. However, in the book Mei Li is somewhat rebelling against those things. Additionally, at the end of the book she is told she will be the princess of her own home to which she responds that it will do for now. This was written almost 30 years after the first wave of feminism in China which apparently coincided with Revolution of 1911. In that context, this makes sense and is even progressive for the time. However, if you are including this in the classroom it would seem necessary to explain the context.
Overall, the illustrations are still awfully cute. Mei li is an adorable little girl and her personality really shows through.
September 30, 2018
It’s clear why this book was a Caldecott winner all those years ago—Mei Li depicts a Chinese girl’s struggle to find some sort of purpose as she visits a fair with her brother. Using long, beautiful ink strokes, Handforth imitates traditional Chinese artwork and does it well, the medium perfectly mirroring its subject matter. This book would be best for smaller groups of attentive children, as the pictures are large and it’s lengthier than other picture books. However, this book wouldn’t be the best for any sort of cultural studies, as it’s fairly surface level and given that it was written and illustrated in 1938, it’s mildly racist even despite how it tries to celebrate this culture. And, on a final note, just LOOK at those endpapers. I don’t know whether those are there because it’s a recent edition or not, but either way they are absolutely magnificent. Great for grades 2-4.
Review cross-listed here!
Review cross-listed here!
June 13, 2019
I'm not sure what to think about this one. The story was good itself. But it is definitely dated.
I could not tell if it was bashing on girls or not?
Still this was actually translated and turned into a book from the scripts. And the illustrations were made from copper plates.
I could not tell if it was bashing on girls or not?
Still this was actually translated and turned into a book from the scripts. And the illustrations were made from copper plates.
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August 4, 2022Please take this book off your library's shelf.
October 24, 2022
A Caldecott winner in black and white! Thomas Handforth uses bold illustrations to express the Chinese culture in the realistic fiction book. The author keeps you engaged by expressing the protagonist’s experience of sneaking away from home to learning more about her culture. The setting takes place in China and reveals a theme of culture. A book you won’t want to miss out on!
December 3, 2017
1939 Caldecott Medal winner.
It is difficult to rate books written in such a different era. If this book were written and published in modern times (I don't even think it would be), I'd give it one star or not rate it at all. But, trying to be cognizant of the era, I gave it three stars.
The story begins with a cringeworthy poem about worthless girls. Truly horrible. Then it follows the adventure of Mei Li, a young Chinese girl, who sneaks into the city for the festival and her adventures. The worthless girl theme recurs a few times throughout the story, as Mei Li bravely ventures forth in the city. I was pleasantly surprised by the beautiful black and white artistic drawings Chinese people and culture -- no horrible stereotypical caricatures. Very impressive, considering the time in history when the book was written and illustrated. When I think about the story and view the illustrations I begin to think Thomas Handworth was perhaps ahead of his time.
The story ends somewhat okay, with Mei Li being seemingly loved and valued by her family. (I am assuming -- it is not blatant).
In summary story is 1 star, illustrations are 2. I am sure there are many much better books about Chinese culture for young readers, but the book is an important reminder of the place of women and girls in history and other cultures.
It is difficult to rate books written in such a different era. If this book were written and published in modern times (I don't even think it would be), I'd give it one star or not rate it at all. But, trying to be cognizant of the era, I gave it three stars.
The story begins with a cringeworthy poem about worthless girls. Truly horrible. Then it follows the adventure of Mei Li, a young Chinese girl, who sneaks into the city for the festival and her adventures. The worthless girl theme recurs a few times throughout the story, as Mei Li bravely ventures forth in the city. I was pleasantly surprised by the beautiful black and white artistic drawings Chinese people and culture -- no horrible stereotypical caricatures. Very impressive, considering the time in history when the book was written and illustrated. When I think about the story and view the illustrations I begin to think Thomas Handworth was perhaps ahead of his time.
The story ends somewhat okay, with Mei Li being seemingly loved and valued by her family. (I am assuming -- it is not blatant).
In summary story is 1 star, illustrations are 2. I am sure there are many much better books about Chinese culture for young readers, but the book is an important reminder of the place of women and girls in history and other cultures.
November 29, 2017
What an interesting story line!
This story is about a young Chinese girl who ventures outside of her household on New Year’s to prove that there are activities that girls can participate it. This story has to take place during a certain time period where the females were unable to leave the house and were unable to participate in anything because they were seen as the weaker gender. The illustrations looked like they were sketches but they were not at all! It looked like sketches because of the pen strokes and the medium that was used in order to create the illustrations. I believe that this would be a great book to use especially if the entire class is discussing how one’s culture varies from another. Whether it be things that they celebrate, their food, their traditions, their style of dress, or even the types of activities they participate in.
This story is about a young Chinese girl who ventures outside of her household on New Year’s to prove that there are activities that girls can participate it. This story has to take place during a certain time period where the females were unable to leave the house and were unable to participate in anything because they were seen as the weaker gender. The illustrations looked like they were sketches but they were not at all! It looked like sketches because of the pen strokes and the medium that was used in order to create the illustrations. I believe that this would be a great book to use especially if the entire class is discussing how one’s culture varies from another. Whether it be things that they celebrate, their food, their traditions, their style of dress, or even the types of activities they participate in.
January 16, 2014
I liked this book well enough. The story was interesting in itself, learning about some of the customs of China those decades ago.
In the illustrations, the people's faces were very expressive. In the scene where children are throwing pennies at a bell, to get it to ring so that they will have money for all the year, the reader sees under the bridge who is actually raking in the cash. I also liked Mei Li's "candle-top pigtail." But I didn't find Handforth's animals as minutely detailed as Lathrop's.
In the illustrations, the people's faces were very expressive. In the scene where children are throwing pennies at a bell, to get it to ring so that they will have money for all the year, the reader sees under the bridge who is actually raking in the cash. I also liked Mei Li's "candle-top pigtail." But I didn't find Handforth's animals as minutely detailed as Lathrop's.
January 20, 2014
This was a Caldecott winner in 1939. Written in 1938 it must have been a wonderful book to acquaint children with life in China. The illustrations are wonderful and detailed. Costumes, games, and general life in China at this time are told through a child's eyes, in particular, a girl's eyes. Today we have so many more books for children on life in other countries, but this book still has a flavor that will be remember for a long time.
July 25, 2017
I absolutely adore the black charcoal illustrations in this book. This would be a great companion book to a nonfiction story about Chinese new year. There is also a great wall of china reference. You can definitely tell this book is from the 30's. Although I loved the illustrations, the plot was a little slow in some spots and it made it difficult to keep my attention.
November 30, 2017
I enjoyed reading this book which was named 1939 winner of the Caldecott award. Whether it is culturally accurate or not, I enjoyed reading about this family. The characters are affectionate and hard-working.
January 13, 2018
It would be irresponsible to read this aloud in the setting I work in, but as a historical piece, it’s very important. Much like many of the early Caldecott winners, it’s from another time. It’s not a message I’d want to send to children, especially young girls.
September 22, 2017
This was a nice mix of illustration and story. And it was a nice story telling of Chinese traditions. The artwork was very detailed.
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