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Shen of The Sea : Chinese Stories for Children
A series of fascinating Chinese stories, strong in humor and rich in Chinese wisdom, in which the author has caught admirably the spirit of Chinese life and thought.
221 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1925
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August 13, 2012The first thing to understand is that this is probably not a book that could be written today, and it's certainly not a book that could be published today. In order to deal with it at all, we have to have that understanding up front.
Although Shen of the Sea is subtitled "Chinese Stories for Children," it has no source notes of any kind, and none of the tales are recognizable versions of any standard Chinese folktales. All of the stories, in fact, seem to be either entirely Chrisman's invention, or so wildly changed from their original form as to be unidentifiable. This is true despite the fact that a large number of the tales are porquoi stories about the origin of such things as chopsticks, china plates, tea, and kites.
Indeed, Chrisman's "China" is a sort of hazy fairyland, one constructed almost without relation to any place or time that may have really existed. Although there's a definite fondness for the idea of China in his writing, his grasp on the details of the country and culture is tenuous at best -- perhaps understandably so, given that he knew only a handful of words and phrases in the language, and, unlike Elizabeth Foreman Lewis and Elizabeth Coatsworth, never personally visited Asia. One simply can't read this book and expect to find cultural or historical accuracy.
So, it's fairly off-putting to 21st-century eyes. It fails any given test of authenticity, and it smacks of cultural imperialism, to say the least. Those are the facts, plain and simple.
And yet, Chrisman's wry humor and folk-style plotting are still effective. I found Shen of the Sea perfectly readable; it wasn't a chore to trudge through in the same way that something like Smoky, the Cowhorse was. It's more comparable to The Matchlock Gun in that the writing is perfectly fine even when the content isn't -- and if Walter Edmonds' finely-tuned prose runs circles around Chrisman's sometimes stilted English, Chrisman doesn't consistently demonize and inhumanize his non-white subjects like Edmonds does. Is that faint praise? Maybe. You certainly couldn't give Shen of the Sea to a kid without any explanation, and you might not want to give it to them at all.
But like so many of the other early Newbery winners, it's hard to definitively say that Shen wasn't the most deserving book of its year. The best-remembered titles from the 1925 publishing year weren't eligible: Emily Climbs, by L.M. Montgomery (Canadian); Gallery of Children, by A.A. Milne (British); The School at the Chalet, by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer (also British). The only Honor book was Pádraic Colum's The Voyagers: Being Legends and Romances of Atlantic Discovery, which isn't one that inspires a lot of fervor. The few other eligible books that are more or less still in print aren't necessarily ones most people would argue for either: The Adventures of Little Joe Otter, by Thornton W. Burgess; Raggedy Ann's Wishing Pebble, by Johnny Gruelle; The Lost King of Oz, one of the many inferior sequels by Ruth Plumly Thompson.
Maybe it's another reason to be grateful that the Newbery was instituted. If these early winners tend to be of...uneven quality, I don't think it can be argued that the state of American children's literature is orders of magnitude better than it was back when the award was instituted -- and of course, that's one of the main things the Newbery was supposed to encourage.
Although Shen of the Sea is subtitled "Chinese Stories for Children," it has no source notes of any kind, and none of the tales are recognizable versions of any standard Chinese folktales. All of the stories, in fact, seem to be either entirely Chrisman's invention, or so wildly changed from their original form as to be unidentifiable. This is true despite the fact that a large number of the tales are porquoi stories about the origin of such things as chopsticks, china plates, tea, and kites.
Indeed, Chrisman's "China" is a sort of hazy fairyland, one constructed almost without relation to any place or time that may have really existed. Although there's a definite fondness for the idea of China in his writing, his grasp on the details of the country and culture is tenuous at best -- perhaps understandably so, given that he knew only a handful of words and phrases in the language, and, unlike Elizabeth Foreman Lewis and Elizabeth Coatsworth, never personally visited Asia. One simply can't read this book and expect to find cultural or historical accuracy.
So, it's fairly off-putting to 21st-century eyes. It fails any given test of authenticity, and it smacks of cultural imperialism, to say the least. Those are the facts, plain and simple.
And yet, Chrisman's wry humor and folk-style plotting are still effective. I found Shen of the Sea perfectly readable; it wasn't a chore to trudge through in the same way that something like Smoky, the Cowhorse was. It's more comparable to The Matchlock Gun in that the writing is perfectly fine even when the content isn't -- and if Walter Edmonds' finely-tuned prose runs circles around Chrisman's sometimes stilted English, Chrisman doesn't consistently demonize and inhumanize his non-white subjects like Edmonds does. Is that faint praise? Maybe. You certainly couldn't give Shen of the Sea to a kid without any explanation, and you might not want to give it to them at all.
But like so many of the other early Newbery winners, it's hard to definitively say that Shen wasn't the most deserving book of its year. The best-remembered titles from the 1925 publishing year weren't eligible: Emily Climbs, by L.M. Montgomery (Canadian); Gallery of Children, by A.A. Milne (British); The School at the Chalet, by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer (also British). The only Honor book was Pádraic Colum's The Voyagers: Being Legends and Romances of Atlantic Discovery, which isn't one that inspires a lot of fervor. The few other eligible books that are more or less still in print aren't necessarily ones most people would argue for either: The Adventures of Little Joe Otter, by Thornton W. Burgess; Raggedy Ann's Wishing Pebble, by Johnny Gruelle; The Lost King of Oz, one of the many inferior sequels by Ruth Plumly Thompson.
Maybe it's another reason to be grateful that the Newbery was instituted. If these early winners tend to be of...uneven quality, I don't think it can be argued that the state of American children's literature is orders of magnitude better than it was back when the award was instituted -- and of course, that's one of the main things the Newbery was supposed to encourage.
February 27, 2023
For marriage is a most peculiar thing. It promotes the fortunes of some men. Other men go from bad to worse. The wedding bell has two tongues. The tongue speaks good; the other, evil. (From Chop-Sticks, PG 61)
Newbery Winner- YA- 1925
Another slogger… I only enjoyed 2-3 stories. The other ones were confusing or just plain boring.
The author was more interesting to me. Chrisman was born in 1889 in West Virginia and moved to CA and started reading Chinese and Indian (country) literature and history. And he came up with this after seven years of writing it.
I’m not judging the crudeness of the stories as it is old Chinese folklore and published in 1925. Every religion and region has their folklore.
I wasn’t left satisfied and the writing was written like a Chinese person that didn’t know English was trying to translate it. The kids were always a nuisance and should be beat, the women were cunning and ignored unless she was beautiful and had small feet.
I wish the Newbery voting committee was tested for some psychedelic drugs before voting.
Newbery Winner- YA- 1925
Another slogger… I only enjoyed 2-3 stories. The other ones were confusing or just plain boring.
The author was more interesting to me. Chrisman was born in 1889 in West Virginia and moved to CA and started reading Chinese and Indian (country) literature and history. And he came up with this after seven years of writing it.
I’m not judging the crudeness of the stories as it is old Chinese folklore and published in 1925. Every religion and region has their folklore.
I wasn’t left satisfied and the writing was written like a Chinese person that didn’t know English was trying to translate it. The kids were always a nuisance and should be beat, the women were cunning and ignored unless she was beautiful and had small feet.
I wish the Newbery voting committee was tested for some psychedelic drugs before voting.
March 1, 2012
I added a star to my rating after one of my students declared, "It wasn't awful."
January 31, 2016
Ghastly in its cultural appropriation, but not nearly as offensive and as poorly written as Tales from a Silver Lands.
This is not to say the book isn't offensive. To the modern reader, it absolutely is.
But I try to read these sorts of books with my brain firmly planted in an historical context. That is, I try to think like someone from that time period reading. In that sense, I can totally see why this won the Newbery Medal. It was probably way ahead of its time (and, dare I say, likely considered to be groundbreaking and "multicultural" - even though no such thing existed in the 1920s).
A few of the stories were entertaining and memorable, and other were meandering and pointless. All attempted, on some level, to be porquoi tales. Without a true culturally-appropriate connection, they come across as empty, hollow, and thoroughly uninteresting: a white person's interpretation of a non-white culture.
The book does serve, though, as a sturdy reminder of how far we've come. We still have a long, long, long, long way to go... but at least shit like this isn't getting churned out.
As an aside, I am dreading the other Newbery Medals from this time period. I have heard nothing but bellyaching about Smoky the Cowhorse, The Dark Frigate, and The Story of Mankind - a book I will likely save until last. Apparently both authors and the Newbery committees of the 1920 hated children. Just hated them.
This is not to say the book isn't offensive. To the modern reader, it absolutely is.
But I try to read these sorts of books with my brain firmly planted in an historical context. That is, I try to think like someone from that time period reading. In that sense, I can totally see why this won the Newbery Medal. It was probably way ahead of its time (and, dare I say, likely considered to be groundbreaking and "multicultural" - even though no such thing existed in the 1920s).
A few of the stories were entertaining and memorable, and other were meandering and pointless. All attempted, on some level, to be porquoi tales. Without a true culturally-appropriate connection, they come across as empty, hollow, and thoroughly uninteresting: a white person's interpretation of a non-white culture.
The book does serve, though, as a sturdy reminder of how far we've come. We still have a long, long, long, long way to go... but at least shit like this isn't getting churned out.
As an aside, I am dreading the other Newbery Medals from this time period. I have heard nothing but bellyaching about Smoky the Cowhorse, The Dark Frigate, and The Story of Mankind - a book I will likely save until last. Apparently both authors and the Newbery committees of the 1920 hated children. Just hated them.
February 3, 2010
As a folklorist I am deeply disappointed in this book and I would be hard pressed to recommend it to any child today. It was hailed at the time as "authentic" but cultural authenticity is regarded a little differently today. It's about as authentic as "The Mikado" (also regarded as "authentic" at the time). It has the trappings of Chinese folklore but it is not Chinese folklore. It is a Western interpretation/appropriation of Chinese folklore. I do like the inclusion of Chinese words and I do appreciate, that for the time, it was big step forward in accepting and introducing other cultures to children. But presenting it as authentic Chinese folktales to children today would be a misrepresentation. I think I would have liked it better if, like Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, the author had made clear that it was "inspired" by Chinese folklore though I'm not sure that distinction would have been one understood by the author or readers at that time period. I think perhaps Shen of the Sea could use a little light editing (such as Dr. Dolittle received) or at the very least a forward to clarify the author's use of another culture's bits of folklore to create new literary inventions.
August 28, 2021
I have a completely different way of rating Newbery books. I only mention this because my Newbery 2-star books will not compare at all to my other 2-star books. If a Newbery books doesn't make me want to rip my eyeballs out and scream then it will get 2-3 stars depending on how painful it is to read, aka how boring it is.
This book was pretty easy to read but I wouldn't say that I really enjoyed it. The stories were absolutely ridiculous. So mocking in tone. I hated how most of the characters were made out to be idiots. That's not cool.
I was disappointed because I generally enjoy the short story Newbery books better than the others. As usual, I'm mightily sorry for the kids growing up in this era if this was considered the "best" of their book choices.
Newbery Medal 1926
This book was pretty easy to read but I wouldn't say that I really enjoyed it. The stories were absolutely ridiculous. So mocking in tone. I hated how most of the characters were made out to be idiots. That's not cool.
I was disappointed because I generally enjoy the short story Newbery books better than the others. As usual, I'm mightily sorry for the kids growing up in this era if this was considered the "best" of their book choices.
Newbery Medal 1926
April 8, 2014
I read this as part of my quest to read all the Newbery Medal winners sometime before I die. It's taking me that long. Anyway, this one is a product of its time. It's important to remember when reading some of these older books that weren't offensive at the time and our sensibilities are more enlightened now. Hopefully. Taken at face value these are some cute stories about how some things were invented, words came to be, and moral things we should all know. But they are couched in insensitive language by a story writer and not a folklorist. So don't be looking for authentic Chinese folk tales here.
February 26, 2012
Seriously, the Newbery winners of the 1920s are making me despair for the children who were reading them. Doctor Dolittle was good when I read it originally. It now seems like the best book in the history of books in comparison with the other winners. Blah. Smoky is up next.
November 21, 2016
<2
I imagine the panel of readers reading this book thinking they were really offering the world something great. Patting each other on the back and congratulating themselves on the amazing contribution to children's literature they were making. Children everywhere will have cultural knowledge of the East with these Chinese folk tales. They will gain an appreciation for the culture and the people. They will be so educated. Except, well, they aren't actually Chinese folk tales. Actually, they don't resemble anything in Chinese culture. So, some very white dude who thought China was kind of cool, met a talkative Chinese lady once, made up some stories, and sold them as 'Chinese Stories for Children'. And the panel bought it. Hook. Line. Sinker.
The part that really got me was the short story on how chop sticks were invented. The emperor actually threw away his fork and spoon in favor of short sticks. Because of course he started with a fork and spoon, right? Of course. Thank you Newbery panel, for teaching us all about Ethnocentrism. That is a long word. Look it up.
I imagine the panel of readers reading this book thinking they were really offering the world something great. Patting each other on the back and congratulating themselves on the amazing contribution to children's literature they were making. Children everywhere will have cultural knowledge of the East with these Chinese folk tales. They will gain an appreciation for the culture and the people. They will be so educated. Except, well, they aren't actually Chinese folk tales. Actually, they don't resemble anything in Chinese culture. So, some very white dude who thought China was kind of cool, met a talkative Chinese lady once, made up some stories, and sold them as 'Chinese Stories for Children'. And the panel bought it. Hook. Line. Sinker.
The part that really got me was the short story on how chop sticks were invented. The emperor actually threw away his fork and spoon in favor of short sticks. Because of course he started with a fork and spoon, right? Of course. Thank you Newbery panel, for teaching us all about Ethnocentrism. That is a long word. Look it up.
April 1, 2010
Reason for Reading: Read aloud to my 9yo son. We always have a book of folktales, fairy tales, myths, etc. on the go, reading one story every school day.
Comments: I have read this book once before to myself some time ago, as an adult, and came away with the impression that it was OK (maybe 3 stars) but now I think I've found out the problem with that first reading. This book is meant to be read aloud! The stories are told in a storyteller voice that just rolls of the tongue when reading out loud and brings them gloriously to life. The stories are hilarious and I can't say that my ds or I didn't like even a single one the tales. I'm not convinced these are traditional Chinese stories (I've read a lot of folktales in my life and never heard any of these before) but would guess that Chrisman wrote them himself based on the style of Chinese tales. The tales often rely on repetition, some are origin stories and they cover a wide spectrum of characters from peasants to princesses and Kings. A number of the stories are about someone who is not too bright or is incredibly lazy or stubborn. While the great majority of tales are folktales a few pass over into fairytale territory with the appearance of a few dragons and other Chinese mythical creatures. Every single time this book came out my son's face lit up, he thoroughly enjoyed it! I also had a ton of fun reading it. This book has a habit of getting mixed reviews and to those who give it low ratings, I ask you to read aloud a couple of stories to a child or group of children. Then see if you don't change your mind! I've found in my 21 years as a mother that some children's books just beg to be read aloud and don't do the trick when read silently. The only thing I'm not too keen on are the silhouette illustrations. Yes, they add to the ethnicity of the book but detailed drawings would have been more fun to look at.
Comments: I have read this book once before to myself some time ago, as an adult, and came away with the impression that it was OK (maybe 3 stars) but now I think I've found out the problem with that first reading. This book is meant to be read aloud! The stories are told in a storyteller voice that just rolls of the tongue when reading out loud and brings them gloriously to life. The stories are hilarious and I can't say that my ds or I didn't like even a single one the tales. I'm not convinced these are traditional Chinese stories (I've read a lot of folktales in my life and never heard any of these before) but would guess that Chrisman wrote them himself based on the style of Chinese tales. The tales often rely on repetition, some are origin stories and they cover a wide spectrum of characters from peasants to princesses and Kings. A number of the stories are about someone who is not too bright or is incredibly lazy or stubborn. While the great majority of tales are folktales a few pass over into fairytale territory with the appearance of a few dragons and other Chinese mythical creatures. Every single time this book came out my son's face lit up, he thoroughly enjoyed it! I also had a ton of fun reading it. This book has a habit of getting mixed reviews and to those who give it low ratings, I ask you to read aloud a couple of stories to a child or group of children. Then see if you don't change your mind! I've found in my 21 years as a mother that some children's books just beg to be read aloud and don't do the trick when read silently. The only thing I'm not too keen on are the silhouette illustrations. Yes, they add to the ethnicity of the book but detailed drawings would have been more fun to look at.
January 29, 2012
1926 Newbery Winner
Culturally insensitive literature is kind of hard to swallow. There are a few fun aspects to the stories here, but any of the good was wiped out by the enormous amounts of badness. How can the title be "Chinese Stories for Children?" when they are told by a non-Chinese person who gives no citations or real background information about these stories. It seems they are all just made up in what Chrisman determined was the style of Chinese folktales. I much prefer Grace Lin's way of doing it. She explained and lets us know how she created the stories in Where the Mountain Meets the Moon.
In addition, Chrisman really, really paints the Chinese in a negative light. I am not nearly informed enough to explain all of the ways in which this book is inappropriate culturally, but as I read, I just felt increasingly uncomfortable with the way he characterized the Chinese and it felt that he was completely mishandling the culture of the Chinese. Writing about a people's culture when it is not your own is always a tricky thing to do well. He fails to convince me that he is knowledgeable and careful enough to be selling this to kids.
At the time, people probably thought they were great for adding multicultural literature, but honestly, something is not always better than nothing.
Oyate has a great way of looking at books like these http://www.oyate.org/index.php?option... These are many of the red flags that went up for me while reading Shen of the Sea.
Culturally insensitive literature is kind of hard to swallow. There are a few fun aspects to the stories here, but any of the good was wiped out by the enormous amounts of badness. How can the title be "Chinese Stories for Children?" when they are told by a non-Chinese person who gives no citations or real background information about these stories. It seems they are all just made up in what Chrisman determined was the style of Chinese folktales. I much prefer Grace Lin's way of doing it. She explained and lets us know how she created the stories in Where the Mountain Meets the Moon.
In addition, Chrisman really, really paints the Chinese in a negative light. I am not nearly informed enough to explain all of the ways in which this book is inappropriate culturally, but as I read, I just felt increasingly uncomfortable with the way he characterized the Chinese and it felt that he was completely mishandling the culture of the Chinese. Writing about a people's culture when it is not your own is always a tricky thing to do well. He fails to convince me that he is knowledgeable and careful enough to be selling this to kids.
At the time, people probably thought they were great for adding multicultural literature, but honestly, something is not always better than nothing.
Oyate has a great way of looking at books like these http://www.oyate.org/index.php?option... These are many of the red flags that went up for me while reading Shen of the Sea.
March 7, 2022
This collection of folktales was much better than the ‘Silver Lands’ collection of folktales. Most of them were origin or porquoi tales such as how chopsticks or kites were created. Some of them were rather sexist and others were quite out off step with how we discipline people and kids today. I always use such to point out that times change and this was acceptable at one time but not now. I do wish that these early Newberys would have cited sources though! It rather sounds from the jacket that maybe the author heard some of these from Chinese American immigrants. But he also could have made them up. I enjoyed this, although some did make me wince. Not impressed thus far with the Newberys. Maybe with time they will improve. However, I mostly feel they are books adults feel kids should read rather than real quality. We will see if I ever change my mind. 1926 Newbery
February 10, 2022
Read for 1926 Newbery Winner
Is this what passed as reading diversely back then? Big yikes
Is this what passed as reading diversely back then? Big yikes
November 9, 2007
Arthur Bowie Chrisman was a famous storyteller and collector of tales in the early part of the twentieth century, which is why the stories collected in Shen of the Sea read the way they do. Amusing tales and great adventures, but I'd like to hear them told aloud. I think they would be that much more powerful and humorous.
July 30, 2021
Here's everything you need to know about the book:
In the story "Chop-Sticks," a hen-pecked king is intimidated into allowing his wife's brothers to throw utensils at him. He becomes frightened by the mere sight of forks, knives and spoons, so he invents chopsticks as a less-threatening alternative.
To put it another way, everyone used "normal" Western utensils until a very cowardly Chinese king foolishly invented them instead of solving his real problems. Many of the other stories in the book involve items invented as a result of silly behavior, often involving spoiled children, silly kings and punny names (Wing-Dow, inventor of the window).
Some reviews have wondered whether these stories are authentic. I would be shocked if any of them were authentic.
In the story "Chop-Sticks," a hen-pecked king is intimidated into allowing his wife's brothers to throw utensils at him. He becomes frightened by the mere sight of forks, knives and spoons, so he invents chopsticks as a less-threatening alternative.
To put it another way, everyone used "normal" Western utensils until a very cowardly Chinese king foolishly invented them instead of solving his real problems. Many of the other stories in the book involve items invented as a result of silly behavior, often involving spoiled children, silly kings and punny names (Wing-Dow, inventor of the window).
Some reviews have wondered whether these stories are authentic. I would be shocked if any of them were authentic.
April 30, 2014
I'm finding myself feeling some of the same things I felt after I finished Tales from Silver Lands. I wasn't in love with this book, but I did kind of enjoy reading it.
I think some of the harsh criticism it has gotten by some contemporary readers might be a little unwarranted. I've heard the racist word being thrown around a lot by reviewers, but I don't necessarily think that it is racist. There were some characters who might have been buffoons, and some people might think that these people fit into old Chinese stereotypes, but there were also a lot of characters who were admirable and good. Racist is a strong word, and to say that Chrisman saw all Chinese people as inferior or even in a negative way would be, I think a false accusation.
Then there's the issue of these stories being actual folklore. Most contemporary reviewers don't seem to think that these stories are actual genuine Chinese folktales. I guess the question you have to ask is, how many people need to tell a story in order for it to be considered a folktale? No, Chrisman never visited China, but he claims to have collected these stories from Chinese immigrants. If even one Chinese immigrant was telling Chrisman these stories, and that person had received the story from someone back in China, then I don't have any problem with these stories being labeled as folklore, even if they weren't told widely throughout the Chinese region.
It's really easy for us to look back on the 20's and think, "Those silly people of the past. Why would they even publish this? But they give it the Newbery award?" I think that contemporary people sometimes unfairly look at the citizens of the past in a condescending way. We think that if we had lived back then, we would have done things differently. The librarians and the Newbery committee of the 1920's were awarding the book they thought was the best of the year for the kids of their time. This book made me laugh out loud several times. There were some really good stories here. There were some that dragged too, but for the most part. I am glad that I read it.
I think some of the harsh criticism it has gotten by some contemporary readers might be a little unwarranted. I've heard the racist word being thrown around a lot by reviewers, but I don't necessarily think that it is racist. There were some characters who might have been buffoons, and some people might think that these people fit into old Chinese stereotypes, but there were also a lot of characters who were admirable and good. Racist is a strong word, and to say that Chrisman saw all Chinese people as inferior or even in a negative way would be, I think a false accusation.
Then there's the issue of these stories being actual folklore. Most contemporary reviewers don't seem to think that these stories are actual genuine Chinese folktales. I guess the question you have to ask is, how many people need to tell a story in order for it to be considered a folktale? No, Chrisman never visited China, but he claims to have collected these stories from Chinese immigrants. If even one Chinese immigrant was telling Chrisman these stories, and that person had received the story from someone back in China, then I don't have any problem with these stories being labeled as folklore, even if they weren't told widely throughout the Chinese region.
It's really easy for us to look back on the 20's and think, "Those silly people of the past. Why would they even publish this? But they give it the Newbery award?" I think that contemporary people sometimes unfairly look at the citizens of the past in a condescending way. We think that if we had lived back then, we would have done things differently. The librarians and the Newbery committee of the 1920's were awarding the book they thought was the best of the year for the kids of their time. This book made me laugh out loud several times. There were some really good stories here. There were some that dragged too, but for the most part. I am glad that I read it.
May 8, 2019
I am conflicted. This is one of the more readable and entertaining Newbery winners of its period. It’s just that it claims to be a collection of “Chinese stories,” but from what I can tell these stories have almost no basis in Chinese folklore. While the lack of cultural authenticity and overwhelming orientalist are not surprising given the era in which this book was written, it’s hard to celebrate it today.
April 16, 2023
At some point in my life I made a goal to read all of the Newberry award winner books. I’m definitely not close to completing that goal, but I am still interested in achieving it. This book won the award in 1926. The first Newberry was given in 1922. The book consists of 16 short, sometimes humorous stories which includes Chinese philosophy.
I was curious about the author and tried to find more information about him, but struggled to find the little that I did. Sadly, the information I did find stated that in his later years - he was only 63 when he died - he had become a recluse and died alone in a one room cabin in Arkansas.
I was curious about the author and tried to find more information about him, but struggled to find the little that I did. Sadly, the information I did find stated that in his later years - he was only 63 when he died - he had become a recluse and died alone in a one room cabin in Arkansas.
January 5, 2025
I think the main thing to know about this book is these aren't actual stories from China. The author was interested in China and he made up these stories. Some are racist and i doubt this book would still be in print if it hadn't won the Newbery award. I've read worse Newbery winners so it gets a second star but not a great book.
August 16, 2021
We decided not to read the last few chapters. Although a few stories were humorous, it did not capture our interest. We got to page 178 of 221.
June 22, 2022
1926 Newbery Winner.
It hasn't aged super well. But I can appreciate what the author's love for Chinese stories and what he was trying to do.
Four Generals and Pies of the Princess we're my favorites.
It hasn't aged super well. But I can appreciate what the author's love for Chinese stories and what he was trying to do.
Four Generals and Pies of the Princess we're my favorites.
February 6, 2023
I did not enjoy this book. I picked it up solely because it was a Newbery Medal winner, and it has not aged well. This book is "Chinese" stories for children, but I've read (translated) Chinese stories and this feels like a Westerner trying half-heartedly to copy the style without understanding it. I think I finished reading mostly out of morbid fascination (and because I enjoyed the illustrations).
December 14, 2024
I found another copy and thought to write a proper review, as I no longer have the other edition I had read before.
By all accounts, I should be giving it a one-star review, but hear me out—pretend this is Shen of the Land: Ba Sing Se Stories for Earthbenders, and the stories are fine. That said, I AM docking a star to reflect my disappointment, that the older reader I am now can see all the flaws in the stories (mostly, that it pretends to be Chinese stories told to a white guy who has "kindly" localised them), even as the stories themselves are still largely intact from when I first read them.
Even as the names are cringy and the "Chinese" only occasionally correct (e.g. "loong" is definitely an accepted transliteration of "dragon", and "bai shu"—not pai shu—seems to be the preferred spelling, but "tieh tieh"... COULD be "daddy/papa" in the sense that maybe SOMEBODY does call their father that the way somebody might call their grandmother Gigi or G-ma, but it's not corroborated by any online sources).
The main thing I wanted to do was review the stories individually:
1. Ah Mee's Invention
A traditional "roundabout tale of how ___ was really invented" that's, frankly, ridiculous. What I did remember about it, which seemed both clever and idiotic, was how Ah Mee specifically did what he was NOT told to do (as distinct from NOT doing what he was told to do): he was told not to play dragon in the cabbages, therefore he instead played elephant in the cabbages. What's wrong with these adults being so specific in their instructions? "DO NOT PLAY IN THE CABBAGES." End of problem... and end of story.
2. Shen of the Sea
The titular story, about sea demons who wanted to claim a large below-sea-level plain for their territory, and the king who tricked them out of it, although he was an idiot for... look, if you have something important that should NEVER be opened, why would you leave it in a drawer where some ignorant (literally, unaware) bumpkin could find and open it, even IF you are counting on the demons' similar ignorance ().
3. How Wise Were the Old Men
Not very! They proclaimed Meng Hu would both meet his undoing and his salvation by animals, and that's kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy. That's a bit like if I got a prediction I would die by "Happenstance." Also kind of a boring read.
I'm giving a vague benefit of the doubt, that maybe Chrisman TRIED to do due diligence in his research but at best got one Chinese immigrant who taught him poorly based on their own minimal understanding (imagine getting a third- or fourth-generation immigrant teaching you Spanish, possibly). I mean, it'd be a bit like ME teaching you about Asian culture, when I've admittedly had almost none of it growing up! I only remember a few things by heart and have to consult online helpers for what I don't remember but *think* I can cobble together.
4. Chop-Sticks
Another "how ___ was really invented" that's pretty flimsy, since it stems from the king's fear of utensils (knife, fork, spoon) which were... MUCH more recent inventions than chopsticks. Also super insulting, since the main characters are "Ching Chung" and "Cheng Chang"—not ONLY confusing but extremely racist-sounding and stupid. Imagine reading a story about Jon Jin and Jen Jan, or Tom Tum and Tim Tam.
Also into that "abusive wife" stuff, where one or the other of the CCs got married just because the other or the one did, rather than for love or any of that. I find such stories loathsome on principle.
5. Buy a Father
Abusive man sells his "services" as a father to a boy, . Gross to read, end doesn't justify the means.
6. Four Generals
Prince Chang wanders the kingdom to gauge how things are and meets/is rescued by four men: Tang, Wang, Mang, and Lang. Not a joke, but definitely a *gag*. Also, they have cents, because accurate China is accurate.
The story itself isn't too bad: the four men the prince met on his journey demonstrate their cunning against the invading enemy, which I had thought quite clever when I'd first read the story. Results that cannot be replicated, maybe, but using nonviolent tactics to defeat the enemy is pretty good in my book.
7. The Rain King's Daughter
The Rain King gives the Chinese King his daughter, who pulls a sort of Mulan in a pinch (reminiscent of Tang's tactic in the prior story), but when a jealous general reminds the King that THE LAW says "No Girls Allowed" and is faced with the prospect of having to put the girl to death, the King is suddenly swallowed up by the river and is never seen again.
Honestly sort of hard to read and a little forgettable (one of the stories I didn't remember in all my prior many unrecorded re-reads).
8. Many Wives
Emperor is informed by way of minced words that the best way to squash rebellion is through "Marriage." Said emperor marries literally every girl in the land, such that all would-be rebels have second thoughts about stirring up trouble, what with ALL OF THEM being the emperor's father-in-law.
Enemy barbarian gets the gumption to say, "Hey, Emperor, props to you having so many wives. Can I bum one?" Emperor sends him the prettiest one (by way of a scam on the part of the ugliest one to bribe the artist into making her look better, and the prettiest one's refusal to bribe said artist and artist's resulting hideous portrait of her that made the emperor think she was the ugliest one).
The prettiest one, en route to the barbarian, slips away and is never seen by either barbarian nor emperor again, except for an actually accurate portrait of her that somehow makes it back to the emperor, who has some regrets.
SO BORING. No wonder I didn't remember it.
9. That Lazy Ah Fun
Another story about the father coddling the misbehaving beloved son, who "really" invented . Especially good as a Ba Sing Se story instead of a Chinese story, since it briefly involves toad claws, which are only even remotely a real thing in Africa.
I'm pretty convinced now that my prior re-reads never got farther than "Four Generals."
10. The Moon Maiden
King believes so highly in fortunetelling that he discovers his daughter will be taken by a dragon and offers her hand to the one who can slay the dragon before she is taken away. One particular suitor (Prince Ting Tsun) goes so far as to crossdress as the princess and be taken to the moon in her place, where he meets the Moon Maiden, who explains how to kill the dragon King.
The prince does so but feels regret about leaving the Moon Maiden, until honour stays his course (by slaying the dragon, he is legally betrothed to the princess), and he returns to Earth. When he returns, he finds that the princess is married to another—the king has broken his promise. Instead, the prince finds a friendly demon who gives him phoenix wings such that he might find his way back to the moon.
...*okay* story but still forgettable. I mean, it might be one of the better ones, and memory just makes the first few look better, but I can't say for certain by now.
11. Ah Tcha the Sleeper
Okay, I remember this one. Miraculously wealthy orphan is a ridiculously cruel taskmaster and goes so far as to beat a cat for not getting after the rats. Cat turns out to be a shapeshifting witch, who curses him to sleep eleven hours out of every twelve. Orphan is quickly made destitute, leaving him with only a small hut surrounded by bushes.
Cat is then chased by a dragon and can only get away by hiding in the bushes. Once the dragon goes away, the witch comes out and comes across the orphan again, scolding him for being asleep (apparently having forgotten cursing him). He makes some tea from the leaves of the bushes and gives it to her, then drinks some for himself, slowly finding that it staves off his sleepiness. He then becomes rich again selling "Ah Tcha's drink" or "cha."
As ridiculous as the chopsticks, but at least it's a little closer in linguistic accuracy.
12. I Wish It Would Rain
I don't! Our window is leaking!
I... remember the illustration of the pretty girl (Tiao Fu) cutting her hair to sell to entertain the KING WHO RANDOMLY SHOWS UP AT HER HOUSE. What I didn't remember was the whole
"Hey, that was funny how you sold your hair to feed me, be my wife."
"k"
and that, once married to the king, Tiao Fu actually finds herself missing the nonstop rains of her home. The king goes through ridiculous lengths to give the drought-ridden land pseudo-rain to please Tiao Fu that, when an enemy invades, one of the generals who was fed up with marching to make fake thunder instead goes on to hunt rebels, only returning to find the king having been ousted in the meantime, the (empty) treasury raided and Tiao Fu taken.
Again... "okay" story, but I'm absolutely going to forget it without having written this review.
13. High as Han Hsin
A convoluted tale about the invention of the kite, similar to prior stories in how the main character (Han Hsin) uses cunning to outsmart the enemy; the kite is used to scare the enemy away. There's a bit more to it than that, but I'd rather not just write out a summary, especially when it's kind of dull to rewrite. (I mean, the story is perfectly fine, but the rewriting task is dull.)
14. Contrary Chueh Chun
A man who took Opposite Day too far. It's actually pretty frustrating to read! However did he get married?
Wait, I know. They just get married because "they're supposed to do that." (See: Chop-Sticks.)
15. Pies of the Princess
Ah, I'm starting to remember. I guess the middle of the book was just where I would fall asleep.
Princess Chin Uor has by far the worst name, as a horrible etymon for "china" as in dishware, which is what her mudpies become. Also, "Wing Dow" as the creator of windows.
GUH.
16. As Hai Low Kept House
A ridiculous twist on Ah Mee, where Hai Lee saves up and buys a house and lets his brother Hai Low watch it while he is out. Hai Low follows Hai Lee's orders to the letter:
- Hai Lee says not to let any harm come to the house. A fox gets under the house, and hunters offer to dig it out, but Hai Low forbids them, since it might harm the house.
- Hai Lee is frustrated that Hai Low doesn't understand the danger a fox stood for their chickens, so he says to let the hunters dig. Hai Low then asks the next people he sees if they wish to dig out the fox, so they gladly rob him.
- Hai Lee catches the thieves and is upset with Hai Low, telling him never again to let strangers into the house. Hai Low then chases off an old man who knocks at the door, pouring hot water on him.
- Hai Lee gets mad and says that was a wealthy grandfather who was going to leave them money...
...and so on. One endless string of bad decisions made from following directions exactly, with counter directions that lead to more bad decisions from following directions exactly. SOMEHOW this has a "happy" ending where Hai Low becomes king, but it's stupid.
On the whole: Again, I can enjoy *some* of the stories if I pretend they have nothing to do with China (because, they don't), and I suspect that part of the reason this got a Newbery medal is he was probably one of the first (white) people to bring Chinese culture to English-speaking audiences. Could it have been better researched, and less awful? Definitely. Did I *hate* the book? Only a little, and retroactively. Like, some sensitivity readers might be able to "modernise" this book to make the stories less terrible for contemporary audiences.
Would it be worthwhile? Couldn't say. Better off reading Avatar: The Last Airbender or The Legend of Korra.
Edit to add: Forgot to mention, this edition is better AND worse than the other:
+smells less of old newsprint
+nicer type
-cover design completely unrepresentative of the contents
By all accounts, I should be giving it a one-star review, but hear me out—pretend this is Shen of the Land: Ba Sing Se Stories for Earthbenders, and the stories are fine. That said, I AM docking a star to reflect my disappointment, that the older reader I am now can see all the flaws in the stories (mostly, that it pretends to be Chinese stories told to a white guy who has "kindly" localised them), even as the stories themselves are still largely intact from when I first read them.
Even as the names are cringy and the "Chinese" only occasionally correct (e.g. "loong" is definitely an accepted transliteration of "dragon", and "bai shu"—not pai shu—seems to be the preferred spelling, but "tieh tieh"... COULD be "daddy/papa" in the sense that maybe SOMEBODY does call their father that the way somebody might call their grandmother Gigi or G-ma, but it's not corroborated by any online sources).
The main thing I wanted to do was review the stories individually:
1. Ah Mee's Invention
A traditional "roundabout tale of how ___ was really invented" that's, frankly, ridiculous. What I did remember about it, which seemed both clever and idiotic, was how Ah Mee specifically did what he was NOT told to do (as distinct from NOT doing what he was told to do): he was told not to play dragon in the cabbages, therefore he instead played elephant in the cabbages. What's wrong with these adults being so specific in their instructions? "DO NOT PLAY IN THE CABBAGES." End of problem... and end of story.
2. Shen of the Sea
The titular story, about sea demons who wanted to claim a large below-sea-level plain for their territory, and the king who tricked them out of it, although he was an idiot for... look, if you have something important that should NEVER be opened, why would you leave it in a drawer where some ignorant (literally, unaware) bumpkin could find and open it, even IF you are counting on the demons' similar ignorance ().
3. How Wise Were the Old Men
Not very! They proclaimed Meng Hu would both meet his undoing and his salvation by animals, and that's kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy. That's a bit like if I got a prediction I would die by "Happenstance." Also kind of a boring read.
I'm giving a vague benefit of the doubt, that maybe Chrisman TRIED to do due diligence in his research but at best got one Chinese immigrant who taught him poorly based on their own minimal understanding (imagine getting a third- or fourth-generation immigrant teaching you Spanish, possibly). I mean, it'd be a bit like ME teaching you about Asian culture, when I've admittedly had almost none of it growing up! I only remember a few things by heart and have to consult online helpers for what I don't remember but *think* I can cobble together.
4. Chop-Sticks
Another "how ___ was really invented" that's pretty flimsy, since it stems from the king's fear of utensils (knife, fork, spoon) which were... MUCH more recent inventions than chopsticks. Also super insulting, since the main characters are "Ching Chung" and "Cheng Chang"—not ONLY confusing but extremely racist-sounding and stupid. Imagine reading a story about Jon Jin and Jen Jan, or Tom Tum and Tim Tam.
Also into that "abusive wife" stuff, where one or the other of the CCs got married just because the other or the one did, rather than for love or any of that. I find such stories loathsome on principle.
5. Buy a Father
Abusive man sells his "services" as a father to a boy, . Gross to read, end doesn't justify the means.
6. Four Generals
Prince Chang wanders the kingdom to gauge how things are and meets/is rescued by four men: Tang, Wang, Mang, and Lang. Not a joke, but definitely a *gag*. Also, they have cents, because accurate China is accurate.
The story itself isn't too bad: the four men the prince met on his journey demonstrate their cunning against the invading enemy, which I had thought quite clever when I'd first read the story. Results that cannot be replicated, maybe, but using nonviolent tactics to defeat the enemy is pretty good in my book.
7. The Rain King's Daughter
The Rain King gives the Chinese King his daughter, who pulls a sort of Mulan in a pinch (reminiscent of Tang's tactic in the prior story), but when a jealous general reminds the King that THE LAW says "No Girls Allowed" and is faced with the prospect of having to put the girl to death, the King is suddenly swallowed up by the river and is never seen again.
Honestly sort of hard to read and a little forgettable (one of the stories I didn't remember in all my prior many unrecorded re-reads).
8. Many Wives
Emperor is informed by way of minced words that the best way to squash rebellion is through "Marriage." Said emperor marries literally every girl in the land, such that all would-be rebels have second thoughts about stirring up trouble, what with ALL OF THEM being the emperor's father-in-law.
Enemy barbarian gets the gumption to say, "Hey, Emperor, props to you having so many wives. Can I bum one?" Emperor sends him the prettiest one (by way of a scam on the part of the ugliest one to bribe the artist into making her look better, and the prettiest one's refusal to bribe said artist and artist's resulting hideous portrait of her that made the emperor think she was the ugliest one).
The prettiest one, en route to the barbarian, slips away and is never seen by either barbarian nor emperor again, except for an actually accurate portrait of her that somehow makes it back to the emperor, who has some regrets.
SO BORING. No wonder I didn't remember it.
9. That Lazy Ah Fun
Another story about the father coddling the misbehaving beloved son, who "really" invented . Especially good as a Ba Sing Se story instead of a Chinese story, since it briefly involves toad claws, which are only even remotely a real thing in Africa.
I'm pretty convinced now that my prior re-reads never got farther than "Four Generals."
10. The Moon Maiden
King believes so highly in fortunetelling that he discovers his daughter will be taken by a dragon and offers her hand to the one who can slay the dragon before she is taken away. One particular suitor (Prince Ting Tsun) goes so far as to crossdress as the princess and be taken to the moon in her place, where he meets the Moon Maiden, who explains how to kill the dragon King.
The prince does so but feels regret about leaving the Moon Maiden, until honour stays his course (by slaying the dragon, he is legally betrothed to the princess), and he returns to Earth. When he returns, he finds that the princess is married to another—the king has broken his promise. Instead, the prince finds a friendly demon who gives him phoenix wings such that he might find his way back to the moon.
...*okay* story but still forgettable. I mean, it might be one of the better ones, and memory just makes the first few look better, but I can't say for certain by now.
11. Ah Tcha the Sleeper
Okay, I remember this one. Miraculously wealthy orphan is a ridiculously cruel taskmaster and goes so far as to beat a cat for not getting after the rats. Cat turns out to be a shapeshifting witch, who curses him to sleep eleven hours out of every twelve. Orphan is quickly made destitute, leaving him with only a small hut surrounded by bushes.
Cat is then chased by a dragon and can only get away by hiding in the bushes. Once the dragon goes away, the witch comes out and comes across the orphan again, scolding him for being asleep (apparently having forgotten cursing him). He makes some tea from the leaves of the bushes and gives it to her, then drinks some for himself, slowly finding that it staves off his sleepiness. He then becomes rich again selling "Ah Tcha's drink" or "cha."
As ridiculous as the chopsticks, but at least it's a little closer in linguistic accuracy.
12. I Wish It Would Rain
I don't! Our window is leaking!
I... remember the illustration of the pretty girl (Tiao Fu) cutting her hair to sell to entertain the KING WHO RANDOMLY SHOWS UP AT HER HOUSE. What I didn't remember was the whole
"Hey, that was funny how you sold your hair to feed me, be my wife."
"k"
and that, once married to the king, Tiao Fu actually finds herself missing the nonstop rains of her home. The king goes through ridiculous lengths to give the drought-ridden land pseudo-rain to please Tiao Fu that, when an enemy invades, one of the generals who was fed up with marching to make fake thunder instead goes on to hunt rebels, only returning to find the king having been ousted in the meantime, the (empty) treasury raided and Tiao Fu taken.
Again... "okay" story, but I'm absolutely going to forget it without having written this review.
13. High as Han Hsin
A convoluted tale about the invention of the kite, similar to prior stories in how the main character (Han Hsin) uses cunning to outsmart the enemy; the kite is used to scare the enemy away. There's a bit more to it than that, but I'd rather not just write out a summary, especially when it's kind of dull to rewrite. (I mean, the story is perfectly fine, but the rewriting task is dull.)
14. Contrary Chueh Chun
A man who took Opposite Day too far. It's actually pretty frustrating to read! However did he get married?
Wait, I know. They just get married because "they're supposed to do that." (See: Chop-Sticks.)
15. Pies of the Princess
Ah, I'm starting to remember. I guess the middle of the book was just where I would fall asleep.
Princess Chin Uor has by far the worst name, as a horrible etymon for "china" as in dishware, which is what her mudpies become. Also, "Wing Dow" as the creator of windows.
GUH.
16. As Hai Low Kept House
A ridiculous twist on Ah Mee, where Hai Lee saves up and buys a house and lets his brother Hai Low watch it while he is out. Hai Low follows Hai Lee's orders to the letter:
- Hai Lee says not to let any harm come to the house. A fox gets under the house, and hunters offer to dig it out, but Hai Low forbids them, since it might harm the house.
- Hai Lee is frustrated that Hai Low doesn't understand the danger a fox stood for their chickens, so he says to let the hunters dig. Hai Low then asks the next people he sees if they wish to dig out the fox, so they gladly rob him.
- Hai Lee catches the thieves and is upset with Hai Low, telling him never again to let strangers into the house. Hai Low then chases off an old man who knocks at the door, pouring hot water on him.
- Hai Lee gets mad and says that was a wealthy grandfather who was going to leave them money...
...and so on. One endless string of bad decisions made from following directions exactly, with counter directions that lead to more bad decisions from following directions exactly. SOMEHOW this has a "happy" ending where Hai Low becomes king, but it's stupid.
On the whole: Again, I can enjoy *some* of the stories if I pretend they have nothing to do with China (because, they don't), and I suspect that part of the reason this got a Newbery medal is he was probably one of the first (white) people to bring Chinese culture to English-speaking audiences. Could it have been better researched, and less awful? Definitely. Did I *hate* the book? Only a little, and retroactively. Like, some sensitivity readers might be able to "modernise" this book to make the stories less terrible for contemporary audiences.
Would it be worthwhile? Couldn't say. Better off reading Avatar: The Last Airbender or The Legend of Korra.
Edit to add: Forgot to mention, this edition is better AND worse than the other:
+smells less of old newsprint
+nicer type
-cover design completely unrepresentative of the contents
January 14, 2025
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December 23, 2012
Really this book is 2.5 stars, but I decided to be nice and round up.
My enjoyment of the book definitely suffered because of what I wanted the book to be in comparison to what it actually was. As a book of short stories and humorous tales it succeeds more often than not. It is not the best short story collection I've ever read, and I'm not a huge fan of short stories, so this is not going to be anywhere near the top of my "best Newbery winners" list, but the stories themselves were generally enjoyable. The writing style was a bit choppy in places, but there were some genuinely funny turns of phrases here and there, and the stories were more-or-less clever. If I don't see evidence of genius, at least, from a purely readability sense, it's not a bad book.
My large problem with the book basically boils down to it having been written in 1925. Understanding of cultural appropriation, accuracy in cultural representation, and how and why someone can say that a story is "Chinese" have changed radically in the last 90 years. None of these stories, as far as I can tell, are actually authentically Chinese. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, a Newbery Honor book in 2010, also features Chinese folktales. But that modern book makes it clear that the author was "inspired" by the tales and is now using them in her own way to tell a slightly different story (which she does fabulously). Here, however, Chrisman presents the stories simply as "Chinese", yet appears to have made them up wholesale. Contemporary practice says that you cannot say that your stories are "Chinese Stories" simply because you chose to set them in China, a land Chrisman had never visited. A land he had apparently never researched either, because there were several little things that even I, who know very little about China, noticed was wrong. Several of the names were clearly written to be "funny" - Hai Low or Ah Fun for example - which is not really appropriate. It's one thing when someone from a culture pokes gentle fun, but it's a significantly different manner when someone from outside that culture does so.
My enjoyment of the book definitely suffered because of what I wanted the book to be in comparison to what it actually was. As a book of short stories and humorous tales it succeeds more often than not. It is not the best short story collection I've ever read, and I'm not a huge fan of short stories, so this is not going to be anywhere near the top of my "best Newbery winners" list, but the stories themselves were generally enjoyable. The writing style was a bit choppy in places, but there were some genuinely funny turns of phrases here and there, and the stories were more-or-less clever. If I don't see evidence of genius, at least, from a purely readability sense, it's not a bad book.
My large problem with the book basically boils down to it having been written in 1925. Understanding of cultural appropriation, accuracy in cultural representation, and how and why someone can say that a story is "Chinese" have changed radically in the last 90 years. None of these stories, as far as I can tell, are actually authentically Chinese. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, a Newbery Honor book in 2010, also features Chinese folktales. But that modern book makes it clear that the author was "inspired" by the tales and is now using them in her own way to tell a slightly different story (which she does fabulously). Here, however, Chrisman presents the stories simply as "Chinese", yet appears to have made them up wholesale. Contemporary practice says that you cannot say that your stories are "Chinese Stories" simply because you chose to set them in China, a land Chrisman had never visited. A land he had apparently never researched either, because there were several little things that even I, who know very little about China, noticed was wrong. Several of the names were clearly written to be "funny" - Hai Low or Ah Fun for example - which is not really appropriate. It's one thing when someone from a culture pokes gentle fun, but it's a significantly different manner when someone from outside that culture does so.
January 21, 2021
Sometimes it felt like the author was just trying too hard to make these appeal to Americans, and the stories dragged a little in the attempt to be funny.
If you can only read one, I preferred Sweet and Sour: Tales from China by Li Yao-Wen and Carrol Kendall, and if you can read a collection of stories woven into another story, then Grace Lin's trilogy Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is lovely.
That said, why limit yourself to just one or two Chinese folk and hero tale collections? In this collection, I particularly enjoyed the story of the four generals and the tale of rain king's daughter. The illustrations, silhouettes, were charming.
If you can only read one, I preferred Sweet and Sour: Tales from China by Li Yao-Wen and Carrol Kendall, and if you can read a collection of stories woven into another story, then Grace Lin's trilogy Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is lovely.
That said, why limit yourself to just one or two Chinese folk and hero tale collections? In this collection, I particularly enjoyed the story of the four generals and the tale of rain king's daughter. The illustrations, silhouettes, were charming.
May 27, 2009
I stopped reading this book after about 1 and a half stories. I found the stories slightly interesting, but got a little hung over the names and places. They were so different from anything I was used to and I had a hard time keeping them straight. I eventually fell asleep while reading this book and never picked it up again. I only feel slightly bad because it is a Newbery Medal. I might recommend this book, it just wasn't for me.
*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2009...
*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2009...
December 16, 2015
Newbery Medal Winner--1926
This is the second collection of stories to be awarded the Newbery medal, and like the previous, this one comes from a culture rich in history and story. Many of the stories explain things important to Chinese culture--how chopsticks came to be used, how firecrackers and kites were invented, why plates are called "china." My favorite is probably the story that this collection takes its title from, "Shen of the Sea," a story about water demons who threaten to flood a kingdom and are instead entrapped in a bottle by the clever king. An interesting collection.
This is the second collection of stories to be awarded the Newbery medal, and like the previous, this one comes from a culture rich in history and story. Many of the stories explain things important to Chinese culture--how chopsticks came to be used, how firecrackers and kites were invented, why plates are called "china." My favorite is probably the story that this collection takes its title from, "Shen of the Sea," a story about water demons who threaten to flood a kingdom and are instead entrapped in a bottle by the clever king. An interesting collection.
September 10, 2017
It's a little hard for me to judge this one since I read it right after reading the previous Newbery winner, which is another collection of tales. These are also very cute and absurd, merely in a different setting. It was fun to read, and quite humorous at times. Sometimes it got a little slow, but collections of tales tend to do that when you're reading them in a bunch.
Edit: I saw some other reviews, and I didn't get the same vibe toward racism or cultural insensitivity that some other readers did. I found the stories goofy and playful, like most fairy tales.
Edit: I saw some other reviews, and I didn't get the same vibe toward racism or cultural insensitivity that some other readers did. I found the stories goofy and playful, like most fairy tales.
July 31, 2017
And the Newbery Winner read/re-read continues. Another early one, and not a good one. A book of unauthentic Chinese folktales told in such a way to make fun of the culture. At best Shaggy Dog stories. There were some that held my attention for a bit, but most of them were just a slog. And besides the dumb names which were clearly chosen to amuse someone by their play on language for English, they also got details about pretty much everything wrong for China. And yet told one at a time these stories might have worked read aloud with small details changed.
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