Monkey Subdues the White-Bone Demon

by Hsing-pei Wang (Adaptation), Hung-pen Chao (Illustrator), Hsiao-tai Chien (Illustrator)

Traveling with his three followers to the West to Seek Buddhist scriptures, Hsuan-tsang meets the White-Bone Demon, who keeps changing herself into different human forms in order to catch and eat him. When Hsuan-tsang's follower Monkey sees through her disguises and tries to kill her, the deluded Hsuan-tsang sends him away, only to fall into the demon's clutches. At the last moment MOnkey returns to rescue him.

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens, Fiction, Mythology, Graphic Novels

110 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1964

Reviews

[Capn]

Monkey Subdues the White-bone Demon
Wang Hsing-pei, Foreign Language Press, Peking,
(available from Guanghwa Bookshop), 1976, 75p

A picture book with caption text. After many exciting escapades, including a fight to the death with Demon, Monkey emerges victorious and vindicated. The intrinsic charm of the legend, the strong story line, and the detailed illustrations overcome the mixed quality of the text for most children of upper junior and lower secondary age. It is a good transition book for inexperienced readers.

Books for Keeps 4 Sept 1980

[Carrie]

When I was in elementary school, my dad took me to a used book shop in DuPont Circle and bought me this book. I'm not sure it is a children's book, but it had pictures. I remember being a little confused by the stories... they were probably not meant for such a young reader. Haven't thought about it in a long time, but saw it on Neil Gaiman's book list!

[Bollinger]

The prose is as spare as the illustrations are lavish.

[Atzin Nieto]

Una joyita bellamente ilustrada.

[Soho]

He's my childhood hero and I'll nevwr stop reading and re-reading them!

[maencharacter]

I had to rewrite this scene for my literature extension class

[Signor Mambrino]

This ended up on my shelf when I bought a box full of assorted books off a craigslister. It offers an interesting perspective on 1960s/1970s Chinese children's literature. Demons who lust after human flesh. A murderous monkey. Buddhism. Pretty cool actually.

I'll almost definitely read this to my own children when I have them.

[Aile]

I used to read this to my daughter as a bedtime story... It was fascinating to both of us.

[Nancy]

My copy is the 1973 Second edition.