Asia Books - Page 4

The Seven Chinese Brothers (Blue Ribbon Book)

Margaret Mahy

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

The Seven Chinese Brothers 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Have you read the book called "The Seven Chinese Brothers"?
The story is mainly about seven brothers who want to help people. Each brother has a special gift of power. Each of the brothers gets in trouble and help each other when they get in trouble. I hope you like it.

My Son Liked This Book a Lot... 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

... and that's the best review I can give it. We read it together in the Spanish-language edition, with the same colorful illustrations. If there's a moral to the story, it has to do with solidarity between the brothers, recognition of differing skills, appreciation of each other's worth.

There's another book called The Five Chinese Brothers, which perhaps teaches the same lessons in a less 'terrifying' narrative. My thought is that both books belong in a good children's library, along with the story of the Chinese girl who goes to war in her father's stead. American children deserve some taste of the heroism of China to counteract the still-rampant discrimination against all things Chinese.

Editorial Review:

Bold, colorful, and historically accurate illustrations adorn a classic Chinese folktale, in which seven brothers use their supernatural gifts to overpower a cruel emperor. Reprint. SLJ. AB.

So Far from the Bamboo Grove

Yoko Kawashima Watkins

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 86 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Compelling Japanese viewpoint of Pacific War and Korean Occupation 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 5 people found this review helpful.

A detailed and compelling memoir. Eleven-year-old Yoko and her family must move from Naman, North Korea, at the end of World War II and the end of the Japanese Occupation of Korea. The father is imprisoned, son is separated, mother is ill, and she and two daughters take a journey of peril, separation, poverty and hunger to be repatriated to Japan. Once there, they live in a bomb ruin and attempt to go to school (befriended by the janitor who saves her paper and pencil stubs) while mother searches for son and husband. Shelved in Young Adult, but a compelling, informative read for adults.

So Far from the Bamboo Grove 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I think this book was fair. It wasn't fabulous but it wasn't bad. I disliked it because Yoko was always complaining about everything. Even about the littlest things Yoko would constantly complain about them. I found that very irritating. I liked the book because it was very detailed and discriptive. As I was reading, I could visualize everything so easily. I found that to be very helpful to understand the book.

Editorial Review:

A fictionalized autobiography in which eleven-year-old Yoko escapes from Korea to Japan with her mother and sister at the end of World War II.

The Korean Cinderella (Trophy Picture Books)

Shirley Climo

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Subjects -> Children's Books -> Literature -> Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths -> Asian

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

A decent story with somewhat offensive illustrations 2 out of 5 stars.
20 of 28 people found this review helpful.

On one level I enjoyed this picture book-- the story is engaging, the illustrations are rich, vibrant, and seem to jump off the page, and it's apparent that the author did some research before writing this book. However, on another level, I was offended by the subtle racist undertones of one Westerner's portrayal of an "ethnic" Cinderella story. The feel of the story is "exotic"-- indeed, the story begins: "Long ago in Korea, when magical creatures were as common as cabbages..."

(The exotic East as seen through the eyes of the West-- and so the story continues.)
The illustrations, while they try to be faithful to the feel of traditional Korea, also exude a subtle racist undertone-- the illustrator clearly does not know how to draw Asian faces. The facial features are distorted and the eyes are too slanted. The illustrator drew from her perception of what Asian faces should look like-- yellow skin, slanted eyes-- and exaggerated these features.

I'd rather read a Korean Cinderella story written and illustrated by a Korean writer and illustrator.

As a sidenote-- Shirley Climo and Ruth Heller have also written/illustrated an Egyptian Cinderella. I have many of the same complaints with this story as well. Once again, there are racist undertones in both the story and the illustrations.

As a second sidenote-- if you're looking for an "ethnic" Cinderella story, _Yen-Shen: A Cinderella Story from China_ is excellent. It is a retelling of the first recorded Cinderella story (written some time during 618-907 AD). Thus, as the forward states: "Cinderella seems to have made her way to Europe from Asia."

Editorial Review:

‘Climo and Heller conflate several Korean variants of Cinderella to offer up the story of Pear Blossom, a lovely girl who is sorely mistreated by her nasty stepmother and stepsister.… At once comfortingly familiar and intriguingly exotic, the text is especially noteworthy for its instructive but unobtrusive incorporation of Korean words.’—Publishers Weekly. ‘Heller’s paintings are exotically lush and colorful as well as engaging.… An agreeable retelling of the Cinderella story.’ —BL.

Notable 1994 Children's Trade Books in Social Studies (NCSS/CBC)

Mud City

Deborah Ellis

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Fourteen-year-old Shauzia dreams of seeing the ocean and eventually making a new life in France, but it is hard to reconcile that dream with the terrible conditions of the Afghan refugee camp where she lives. Making things worse is the camp’s leader, Mrs. Weera, whose demands on Shauzia make her need to escape all the more urgent. Her decision to leave necessitates Shauzia dress like a boy, as her friend Parvana did, to earn money to buy passage out. But her journey becomes a struggle to survive as she's forced to beg and pick through garbage, eventually landing in jail. An apparent rescue by a well-meaning American family gives her hope again, but will it last? And where will she end up? Mud City is the final book in the acclaimed trilogy that includes The Breadwinner (a best-seller) and Parvana's Journey. It paints a devastating portrait of life in refugee camps, where so many children around the world are trapped, some for their whole lives. But it also tells movingly of these kids' resourcefulness and strength, which help them survive these unimaginable circumstances.

Hush! A Thai Lullaby

Minfong Ho

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 22 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Lyrical Magic 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The little ones I read this to absolutely delight in the gentle, rolling rhythms of Hush! It's become a pre-nap favorite in their house.

Love it! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

My husband is from Thailand and we were having a hard time finding books that were for children with Thai themes. This was perfect. Our 1 year old son enjoys the colorful pages and the story is just the right length. I actually enjoy all childrens books by this author.

my 22 month old is mesmerized by this lovely book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

My 22 month old son loves many books, but this one has been a stand-out since the first read. He keeps asking for it "again" at the ending and has started to take it to bed with him. I was initially surprised, but now I also love the rhythmic pace and gentle story.

Good bedtime story 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I enjoy exposing my children to different cultures. This book is a simple and wonderful way to show children life in a small village in Thailand. A mother is trying to put her baby to sleep. The indigenous animals make noise, and the mother hushes each of them.

There is onomatopoeia as each animal makes its own unique sound. The rhymes flow soothingly, and the repetitive phrases let the kids participate in the "reading" of the book.

My only criticism is that some of the animal noises are not very soothing if the book is being used as a bedtime story. As the book progresses (and the children get sleepier), the animals become progressively louder. The book does end on a calming note, but sometimes my kids get worked up by the animal sounds, and the bedtime story has the opposite affect.

Editorial Review:

Vivid ink and cut-paper illustrations accompany the bedtime story in rhyme of one mother's efforts to keep all the animals--from the mosquito to the elephant--quiet when their noise threatens to wake up her baby.

Crow Boy

Taro Yashima

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A Must Read for Teachers 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

This story was first read to me by a colleague. A very enlightening and heartwarming story "Crow Boy" forces readers to reflect on the importance of considering individual differences within classroom settings. A child's potential can only be fulfilled when we consider all of their interests and needs. Every teacher must have a personal copy. I am going to get mine.

Entertainment to grow your child's heart and soul 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This book encourages compassion and awareness of the natural world. It is a healthy change for children who are used to overstimulating action books and videogames.

A must read 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 4 people found this review helpful.

all of my classmates told me to get a copy of this book "Crow Boy" by Taro Yashima, so i did. when i started reading it, tears flowed from my eyes, it really is "a-must-read"

this book should be recommended for all students and teachers, it'll teach you a moral lesson you'll never forget.

Editorial Review:

"A shy mountain boy in Japan leaves his home at dawn and returns at sunset to go to the village school. Pictures and text of moving and harmonious simplicity."--Saturday Review. Caldecott Honor Book. Full-color illustrations.

The Cat Who Went to Heaven

Elizabeth Coatsworth

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 40 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Stuck with me for 20 years 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is one of the best children's books I've ever read. I came across it at my school's library many, many years ago and must have read it 10 times before returning it. I haven't seen it for 20 years, but I think of it often... maybe its time to pick up a copy again!

Editorial Review:

In ancient Japan, a struggling artist is angered when his housekeeper brings home a tiny white cat he can barely afford to feed. But when the village's head priest commissions a painting of the Buddha for a healthy sum, the artist softens toward the animal he believes has brought him luck.

According to legend, the proud and haughty cat was denied the Buddha's blessing for refusing to accept his teachings and pay him homage. So when the artist, moved by compassion for his pet, includes the cat in his painting, the priest rejects the work and decrees that it must be destroyed. It seems the artist's life is ruined as well -- until he is rewarded for his act of love by a Buddhist miracle.

This timeless fable has been a classic since its first publication in 1930, and this beautifully reillustrated edition brings the magic and wonder of the tale to a new generation of readers.

Archer's Quest

Linda Sue Park

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Helping historical Korean figures is not for the weak! 4 out of 5 stars.
6 of 9 people found this review helpful.

I just cannot for the life of me figure out what to do with Linda Sue Park. Some authors write books that are spot-on gold all the time. Others can't churn out a decent title no matter how hard they try. Then there's Linda Sue Park. Garnering a coveted Newbery award early in her career, Park has had the unenviable job of showing the world that she remains worthy of that honor with every subsequent book she writes. I liked "A Single Shard", but somewhere in the back of my brain was the niggling suspicion that since I'm twenty-seven-years-old my response probably would have been different had I been a ten-year-old who had to read it in school. Ditto my response to "The Mulberry Project", in which silkworms, rather than pottery, were the name of the game. As if hearing my silent plea, Park has now come out with the far more kid friendly (but still darned informative) "Archer's Quest". The set-up is good, the story interesting, and the book a short sweet ride. You'd think I'd be in seventh heaven. Instead, I'm torn. On the one hand, it's difficult to criticize an author who takes as much time and attention as Ms. Park does with her work. On the other hand, something about "Archer's Quest" failed to grab me right from the get-go. Maybe it's the fact that Park has written a story found in so many other children's books. Maybe it's the low-key action. Whatever the case, "Archer's Quest" makes for a mighty fine read. It just didn't have that extra little oomph it needed to make it beloved.

You think your day's been crummy? You've got nothing on Kevin. Sure, today was a half-day at school, but is he able to appreciate it? Not a chance. The year is 1999 and Kevin is bored out of his skull with only a bouncy ball to keep him company. Next thing you know Kevin's cap is hanging from an arrow sticking straight out of the wall. The arrow, in turn, belongs to a very oddly dressed man who is eyeing Kevin suspiciously and has his next arrow aimed at the boy in question. Turns out that the man is the great Korean historical figure Koh Chu-mong. Part Robin Hood part King Arthur, Chu-mong has somehow landed smack dab in Archie's bedroom some 2,054 years into the future. Kevin, may be of Korean descent, but he doesn't sufficiently know his Korean history to know enough about Chu-mong (who requests that he be called Archer, shortened by Kevin to "Archie") to help him back to his own time. Together the two must discover everything they can about Korean history, magic, the Chinese Zodiac, and some basic math before the year of the Tiger is up. And the year ends that very night!

In a way, "Archer's Quest" is a historical novel. Sure it takes place in 1999, but that still places it firmly in the past. Park starts with a particularly interesting situation. You're in your bedroom, bored, and suddenly a hero from the past is looking to put an arrow in your heart. A great start, but a difficult one. Since the story must take place in the course of a single day, and since Kevin is such a realistic character that Park's afraid to ever put him into too much trouble, the story's action is downplayed. The most we get is an encounter with a real tiger, a race from a negligible enemy, and a run across a highway when the traffic has already been stopped. Her "villain" isn't even that villainous. Just misguided. Of course, limiting the action is Park's style. Therefore, if you've a kid who really got into "A Single Shard" or (more logically) "Project Mulberry", they are bound to enjoy this story just as much, if not more.

The concept of a historical or fictional figure bumming around the present isn't new, of course. Everything from "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" to "Inkheart" has used it to their advantage. Where Park diverges from the ordinary is in making her hero a Korean folk-hero. Kids who've never had the opportunity to learn of the adventures of Chu-mong will find much to learn about here. In this way, the book pairs nicely with another recent historical-man-to-whom-folk-tales-have-been-attached character, Dick Whittington, in Alan Armstrong's, "Whittington".

Ever attentive to supporting her stories with fact, Park includes a section on math in this story, while another attends to details involving Chu-mong, tigers, and RIT, and a bit on the zodiac. A Chinese Zodiac is located at the end of the book, and here I had a real problem with the book. Some children's books that discuss the Zodiac do what "Archer's Quest" did here and include each year with the dates ascribed to that year. For example, "The Rooster's Antlers: A Story of the Chinese Zodiac" by Eric A. Kimmel, includes a bunch of dates that fall within different animal years. The book is useful because these dates go a decade or two into the future. "Archer's Quest" on the other hand, stops at February 4, 2000. That's all well and good if the kiddies want to know what animal is ascribed to the year of their birth, but does absolutely no good if they want to know what the current year in the zodiac is. Obviously it stops around 1999 because that's when the story takes place. However, it would be heads and tales more interesting if it bothered to go a little bit into the future. Even if it were just a decade.

None of this is to say that the book doesn't make for a good read. Linda Sue Park is first and foremost a premier children's book author and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. I just wish that this book had gotten a little more work done on it. It reads beautifully and will give a lot of enjoyment to some kids with the whole time-travel aspect. For others it will start out well, then peter off into the dull. A nice title but not my favorite Park accomplishment.

Editorial Review:

Kevin heard a man’s voice from somewhere on the other side of his room.
“Show me your hands, Strange One.”
A grim voice.
“Stand–slowly–and show me your hands.”

Kevin is trying to remember what he’s supposed to do if there’s an intruder in the house: stay calm, don’t look scared, call 911. At the same time, he’s doing his best to figure out how the heck some guy with a bow and arrows got into the room. The archer’s explanation–“I lost my balance, fell off the tiger, and landed here”–just adds to Kevin’s bewilderment.
The stranger’s astonishing arrival is only the beginning of a dazzling adventure. For the man, whom Kevin calls Archer or Archie, has come from a centuries-old Korean kingdom. And it’s up to Kevin to find a way to send him back through space and time . . . before history is changed forever.

The Chinese Siamese Cat

Amy Tan

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

"The Truth is," Ming Miao told her five kittens, "you are not Siamese cats but Chinese cats. As a matter of fact, one of our family's ancestors from a thousand cat lives ago was the famous feline Sagwa of China..."

One day Sagwa was napping in the Foolish Magistrate's study. From her perch high on a bookshelf, she heard the newest rule: No singing until the sun goes down. A terrible rule, Sagwa thought. After the Foolish Magistrate left the study, Sagwa jumped down from the bookshelf -- pwah! -- and landed right in the ink pot!

Sagwa was instantly covered with black ink, and before she knew what she was doing she rubbed her nose on the new rule, blotting out the word not. Now it ordered the people to sing all day -- until the sun went down.

When the people heard this new rule, they were thrilled. They raised their voices in song, praising the Foolish Magistrate for thinking of them. And when the Foolish Magistrate heard their praise, his heart warmed. From that day on, he was a wise magistrate. And Sagwa became the greatest of felines!

Gretchen Schield's detailed, colorful paintings bring Amy Tan's charming story to wonderful life, making The Chinese Siamese Cat a book to be treasured for generations to come.

Daughter of the Mountains (Newbery Library, Puffin)

Louise S. Rankin

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

So glad it's still in print! 5 out of 5 stars.
12 of 12 people found this review helpful.

I read this book voraciously from start to finish when I was in 7th grade and have never forgotten it. It illustrates how important it is to have faith in a dream and to go after what you want even when everyone tells you it's impossible. And if you've ever dearly loved a pet, this is the story for you.

Momo, a young Tibetian girl, yearns to own a Lhasa Apso, but an expensive pedigree dog like that is beyond her family's meager budget. Undaunted, Momo hopes and prays for one to come her way, certain that it will. Her faith and tenacity pay off when a traveling merchant presents her with an adorable Lhasa puppy, whom Momo promptly names Pempa. All is perfect in Momo's world until the day Pempa is stolen by thieves on their way to India. You will learn a lot about that part of the world as Momo tirelessly treks through Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, and finally India to retrieve her beloved pooch.

She stumbles into a lot of interesting characters along the way, making this story an even more enjoyable read.

Editorial Review:

Momo has always wanted a Lhasa terrier--a dog like the ones the Tibetan Buddhist priests hold sacred in their temples. When a trader brings Pempa to her parents' teahouse, Momo's dream comes true. Then a band of robbers steals the valuable dog, and to recover him, Momo must make a dangerous journey she may not survive. A Newbery Honor Book. Illustrated.