The author retells a story heard as a child, one of many invented to explain the landscape on willow pattern china, popular for the last 200 years. In this, two young Chinese lovers are punished by one’s cruel mandarin father.
Primary (ages 6-9)
Material appropriate for primary age groups
The Real Story Of Stone Soup
When a crew of Chinese fishermen forget to bring cooking utensils with them, they find creative ways to make do with what they have and what they can find.
Sir Whong and the Golden Pig
When he manages to get a loan of 1000 nyung by giving a fake golden pig as collateral, a stranger thinks that he has outwitted the wise and generous Sir Whong.
The Beggar’s Magic: A Chinese Tale
Retells an ancient Chinese tale of magic in which unselfishness is rewarded.
Why Ducks Sleep On One Leg
A Vietnamese folktale explaining why ducks sleep on one leg.
The Story Of Chopsticks
When little Kai Kang cannot get enough to eat, he begins using sticks to grab food too hot for the hands, and soon all of China uses Kai zi, or chopsticks, in a humorous tale of how chopsticks may have been invented.
The Ancient Chinese (Worlds Of The Past)
Explores various aspects of ancient Chinese culture, including art, government, societal structure, religion, and everyday life.
Belching Hill
An old Japanese woman with a talent for making rice dumplings uses her wits to escape from a cavern filled with ogres.
The Painted Fan
When a brave maiden subdues a demon using a fan that had been given to her by her mother, she brings about the downfall of the tyrannical Lord Shang and reunites the imperial houses of Li and Chen.
The Story of Paper
After the Kang brothers get in trouble at school, they devise a way to make paper, which will make things easier for both their teacher and themselves, in a tale that includes a historical note and a recipe for home-made paper.