Just about every civilization has stories of creation. The myths and legends of the ancient Greeks and Romans are very well known, but these 12 myths from ancient China are just as fascinating. Between Pangu separating the sky from the earth and the Northern Emperor separating man from gods, we have an array of deities as busy and colorful as those in Greek and Roman myths. They create men out of clay, mend the broken sky after the flood, and shoot down suns so that life on earth will not die.Inspired by the art of the Ming Dynasty, this is a wonderful collection of Chinese myths of creation, illustrated by award-winning artist Song Nan Zhang.
China
Materials from China
The Story Of Kites
Long ago in China, three brothers become tired of chasing birds from their family’s rice fields and experiment with ways to make the job easier.
Kubla Khan
Always cast in a supporting role in the many books about Marco Polo, the great Kubla Khan now takes center stage in a splendid picture-book biography. He is a wonderful subject, Ã man who liked to live large, building the imperial city of Beijing from scratch, siring a hundred children, throwing birthday bashes for 40,000 guests. He ruled over the greatest empire of the time, one that was lightyears ahead of Western civilization in terms of the arts, sciences, and technology. With astonishingly beautiful and detailed illustrations by Robert Byrd and a clever text by Kathleen Krull, this portrait finally gives Kubla Khan his due.
Weighing The Elephant (Folktale)
In a small Chinese village lives a baby elephant, Huan-huan. The evil Emperor issues an impossible puzzle: the villagers can save Huan-huan only if they can deduce how much it weighs. A child comes up with an ingenious, scientifically sound answer.
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.
China’s Bravest Girl: The Legend Of Hua Mu Lan
Legend of Hua Mu Lan who goes to war disguised as a man to save the family honor and becomes a great general.
White Tiger, Blue Serpent
When his mother’s beautiful brocade is snatched away by a greedy goddess, a young Chinese boy faces many perils as he attempts to get it back.
Willow Pattern Story, The
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.
The Cricket Warrior: A Chinese Tale
In order to save his family, a Chinese boy turns into a fighting cricket and becomes the emperor’s champion.
The Heavenly Horse
An emperor of China, who has forgotten how to smile, is told an unusual tale about a heavenly horse and learns what is really precious in his life.