Picture Book Reviews
East Asian Fairy Tales
The beloved versions of enchanting fairy tales - from the classic Disney to Pixar reinventions - now assume an international twist and flair in these provided East Asian stories. Most written long before U.S. animations popularized the tales, the foreign fairy tales turn Cinderella’s well-known, plump fairy godmother into magical fish bones and the menacing, but secretly kind-hearted, Beast into a golden dragon. Also reimagining other tales like Little Red Riding Hood and Robin Hood, these East Asian fairy tales offer familiar stories with exquisite cultural undertones.
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The Korean Cinderella
Author: Climo, Shirley
Illustrator: Heller, Ruth Title: YThe Korean Cinderella ISBN: 978-0-064433-97-6 Place of Publication: New York Publisher: harperCollins Date of Publication: 1996 Number of Pages: 48 pages Recommended / Listed Price: $6.99 Review: As a retelling of one of the many Korean versions of the original story of Cinderella, Shirley Climo’s “The Korean Cinderella” portrays a similarly obedient girl who falls victim to a malevolent stepmother, Omoni, and stepsister, Peony. Nicknaming her “Pigling,” the stepfamily demands that Pear Blossom complete impossible chores. However, with the help of some magical animals, Pear Blossom accomplishes all the tasks to their surprise. A frog plugs the bottom of a leaky jug, so Pea Blossom can fetch water. Birds pick up the rice grains that Omoni scattered all over the courtyard. And an ox eats the weeds from the field of rice that Pear Blossom must weed before she can attend a festival. However, on her way to the village, she runs into the magistrate, loses her sandal in a stream, and dashes off. Did she catch the magistrate’s attention and unknowingly secure a “happily ever after”? Ultimately a tale about bullying and rewarded goodness, “The Korean Cinderella” depicts the magic of Pear Blossom’s world in elaborate illustrations that sometimes adorn entire pages. Picture book (Ages 5-9). Other East Asian Cinderella stories can be found collected as a motif of East Asian traditional literature on this website HERE. |
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Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China
Author: Young, Ed
Illustrator: Young, Ed Title: Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China ISBN: 978-0-698113-82-4 Place of Publication: New York Publisher: Philomel Books Date of Publication: 1989 Number of Pages: 32 pages Recommended / Listed Price: $6.99 Review: As a twist on the traditional Little Red Riding Hood story from China, Ed Young’s translated tale, entitled “Lon Po Po,” presents three sisters – Shang, Tao, and Paotze – home alone who welcome a wolf disguised as their grandmother, their Po Po. Crawling into bed with the fake Po Po, the increasingly skeptical children question the wolf’s claws and tail before catching a glimpse of his hairy face in the candlelight. Shang, the oldest and wisest sister, devises a plan to outsmart the wolf, convincing him that he must eat gingko nuts from the tree outside, since they promise everlasting life. Scampering up the tree, the children inform the wolf that in order for the food’s magic to work, one must pick the gingko nuts himself. With the wolf claiming old-age frailty as the reason for his inability to climb, the sisters hoist the wolf with a basket and a rope to the tree’s branches. What will the sisters do with the greedy wolf they have now captured? Winner of the Caldecott Medal, Young’s Chinese translation of the classic fairytale unfolds in paneled pages of muted illustrations. Picture book (Ages 5-8). |
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The Dragon Prince: A Chinese Beauty and the Beast Tale
Author: Yep, Laurence
Illustrator: Mak, Kam Title: The Dragon Prince: A Chinese Beauty and the Beast Tale ISBN: 978-0-064435-18-5 Place of Publication: New York Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers Date of Publication: 1997 Number of Pages: 32 pages Recommended / Listed Price: $6.99 Review: Wishing to find a bride, a golden dragon captures the father of seven daughters and threatens to eat him if one of his children does not agree to marry him. The eldest daughter, Seven, accepts the marriage proposal and is immediately whisked to the dragon’s undersea palace. At Seven’s realization of the dragon’s kindness and beauty, the dragon transforms into a handsome prince. Seven lives in luxury with servants and a loom that she uses to embroider golden dragons on shoes for her loving husband, but she is lonely. Allowed to return to her family for ten days, Seven offers them abundant food and riches, sparking the envy of her sister, Three. With a wicked scheme, Three pushes Seven into a river and replaces Seven, convincing the prince her changes in memory and appearance came from an illness. With a suspicion that Three was not who she claimed to be, the prince searched for Seven, who had not drowned in the river but was taken in by an elderly woman. Will the shoes Seven weaves for the old woman help her prince discover her whereabouts? In Laurence Yep’s “The Dragon Prince: A Chinese Beauty & The Beast Tale,” realistic illustrations of people and vivid colors depict a classic tale retold and compiled from several translated versions of the Chinese myth. Picture book (Ages 5-8). |
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The Legend of Hong Kil Dong: The Robin Hood of Korea
Author: O'Brien, Anne Sibley
Illustrator: O'Brien, Anne Sibley Title: The Legend of Hong Kil Dong: The Robon Hood of Korea ISBN: 978-1-580893-03-9 Place of Publication: New York Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing Date of Publication: 2008 Number of Pages: 48 pages Recommended / Listed Price: $8.95 Review: Anne Sibley O’Brien graphically presents a Korean version of the clever, beloved Robin Hood in The Legend of Hong Kil Dong. Born to a maid in a nobleman’s house, Hong Kil Dong feels restricted in the home and finds cathartic escapism and empowerment in martial arts and the magic tricks of the sage. With powers of invisibly and superhuman strength, Kil Dong leaves home to explore Korea. He strumbles upon a band of poor wayfarers who elect him their leader, so Kil Dong teaches them swordplay and battle strategies to strengthen them physically and mentally. When one member’s sister enlightens Kil Dong to the greedy injustice of the monks, Kil Dong assembles his men and steals the “ill-gotten gains” and treasures of the monks, distributing the stolen wealth among the impoverished villagers. Indulge in Anne Sibley O’Brien’s graphic novel through its intricate illustrations and handwritten speech bubbles to see where Hong Kil Dong’s resurrection of justice will lead him: heroism or criminality? Graphic novel (Ages 8+). Other East Asian graphic novels can be found HERE on this website with book reviews. |