A Linnet Book
All ages
Publication: June 2001
c. 136 p., gloss., bibliog.
Cloth, 0-208-02487-5
$22.50
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“Gr. 4-8 -- Folktales and myths from China are richly imaginative as this collection of seven classics shows so well. Divided into ‘Tales of Creation,’ ‘Morality Tales,’ and ‘Tales of Love,’ the book contains some of China’s most famous stories as well as some that are less well known. Among those included are the story of ‘Pan Gu and the Creation’ and the tale of ‘Nu Wo, the Mother of Mankind’ as well as the romantic story of ‘The Heavenly River,’ often called ‘The Cowherd and the Weaving Maiden’. . . . Fu’s retellings are quite complete, often including more detail than that found in other versions. For example, that most famous of Chinese tales, ‘Journey to the West,’ tells the entire story of Monkey King’s journey though not every episode is related. The writing itself is straightforward and clean. . . . Excellent notes follow each tale, and a pronunciation guide and list of characters are appended. A very good list for further reading, with books for younger and older readers and for teachers, is included, as are multimedia resources, further adding to the book’s usefulness.” -- School Library Journal (August 2001)
“Gr. 6-12. Ho Yi, a celestial being, comes to earth to extinguish eight of the nine suns that are burning up the earth. Unfortunately for Ho Yi and his wife, the eight suns were sons of the Celestial Ruler, and he sentences them to live as mortals. This is one of the seven stories in a collection that includes tales of creation, love, and morality, including the oft-told tales of the Monkey King. . . . An informative introduction. . . looks at the origins of Chinese folktales, how they evolved through various dynasties, and the ways Taoism and Buddhism left their marks on the literature. Sprightly ink drawings highlight stories that offer older students insights into Chinese culture.”-- Booklist (7/01)
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Ho Yi the Archer and Other Classic Chinese Tales
translated and retold by Shelley Fu
illustrated by Joseph F. Abboreno
calligraphy by Dr. Sherwin Fu
This collection of the folktales best known to the Chinese people presents elegant versions of nine classic stories. Included are the famous tales of Pan Gu and Nu Wo, the creators of the world and mankind; Ho Yi the master archer; Shun Wu Koong, the Monkey King who rebelled against authority; Wu Gan, the greedy little boy; Bai Su Tzin, the White Snake, and the Cowherd and Weaving Maid.
These stories offer a rare glimpse into the psyche of the Chinese people, and display the richness, beauty, and down-to-earth spirit of their culture. Chinese religion, philosophy, and tradition all permeate the tales, and yet all of the stories deal with human universals: self-sacrifice, wisdom, gentleness, vanity, greed, and love. The author sets each tale in a context and discusses the themes that run through them, and their significances. She also provides a list of characters, a pronunciation guide, and a resources section.This is the only book in English that retells these important stories in depth.
About the Author
Shelley Fu reads, writes, and speaks Mandarin, and as a Chinese-American understands the emotional and psychological landscape of the stories well. Ms. Fu holds a B.A. in English from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and an M.A. from Marquette. She is currently a technical editor in Chicago. This is her first book.
Visit our complete Linnet list of Folktale and Storytelling books, or, if you are interested in books on Asia, try Even A Little Is Something: Stories of Nong, a wonderful book about a little girl growing up in rural Thailand.
“Mortals and figures from the Celestial Realm mingle in these stories of origins, morality, and love from that early time recounted by so many of the world’s cultures. Ho Yi, a famous archer god, having killed eight of the Celestial Ruler’s sons who had run amok, is banished to the human realm with his beautiful but selfish wife, Tsang-O. His temptations and tribulations make a fine saga. Ho Yi’s story, told in several segments, is one of four complex tales, and there are three smaller stories interspersed among them. Shelley Fu’s liberally adapted tellings draw on tales from the oral tradition that were set in writing during several periods of Chinese literary history, described briefly in the introduction. [The text] flows well, and notes add context in explaining different interpretations accorded by Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist beliefs. The intermittent full-page pen drawings are sometimes amusing, and the author provides a pronunciation guide, a list of characters, and an exceptional bibliography.” -- The Horn Book Magazine (Sept./Oct. 2001)
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