Charlie Chin

A beautifully illustrated picture book re-telling of the Chinese legend Hua Mu Lan (think the Disney animated movie, "Mulan"). The story is told in rhyme which leaves the text feeling a little superficial, but the story is there. When one man from every household is called to serve in the Imperial Army, Hua Mu Lan disguises herself as a man and goes to war in her father's place, as her father has no son and is in poor health. Hua Mu Lan rallies the troops, leads the attack, and saves the show more day. She returns home after a successful career in the military, a decorated general. Her subordinate comes looking for his general to find instead a beautiful woman, who he marries, Hooray for happy endings. :) One of the most interesting aspects of the book, I found, was the Chinese translation on the outer sides of each page. It makes for interesting study, because it's so different from the English alphabet. Very intricate and lovely.

This book would be a useful tool in teaching about different cultures through the stories (legends, folktales) that have survived the generations. The story subtly reveals small clues about the values of Chinese culture: honor, pride, obedience, faith, and courage. show less

One of three bilingual adaptations of the classic Chinese folk poem about Mu Lan that I have read - the other two being Jeanne M. Lee's The Song of Mu Lan and Song Nan Zhang's The Ballad of Mulan - China's Bravest Girl presents an English adaptation, in rhyming verse, of the tale, with a Chinese translation of that adaptation, done by Wang Xing Chu. This seems to set it apart from the other two retellings, which present translations of the original ballad/poem, which also appears (in two show more different styles) on the page. All told, I think I prefer this latter approach, although Chin's version is not without appeal.

The text itself reads well enough, and will be particularly appealing for younger readers, I think, while the bright, colorful illustrations, done by Tomie Arai, will hold their attention. Other than the information, presented at the rear, that the story is based on a Soong Dynasty poem, little historical background is given, which (again) is in contrast to the other two books. Still, while I cannot rate this one as highly as the Lee and Zhang retellings, I think it is worth seeking out, particularly for those readers who may have had the misfortune only to have encountered this story through the Disney film. show less

Not a single thing wrong with it, and in fact I do recommend to interested readers. But for some reason it just didn't come alive for me enough to give it four stars.

Author, illustrator, and translator all have Chinese heritage.

Shows the students that sex/gender does not determine what a person is capable. Only the will and drive of a person can determine that. Good for addressing sex/gender roles in the classroom and questions about those topics that students may have.