Thomas Handforth (1897–1948)

Young Mei Li wants to accompany her brother San Yu to the New Year Fair in the nearby city in this Caldecott Medal-winning picture-book from 1938 - it won the medal in 1939, the second year in which the award was given out - sneaking away from her walled home, and winning a ride by exchanging one of her precious marbles for the privilege. Once there, she enjoys many of the sights and activities of the day - buying firecrackers (which San Yu sets off), riding circus ponies, having her fortune show more told - before meeting up with Uncle Wang and returning home. It is only then that she learns the meaning of the young priest's prediction that she would "rule over a kingdom."

It is pure serendipitous good timing that I picked up this second Caldecott Medal-winner just now, as there is an article about it in the current issue of The Horn Book Magazine - described as the first of a series of planned articles celebrating the history of the Caldecott Medal, "Mei Li and the Making of a Picture Book" was written by Kathleen T. Horning, and is accompanied by the additional online material: Thomas Handforth, China, and the Real Mei Li - and I gained quite a bit of useful background information about the book and its creator from it. According to Horning, Mei Li is somewhat atypical of early Caldecott winners, in that it is a genuine picture-book, rather than an illustrated book - the early award committees had a period of adjustment, as they learned the difference between the two - and is also an innovative entry in the genre as a whole, featuring illustrations that cross two-page spreads, rather than being confined to a single page. The author/artist who created the book, Thomas Handforth, was the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, and spent a number of years working in China, basing this story on a young girl that he knew while there.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Mei Li, having approached it with the expectation - largely the result of so many other vintage children's titles that I have read - that it might contain some racially or culturally problematic material. I didn't see anything here to offend, in that respect - I didn't get a feeling of condescension, or notice any strange "Oriental" stereotypes - although the gender norms did grate a bit. Mei Li is an adventurous little girl, but when all is said and done, the ending of the story emphasizes the fact that the domestic sphere is where she belongs. I also thought the story was a little uneven at times, jumping from one activity to the next. Having said that, this was an engaging enough story, and the black and white artwork was quite charming! The level of detail is quite amazing, and I thought the human faces were particularly expressive and well done. Recommended to readers who are interested in vintage picture-books, or who are investigating older Caldecott titles. show less

Mei Li is the youngest child in a loving family. She’s easy to spot with her “candle stick” pigtail atop her head. One day she goes with her brother to the New Year Fair. They have many adventures and eat wonderful treats, but almost miss getting back through the city gates!

Originally published in 1938, this won the 1939 Caldecott medal. Wonderful illustrations bring the Chinese cultural celebration to life. This is a great way to introduce very young children to a different country show more and its culture. The children get into a few scrapes, but all ends well. show less

For a book written and published in 1938, the illustrations are great, show a lot of detail, and honestly made me want to learn more. That's where the bulk of this rating stems because the story is...enh.

Mei Li wants to go to the New Year's Fair, but what can a girl do there? This is an old story, about a precocious girl who wants to have adventures. She eventually learns that her place is in the home. Because of the cultural values at the time this book was written, it doesn't translate well with today's societal values. Most parents and teachers want to instill a sense of pride in young females, and the time for books like is long past.