Jeanne M. Lee

The traditional Chinese folk legend of Mu Lan, first set down as a poem in the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE), is retold in this beautiful bilingual picture-book by Jeanne M. Lee, Chinese-American artist and children's author. A gender-bending tale of filial devotion, it sets out the story of Mu Lan, a young woman who takes her elderly father's place in the emperor's army, determined to spare him the suffering and privation of military life. Spending ten years in the field, Mu Lan advances to the show more rank of general, but declines the rewards offered by the emperor, deciding instead to return home, where her status as a woman is revealed.

In "Writing Chinese America Into Words and Images: Storytelling and Retelling of The Song of Mu Lan," a fascinating article that appeared in the April 2006 issue of The Lion and the Unicorn, scholar Lan Dong (whom I see has now published a full-length study on the subject, Mulan's Legend and Legacy in China and the United States), compared this picture-book to Disney's animated retelling of the (arguably) same tale, concluding that while the Disney production was really an American story, in exoticized Chinese garb, Lee's work (like that of Maxine Hong Kingston, in her classic The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts) was a genuine melding of Chinese and American traditions.

Although I found Dong's analysis insightful, as it concerned the cultural import of the various retellings of Mu Lan that she considered, and agree that this bilingual retelling is infinitely to be preferred to the Disney film, and its many print adaptations, I wasn't entirely satisfied with Lee's version, judged on its own merits. The watercolor illustrations, done by Lee herself, are gorgeous, as is the traditional calligraphy done by her father, Chan Bo Wan. But while I appreciated that the English translation here was faithful to the poetic form of the original, the text just wasn't that pleasing, as English. Song Nan Zhang, who chose to present his English translation in prose, in the similarly bilingual The Ballad of Mulan, made a wiser decision, I think, and if I could combine his text with Lee's illustrations, I would have my ideal "Mu Lan." As it is, I recommend this telling, together with Song Nan Zhang's, for all young readers interested in a more authentic retelling of this tale, particularly those who may only have encountered the Disney version up until now. show less

I really appreciate this book because it provides insight into a child's life who is deaf. This book focuses on looking at Lotus' strengths and seeing how her knack for rhythm and dance sets her ahead of her peers, even though she struggles with adversity. I love how this book depicts this culture. The colors are vibrant, and the designs are fun and different, and it provides a good look into this illustrator's view on Cambodia. For instance, there is a picture where Lotus is in the dancing show more hall and the walls are all red. The rich use of color and unique designs create a great image for me. This book shows how a passion ,in this case dancing, can rise above whatever struggles you may be facing. This would be the main idea of this book. show less

The glorious day when a young child is old enough to join her family in bringing gifts to their ancestors in the graveyard has finally arrived. Thanh-Minh goes with great anticipation and is greeted by an old, frightening looking lady name Ba-Nam. With her black teeth, Ba-Nam smiles and frightens Thanh-Minh. Thanh-Minh and her cousin wonder off to pick fruit from the trees in the graveyard as their family is offering the gifts when a sudden rainstorm comes upon them. Frightened by the show more darkened sky, rain and thunder, the children find comfort in Ba-Nam who shelters them through the night. As morning comes, the family is grateful for the children's safe return and thanks Ba-Nam for her help and Ba-Nam jokes that now that the storm has thrown all of the fruit off of the trees, the children do not have to wonder off to climb trees for the fruit. This book's message is not to judge people by their appearances. As Thanh-Minh thought Ba-Nam was terrifying, Ba-Nam ends up saving Thanh-Minh and her cousin. show less

Bitter Dumplings is a story involving the struggles that the main character, Mei Mei, experiences many after the death of her Father. Not only does she experience poverty, being alone, mourning the loss of both of her parents, being shunned by her brothers, not being given a dowry or inheritance from her Father, having no friends, etc. The illustrations in this story are beautifully done and give readers visual representation of Chinese culture, along with the emotions and physical states of show more the characters. The old hunchback woman, named Po Po, took Mei Mei into her home and fed her. Readers are able to see the struggles that Mei Mei experienced living in poverty and being homeless, and they can gain a sense of what it is like to live in poverty. Every day, Mei Mei would care for the hunchback woman, and take the dumplings that they made to the village. One day, Mei Mei ran into hungry sailors coming to shore, and knocked the dumplings out of her buckets. A slave that the sailors captured followed her home, and eventually Mei Mei and Po Po let him hide at the house. The story turns into a love story, when Po Po led Mei Mei and the young man into her secret room, which had her old bridal gown, embroidered shoes, bedding, clothes, and a small pouch with gold and jade. The story ends with the line, "It was the beginning of a happy new life for them all". Young readers can also learn about history of Chinese cultures from this story. show less