Ming Lo Moves the Mountain

Arnold Lobel's warm, sweet illustrations and story are a fun read-aloud. Children enjoy the silliness and knowing what the magic dance really is. Second graders were able to articulate the philosophical concept of if you are unhappy, and nothing else works, maybe you need to change something about yourself. This was read during a unit on ancient China, but it would also be a good book for an author study or writing to emulate.

I really enjoyed the fable “Ming Lo Moves the Mountain” by Arnold Lobel. One reason that I enjoyed it is because of the cultural perspective that it depicts. The fable is set in China and the illustrations represent the geography, clothing, and architecture of the country. It is important that students are exposed to stories set in cultures other than their own. In addition, the book uses subtle humor to keep the reader engaged. For instance, the characters try to bang on pots and pans to scare the mountain away, and then they think they moved the mountain by doing a dance when they really just walked away from it with their eyes closed. Children enjoy stories that they can laugh at, while still learning a lesson. Lastly, the show more illustrations used a lot of soft, pastel colors as to not take away from the text. The illustrations are large and interesting enough to add to the story, but they are not too distracting. The main idea of the story is that in order to get what you want, you must put forth effort, not expect solutions to fall right into place on their own. show less

Ming Lo Moves the Mountain is a children's book by Arnold Lobel about a man whose wife demands he move a troublesome mountain that causes problems like falling rocks and constant rain. The story follows Ming Lo as he seeks advice from a village wise man, leading to a whimsical, repetitive tale about perseverance and problem-solving, set in China and featuring Lobel's signature illustrations.

I would not recommend this book due to the choppy language and demeaning story line. It is about a husband and wife who want to move a mountain away from their house. They ask a wise man many times for strategies to move the mountain. Eventually, the wise man tells them to do a "dance" which calls for them to walk backwards with their eyes closed. The ending is silly but does not portray this Chinese couple in a positive light. The language throughout the book was very choppy and hard to read. There were many short sentences that did not flow. I do enjoy the illustrations but the fluidity of the pictures does not match the words on the page. I do not plan on using this book in my classroom.

Funny, if you like stories with the trope of Foolishness. I don't... nobody is this stupid, really, not even the youngest child reader.

This book contains a very classic and simple message about being able to change the things you can and accept the things you cannot change. The language, story, and illustrations are very simple, but the concept is not very concrete. This book could be used for older students who have a lower reading level. This illustrations work well with the text. They are simple and placed on the page to give the story a natural flow with readers. The illustrations are not all the same size and they are placed around the text. For example, in once scene Ming Lo and his wife are beating on pots and pans to “scare the mountain” the illustrations show rocks falling and birds flying away, as if they were leaving the story completely.

This story is about a couple who live beside a big mountain that is causing all sorts of problems. Shadows fall over their garden. Rocks fall through their roof. And it is always raining. Ming Lo’s wife tells him he must move the mountain. But how can a man as small as Ming Lo move something as large as a mountain? After many failed visits to the wise man, the wise man finally gives him a solution that might work. Finally, the wise man instructs Ming Lo and his wife to take apart their home stick by stick, pack up all their belongings, face the mountain, and do a funny, backward dance with their eyes closed. After hours of dancing, Ming Lo and his wife open their eyes and see that the mountain has grown very small and far away.
I liked show more this book because it teaches common sense. It was very cute and the pictures were beautiful. After reading this story we can talk about what the Ming Los did to move a mountain. Also, my students can tell me who they go to when they need help with a problem. show less