<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Not appropriate for young children
Review: I am very enthusiastic about exposing my children to different cultures and ideas, and when I saw this book and read the reviews on Amazon, I was excited to get it for my girls. When the book arrived, I read it immediately. The story and the pictures are beautiful. I liked everything until the very last sentence of the book -- I was very surprised to read that Yeh-Shen's stepmother and stepsister were "crushed to death in a shower of flying stones." Although I understand that this may be part of the original story, I am giving this book one star because it is supposed to be appropriate for children 4-8. I don't believe, with such a violent and disturbing ending, that it is appropriate for this age group.
Rating: 
Summary: A great book
Review: I think this book is very,very good. It was a great book about China also a good book for childrens around the world. This book is about a girl named Yeh-Shen that was a orpahan. She had to work for her stepmother and her stepsister. Yeh-Shen had a fish that she did not know that it was magic fish. The fish's name is goldeyes. Yeh-Shen stepsister found out that Yeh-Shen had a friend that was a fish. The stepsister want and told her mother. The stepmother told Yeh-Shen to get some wood from the far side of the land. At the end of the story Yeh-Shen married the king.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best versions of Cinderella
Review: In almost every culture, parents tell children a story that resembles the European Cinderella. Scholars have collected more than 500 versions of the story. In the past couple of decades a lot of these multicultural variations on Cinderella have been turned into children's picture books. The familiar story gives kids a great introduction to people of the world. Several of these books are very good, but two are exceptional. One is John Steptoe's "Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters," an African version of the story. The other is this one."Yeh-Shen," a Chinese version of the tale almost a thousand years older than the earliest known European version, contains many familiar details - a poor over-worked girl, a wicked stepmother and stepsister, a magical helper, a king in search of a wife, and a lost shoe. But while Cinderella is simply handed gifts from her fairy godmother, Yeh-Shen earns her wishes through kindness to a magic fish. This one change makes a big difference in the ethical tone of the book. It also makes the reader feel much more sympathetic toward Yeh-Shen, who seems to deserve every bit of good fortune she gets. The illustrations greatly add to the book's charm. Ed Young's style is striking and unique. There's a misty, ethereal quality to his art that makes everything look as if it were taking place in a dream - which is just perfect for the book.
Rating:
Summary: THE OLDEST VERSION OF CINDERELLA
Review: This is the oldest known version of Cinderella. It dates back to 9BC China. Having taught a unit on the history of Cinderella to my class every year around Holiday time, I'm pleased to finally have a copy of the book -- the copy from the Minneapolis Public Library is missing -- because it teaches children that not every version is about pumpkin coaches and glass slippers. Beautifully illustrated by Ed Young, the theme of the fish/fairy godmother character plays throughout the book. Enjoy this version, along with Shirley Chimo's Egyptian and Korean Cinderellas, The Turkey Girl, The Rough Face Girl, Sootface, and of course, the old classic versions. This book is an excellent addition to your multicultural children's collection!
<< 1 >>
| 
