Legends, Myths & Fables - General & Miscellaneous, Fairy Tales & Folklore - General & Miscellaneous, Fairy Tales & Folklore - Regional, Fiction - General & Miscellaneous
Log in to track your reading progress.
Overview
Just about every civilization has stories of creation. The myths and legends of the ancient Greeks and Romans are very well known, but these 12 myths from ancient China are just as fascinating. Between Pangu separating the sky from the earth and the Northern Emperor separating man from gods, we have an array of deities as busy and colorful as those in Greek and Roman myths. They create men out of clay, mend the broken sky after the flood, and shoot down suns so that life on earth will not die.Inspired by the art of the Ming Dynasty, this is a wonderful collection of Chinese myths of creation, illustrated by award-winning artist Song Nan Zhang.
Editorials
Publishers Weekly -
This book begins, appropriately enough, "in the beginning," with Chinese lore about the first stirrings of the universe, and goes on to describe the creative acts of the five emperors of the title (one for each of the five Chinese elements: earth, fire, wood, gold and water). Unfortunately, the lack of thoughtful design may discourage readers. The placement of the text suggests that little attention was given to balance or presentation-in stark contrast to Zhang's (A Little Tiger in the Chinese Night) graceful, elaborate artwork. The fluidity of line and subtle colors of his illustrations echo centuries of tradition, while the sense of detail gives the work a personal stamp. The stories themselves are ably, if a bit diffidently told, and the book also includes a chart of "Who's Who in Heaven," a taichi map and an elegantly printed glossary of common Chinese words. Ages 8-up. (Nov.)Book Details
Published
September 29, 1994
Publisher
Montréal : Tundra Books, 1994.
Pages
36
Format
Hardcover
ISBN
9780887763380