Book Su
This book is collection of short stories which take place in ancient China. Each story is a folktale or myth, and it typically explains the origin of an important invention or state of affairs. For example, in Ah Mee’s invention, a naughty little boy makes a mess with jam and accidentally creates the first printing press, while in story Chopsticks, a series of assassination attempts convince King Cheng Chang to adopt chopsticks instead of more dangerous cutlery. Other stories explain natural phenomena. For example, The Moon Maiden explains how Prince Ting Tsun creates the different lunar phases of the moon.
APA Reference:
Chrisman, A.B. (1925). Shen of the sea: Chinese stories for children. New York: Dutton Children’s Books.
Impressions:
This book was not what I was expecting. When I read the title, I thought it would be a novel about a boy or girl named Shen who lived by the sea and has an adventure. Instead, this book is more akin to a collection of myths, or fairy tales. At first, when I began to read, I was concerned that this book might be racist since the tales therein aren’t actually authentic Chinese stories, but once I read them, I thoroughly enjoyed them for what they are: funny, witty folktales with a Chinese flavor. The stories themselves are short and well-written, perfect for reading out loud to kids, who might have short attention spans. They also have good life lessons, which Chrisman communicates without becoming too didactic or overbearing.
Chrisman is a masterful storyteller, which I didn’t fully appreciate until I read one of these to my young nieces, whom I used as my guinea pigs to see whether a book this old still had kid appeal. The names—especially those which are puns, like “Ah Me”—were hilarious, and the musicality and pacing of the plot all come alive when told out loud. For example, the alliteration in the phrase, “who even then deplored a dearth of daring deeds to be performed,” needs to be heard rather than just read to be fully appreciated (p.135).
So, in summary, I found myself pleasantly surprised by this book. I think if people can get past their obsession with political correctness, they will discover a book with some timeless and universal themes, touching on such topics as identity, community, and mortality. My only gripe with the book is Else Hasselriis art work. I just felt like it didn’t add anything to the story or to the plot. They were there purely as window-dressing. I’d love to see a new edition of the book done with illustrations that would play up and complement Chrisman’s wry wit, especially the many scenes of dramatic irony that abound in the book.
Professional Review:
This book was awarded the Newbery Medal “for the most distinguished contribution to children’s literature during this year.” One cannot quarrel with the American Library Association for granting the award to Mr. Christman. He has an easy effortless method of story-telling, as well as a happy turn of romantic invention. The scenes are laid in China—a somewhat fantastic China, as is to be expected. Something of the magical quality of “The Arabian Nights” has been captured here. Children of all ages up to three-score-and-ten may enjoy the account of Ah Mee’s invention of printing, the tale of Weng Fu who walked the Street of Wang’s Broken Tea Cup offering himself as a father to any orphan who would pay five cash, the comical explanation of the reason why chop-sticks superseded the knife and fork, the story of Prince Change and the four untrained but ingenious general officers, and other humorous, vividly told tales. Else Hasselrii contributes over fifty clever illustrations to a book which should be very welcome among parents and uncles who are faced with the Christmas-present problem. - Anonymous
[Review of the book Shen of the sea, by A.B. Chrisman]. (1926). The Bookman, 71(423), 106. Retrieved from ProQuest Database. https://libproxy.library.unt.edu/loginurl=http://search.proquest.com/docview/3087233/fulltext/1?accountid=7113
Library Uses:
This book could be used as part of a week-long Chinese New Year festival in the library. Each day, teacher and/or student volunteers could perform a reader’s theater for one of the stories in the book. Activities, games, crafts, and authentic cuisine could accompany each performance. For example, for the story Chopsticks, students could do a relay race where they had to pick up and transport different items using chopsticks. Students could paint their own china cup after viewing a presentation on how china is made by a local artist; this idea would connect with Pies of the Princess, and of course, students could relax with scrumptious snacks when they were done creating their masterpieces. Students could try out Ah Mee’s invention by making their own potato stamps. Perhaps a special guest speaker could come and share some authentic Chinese experiences, as well, to provide some true cultural insight. All in all, this book has much grist for the programming mill for this type of week-long extravaganza.
mmary:
This book is collection of short stories which take place in ancient China. Each story is a folktale or myth, and it typically explains the origin of an important invention or state of affairs. For example, in Ah Mee’s invention, a naughty little boy makes a mess with jam and accidentally creates the first printing press, while in story Chopsticks, a series of assassination attempts convince King Cheng Chang to adopt chopsticks instead of more dangerous cutlery. Other stories explain natural phenomena. For example, The Moon Maiden explains how Prince Ting Tsun creates the different lunar phases of the moon.
APA Reference:
Chrisman, A.B. (1925). Shen of the sea: Chinese stories for children. New York: Dutton Children’s Books.
Impressions:
This book was not what I was expecting. When I read the title, I thought it would be a novel about a boy or girl named Shen who lived by the sea and has an adventure. Instead, this book is more akin to a collection of myths, or fairy tales. At first, when I began to read, I was concerned that this book might be racist since the tales therein aren’t actually authentic Chinese stories, but once I read them, I thoroughly enjoyed them for what they are: funny, witty folktales with a Chinese flavor. The stories themselves are short and well-written, perfect for reading out loud to kids, who might have short attention spans. They also have good life lessons, which Chrisman communicates without becoming too didactic or overbearing.
Chrisman is a masterful storyteller, which I didn’t fully appreciate until I read one of these to my young nieces, whom I used as my guinea pigs to see whether a book this old still had kid appeal. The names—especially those which are puns, like “Ah Me”—were hilarious, and the musicality and pacing of the plot all come alive when told out loud. For example, the alliteration in the phrase, “who even then deplored a dearth of daring deeds to be performed,” needs to be heard rather than just read to be fully appreciated (p.135).
So, in summary, I found myself pleasantly surprised by this book. I think if people can get past their obsession with political correctness, they will discover a book with some timeless and universal themes, touching on such topics as identity, community, and mortality. My only gripe with the book is Else Hasselriis art work. I just felt like it didn’t add anything to the story or to the plot. They were there purely as window-dressing. I’d love to see a new edition of the book done with illustrations that would play up and complement Chrisman’s wry wit, especially the many scenes of dramatic irony that abound in the book.
Professional Review:
This book was awarded the Newbery Medal “for the most distinguished contribution to children’s literature during this year.” One cannot quarrel with the American Library Association for granting the award to Mr. Christman. He has an easy effortless method of story-telling, as well as a happy turn of romantic invention. The scenes are laid in China—a somewhat fantastic China, as is to be expected. Something of the magical quality of “The Arabian Nights” has been captured here. Children of all ages up to three-score-and-ten may enjoy the account of Ah Mee’s invention of printing, the tale of Weng Fu who walked the Street of Wang’s Broken Tea Cup offering himself as a father to any orphan who would pay five cash, the comical explanation of the reason why chop-sticks superseded the knife and fork, the story of Prince Change and the four untrained but ingenious general officers, and other humorous, vividly told tales. Else Hasselrii contributes over fifty clever illustrations to a book which should be very welcome among parents and uncles who are faced with the Christmas-present problem. - Anonymous
[Review of the book Shen of the sea, by A.B. Chrisman]. (1926). The Bookman, 71(423), 106. Retrieved from ProQuest Database. https://libproxy.library.unt.edu/loginurl=http://search.proquest.com/docview/3087233/fulltext/1?accountid=7113
Library Uses:
This book could be used as part of a week-long Chinese New Year festival in the library. Each day, teacher and/or student volunteers could perform a reader’s theater for one of the stories in the book. Activities, games, crafts, and authentic cuisine could accompany each performance. For example, for the story Chopsticks, students could do a relay race where they had to pick up and transport different items using chopsticks. Students could paint their own china cup after viewing a presentation on how china is made by a local artist; this idea would connect with Pies of the Princess, and of course, students could relax with scrumptious snacks when they were done creating their masterpieces. Students could try out Ah Mee’s invention by making their own potato stamps. Perhaps a special guest speaker could come and share some authentic Chinese experiences, as well, to provide some true cultural insight. All in all, this book has much grist for the programming mill for this type of week-long extravaganza.