Presents a retelling of the Chinese folk song in which a young woman disguises herself as a man in order to fight in the army in the place of her father, who is too old to go into combat. - (Baker & Taylor)
The legend of Mulan and her bravery is captured in this beautifully illustrated Chinese children's book.
Mulan is a folk story from China's Northern Dynasty (439-589) about the unusual tale of an ordinary girl named Fa Mulan. This book is illustrated based on the original ballad, which depicts her bravery through Chinese ink paintings.
A long time ago in China, there lived a young girl named Mulan. Her father was a retired general who taught her many skills girls weren't normally allowed to learn, like martial arts, archery, sword play and how to ride a horse.
One day, soldiers came to Mulan's village. They told everyone China was in danger, and that a man from each family must join the army and fight. Mulan was terribly upset. Her father was too old, but was honor-bound to fight. If only she had been born a boy! That night, Mulan came up with a plan to save the honor of her family and her father's life.
Early the next morning, disguised as a boy, Mulan took a horse and her father's armor before leaving to join the army. No one recognized her, and Mulan was very careful to never let anyone know she was really a girl. Mulan's bravery, courage and the skills she learned from her father helped her to succeed. Over twelve years, Mulan fought against the threat to China before finally helping to win the war. When she was offered a reward from the emperor for her incredible courage, Mulan instead asked for a horse so she could return home to her family.
Mulan's family was so happy to see her! And there, for the first time in twelve years, Mulan exchanged her armor for a dress, fixed her hair into an elegant girl's hairstyle and joined her family, a beautiful young woman once again.
- (
Independent Publishing Group)
<b>The legend of Mulan and her bravery is captured in this beautifully illustrated Chinese children's book.</b> <br><br>Mulan is a folk story from China's Northern Dynasty (439-589) about the unusual tale of an ordinary girl named Fa Mulan. This book is illustrated based on the original ballad, which depicts her bravery through Chinese ink paintings. <br><br>A long time ago in China, there lived a young girl named Mulan. Her father was a retired general who taught her many skills girls weren't normally allowed to learn, like martial arts, archery, sword play and how to ride a horse.<br><br>One day, soldiers came to Mulan's village. They told everyone China was in danger, and that a man from each family must join the army and fight. Mulan was terribly upset. Her father was too old, but was honor-bound to fight. If only she had been born a boy! That night, Mulan came up with a plan to save the honor of her family and her father's life.<br><br>Early the next morning, disguised as a boy, Mulan took a horse and her father's armor before leaving to join the army. No one recognized her, and Mulan was very careful to never let anyone know she was really a girl. Mulan's bravery, courage and the skills she learned from her father helped her to succeed. Over twelve years, Mulan fought against the threat to China before finally helping to win the war. When she was offered a reward from the emperor for her incredible courage, Mulan instead asked for a horse so she could return home to her family.<br><br>Mulan's family was so happy to see her! And there, for the first time in twelve years, Mulan exchanged her armor for a dress, fixed her hair into an elegant girl's hairstyle and joined her family, a beautiful young woman once again. - (Perseus Publishing)
The legend of Mulan and her bravery is captured in this beautifully illustrated Chinese children's book.
Mulan is a folk story from China's Northern Dynasty (439-589) about the unusual tale of an ordinary girl named Fa Mulan. This book is illustrated based on the original ballad, which depicts her bravery through Chinese ink paintings.
A long time ago in China, there lived a young girl named Mulan. Her father was a retired general who taught her many skills girls weren't normally allowed to learn, like martial arts, archery, sword play and how to ride a horse.
One day, soldiers came to Mulan's village. They told everyone China was in danger, and that a man from each family must join the army and fight. Mulan was terribly upset. Her father was too old, but was honor-bound to fight. If only she had been born a boy! That night, Mulan came up with a plan to save the honor of her family and her father's life.
Early the next morning, disguised as a boy, Mulan took a horse and her father's armor before leaving to join the army. No one recognized her, and Mulan was very careful to never let anyone know she was really a girl. Mulan's bravery, courage and the skills she learned from her father helped her to succeed. Over twelve years, Mulan fought against the threat to China before finally helping to win the war. When she was offered a reward from the emperor for her incredible courage, Mulan instead asked for a horse so she could return home to her family.
Mulan's family was so happy to see her! And there, for the first time in twelve years, Mulan exchanged her armor for a dress, fixed her hair into an elegant girl's hairstyle and joined her family, a beautiful young woman once again. - (Simon and Schuster)
Li Jian used to be a middle school art teacher, an editor for kid's books, and a partner in an illustration studio. Currently he owns his own illustration studio.
- (
Independent Publishing Group)
Li Jian used to be a middle school art teacher, an editor for kid's books, and a partner in an illustration studio. Currently he owns his own illustration studio and is the author/illustrator of several books, including The Water Dragon and The Little Monkey King's Journey. - (Perseus Publishing)
Publishers Weekly Reviews
This bilingual offering adapts the centuries-old folk song "The Ballad of Mulan." Washed with pale blues, reds, tans, and greens, Li's artwork offers a strong connection to both the setting and to traditional styles of Chinese ink painting. English-speaking readers, however, may find the translation lacking. The tone is often flatly declarative ("Mulan decided to disguise herself as a man and go to war on her father's behalf to fulfill her father's duty to protect the country") as it rapidly ticks off the events in her life, giving little sense of why her legend has endured. Ages 4–up. (Apr.)
[Page ]. Copyright 2014 PWxyz LLC
School Library Journal Reviews
PreS-Gr 2—When Mulan's father is drafted, the young girl who excels at horsemanship, archery, and martial arts takes his place. She spends 12 years fighting a long war, always on the front lines, and is never discovered. She then turns down all gifts and titles from the emperor, asking only for a fast horse to take her home. Her family warmly welcomes her as she changes into more feminine attire to surprise the comrades who accompanied her. Li's gentle and simple retelling stumbles in places, but with only a sentence or two per page, and large, watercolor illustrations that skip the violence of war, this is a safe read-aloud choice for younger audiences. More faithful to the original poem than the Disney movie, it's aimed at a younger audience than San Souci's more beautiful but out-of-print Fa Mulan (Hyperion, 1990). Presented in English and simplified Chinese characters, this is a good bet for libraries looking for non-European folktales or those that will work in a preschool or kindergarten storytime setting.—Jennifer Rothschild, Arlington County Public Libraries, VA
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