Chinese Folktales - by Shiho S Nunes (Hardcover)

About the Book

An illustrated retelling of nineteen fables and tales from China, each of which features a nugget of ancient folk wisdom and introduces aspects of traditional Chinese culture and lore.

Book Synopsis

For thousands of years, Chinese storytellers have delighted listeners with stories about the value of virtues like honesty, respect, courage and self-reliance. Chinese Folktales collects nineteen of these fantastic tales, some of them dating back to the third century BCE, and retells them in contemporary English for a modern audience. This updated edition--previously titled Chinese Fables--offers the same great stories in a smaller, easier to handle format at a lower price.

Each of these stories offers a nugget of ancient folk wisdom and glimpses of traditional Chinese culture and lore. All of the tales express the foibles and wisdom of human experience with great humor and affection. Although the lessons are universal, the wit and flavor are uniquely Chinese.

Beautifully illustrated by a master Chinese artist using a patchwork of ancient tones and textures, with a deft touch of humor, this book will give great joy to children and adults alike.

Chinese children's stories include:

• The Practical Bride
• Stealing the Bell
• Kwan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy
• Cooking the Duck
• Scaring the Tigers
• The Dragon Slayer

The previously published edition, Chinese Fables, won:

*The Aesop Prize for Children's and Young Adult Literature*
*The Gelett Burgess Children's Book Award for Fables, Folklore & Fairytales*
*The Creative Child Magazine Book of the Year Award*

Review Quotes

"[Nineteen tales] maintain their centuries-old timelessness--but with a contemporary relevance achieved through language, tone, and illustration...it's unmistakably, traditionally Chinese, and gentle caricatured facial expressions lend humor and whimsy...This will be a welcome addition to a classroom set of fables from around the world." --Booklist

"A collection of 19 Chinese tales that offer a glimpse of ancient folk wisdom and shares aspects of Chinese culture and lore. Beautifully illustrated by a master artist, this book will give great joy to children of all ages." --Creative Child Magazine

"A wry sense of humor runs through these selections...the art is both exquisite and appropriate to the rustic origins of these tales. This well-crafted collection can be enjoyed on its own or as an intriguing resource for cross-cultural studies or language-arts units." --School Library Journal

"I rate this book a five-star because it was easy to read, fun to read and had great illustrations!" --Christina, Age 8, San Francisco Book Review

"If you are more than familiar with the offerings of Aesop and Grimm, then you will enjoy the chance to add to your repertoire with this assortment of stories of Oriental wisdom. The 19 stories in this lovely hardbound, four-color illustrated book are a fresh take on some age-old ideas." --Asian Review of Books

"The nugget of some stories dates back to between 500-250 B.C. while others are as late as 1643 A.D. Using bamboo rag paper, they have a tactile feeling of nubby paper. The illustrations are very attractive." --McClatchy news service

"This collection of pithy tales is multi-layered. The stories linger in the mind the way a good poem resonates. Lak-Khee Tay-Audouard's beautiful illustrations capture the folk-tale quality of the stories...[T]he tales give quiet pleasure and make a reader think even while smiling." --The Children's Book Review

"This collection of 17 fables offers entertainment as well as pithy bits of wisdom from ancient China. They are simply and swiftly written with an economy of prose. Elegant illustrations done in pencil and wash on bamboo rag paper echo the Chinese art you might find in a museum, and the layout is equally beautiful." --Bay Area News Group

About the Author

Shiho S. Nunes (1917 - 2019) was a passionate educator who authored Hawaiian culture-based novels for young adults, as well as The Shishu Ladies of Hilo: Japanese Embroidery in Hawaii.

Born and raised in Singapore, Lak-Khee Tay-Audouard is the illustrator of several children's books, among them Monkey, Singapore Children's Favorite Stories, and Adventures of the Treasure Fleet. The mother of two grown children, she and her husband live in France.