OUR BOOKS


Bamboo
by Paul Yee and Illustrated by Shaoli Wang

K-Gr. 2. In this folktale set in rural China of long ago, good-hearted newlyweds suffer ill fortune but find aid from an unexpected source. Gentle Ming presents her husband, Bamboo, with bamboo seedlings on their wedding day, and the plants soon become a thriving grove. The couple's foresight is rewarded when the fantastical stalks help them through various hardships, including Bamboo's disappearance at sea and the stratagems of a greedy sister-in-law. Reminiscent of Grace Lin's art, Wang's folk-art-style paintings layer scenes of traditional, rural home life against strikingly composed landscapes, contributing to the story's magical dimension through wild, off-kilter perspectives. An endnote indicating the story's background or sources would have been useful, but the story's familiar theme of virtue repaid tenfold will reassure children and prompt discussion. --by Jennifer Mattson, Booklist

Paul Yee's book Bamboo uses a Chinese folktale filled with magic and trickery to relate how good will can prevail over the evil actions of others. The tale is well told and the one-dimensional characters are easily identified. Elements of magic and trickery are present and the text is interspersed with dialogue that moves the action along quickly. The illustrations by Shaoli Wang are very beautiful and are well representative of life in a small Chinese village. The illustrations' connections of characters to the plot may be confusing for younger students, as the characters' clothes and appearance change as the story unfolds, but details of the narrative are clearly noted in the text. Another heart-warming tale of the perseverance of the human spirit from Paul Yee that will be thoroughly enjoyed in the classroom -- by Anne Burke. Resource Links, Volume 11, Number 3, February 2006
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