Shen of The Sea : Chinese Stories for Children

by Arthur Bowie Chrisman

Other authorsElse Hasselriis (Illustrator)
Hardcover, 1968

Status

Available

Call number

Fic Chr

Call number

Fic Chr

Local notes

Fic Chr

Barcode

93

Collection

Publication

E. P. Dutton & Co., Inc. (1968), Edition: Not Stated, Library Binding, 221 pages

Description

Sixteen original stories reflecting the spirit of Chinese life and thought.

Subjects

Awards

Newbery Medal (Medal Winner — 1926)

Language

Original publication date

1925

Physical description

221 p.; 5.83 inches

User reviews

LibraryThing member riofriotex
Brief synopsis: humorous stories; not authentic Chinese tales; good for a read-aloud to younger children or for examples of different types of traditional literature and literary devices for reading levels of grade 5 and up.
LibraryThing member ljhliesl
Folklore and origin stories. I'm used to racism and isolationism in early Newbery, but I didn't perceive any in these stories. The author's surname is European but I know nothing about him, whether he invented these stories or just transcribed and altered them for a western audience. For children
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past the age for Just-So who want something lighter than Grimm. Three Newberys left!
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LibraryThing member mirrani
Reading this really takes you back to a time in the ancient world when stories were told and retold in order for them to be remembered. That is where the mastery is here, because these stories are original works written to resemble Chinese folktales. They are not the real thing. Some stories have
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lessons hidden deep inside of them, others are just fun or interesting, but they all have the true feel of culture to them. Do they exaggerate some things a little bit, in a way that seems ridiculous or insulting? There were a few times when I shook my head at how something was written, but mostly I just enjoyed myself. Early Newbery books are not as culturally considerate as modern ones, and that is okay, as long as it is all taken in context. Most of the times I questioned the book, it was only because I was trying to figure out if it was making fun of itself rather than making fun of the people.
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LibraryThing member tjsjohanna
This was an enjoyable collection of Chinese folk tales. Some had the flavor of Grimms' fairy tales, where the poor man who befriends the beggar, ends up a king. Others reminded me of folktales where we learn how the rabbit got its long ears. Fun stories that have a familiar ring, dressed up in the
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trappings of the Orient.
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LibraryThing member laf
This book is a wonderful collection of folk tales. I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about Chinese history and culture.
LibraryThing member debnance
This kind of book, a collection of old folk tales, was probably my favorite kind of book to read as a child. I like this book as an adult, too.The stories all feel vaguely familiar as if they’ve been told many times in many places. And yet they are also fresh and reveal little hidden aspects of
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human nature.
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LibraryThing member Randalea
This compilation of stories and folktales from China are a great introduction into life elsewhere. They are full of humor and wisdom.
LibraryThing member Cheryl_in_CC_NV
I enjoyed it quite a lot. The notes say the author had some familiarity with Chinese culture, so I hope it is reasonably respectful. It seems playful, and the particular stories seem invented by the author, but the underlying cultural traditions and moral lessons seem to reflect traditional values,
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as I've seen them espoused in other books that have been written by Chinese persons.

I just don't know what to think of it as a work of 'historical fiction' or 'folklore.' But as a collection of cute & clever stories, it worked.
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LibraryThing member fingerpost
16 original stories in the form of Chinese fairy tales and folk tales. If you're familiar with the children's book, The Five Chinese Brothers, you get the idea. Well done for what it was, but not really to my taste... but in the interest of eventually reading all the Newbery winners...
LibraryThing member Sopoforic
Can a tailor make a good general? Can an orphan buy a father? How was gunpowder invented? When did people begin to drink tea? Answers to all these questions and more, with a Chinese flavor, are found in Shen of the Sea by Arthur Bowie Chrisman.

Published in 1925, and winning the Newbery Medal in
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1926, Shen of the Sea collects sixteen short stories, billed as "Chinese Stories for Children." In fact, the stories aren't really Chinese--they're just set in China. I'm not very familiar with Chinese folklore, so maybe some are retellings of real Chinese stories, but you shouldn't read this book looking to learn about Chinese folklore.

The stories are a mixed bag. Some, like "Four Generals" and the titular "Shen of the Sea", are very entertaining. Others, Like "Ah Mee's Invention" and "Ah Tcha the Sleeper", are fairly boring. Most are somewhat amusing, but not too memorable.

The stories fall into two major categories: origin myths and stories of wit, if you'll excuse my poor naming. The origin myths tell how something came to be, like the invention of printing or gunpowder. Some of those stories are okay, but they're mostly kind of dull. The stories of wit tell how someone overcame an obstacle by using their cleverness. Those stories are pretty uniformly fun, and all the best stories in the book are of that sort.

(Spoilers removed. The full review, including spoilers, is available here.)

In the end, I think that Shen of the Sea would be better off if the less amusing stories were excised. I especially recommend reading "Shen of the Sea", "Four Generals", "The Rain King's Daughter", and "High as Han Hsin". A few of the others are worthwhile, but those four are not to be missed, in my opinion. The book doesn't seem to be available in text form for the Kindle, but there is an audiobook available, if you're interested in those. If you're interested in classic children's literature, give it a try.
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Lexile

780L

Pages

221

Rating

(56 ratings; 3.3)
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