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    Shen of The Sea: Chinese Stories for Children
    Unavailable
    Shen of The Sea: Chinese Stories for Children
    Unavailable
    Shen of The Sea: Chinese Stories for Children
    Ebook197 pages3 hours

    Shen of The Sea: Chinese Stories for Children

    By Arthur Bowie Chrisman and Else Hasselriis

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    A series of fascinating Chinese stories, strong in humor and rich in Chinese wisdom, in which the author has caught admirably the spirit of Chinese life and thought.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherReading Essentials
    Release dateJun 3, 2020
    ISBN9781773239927
    Unavailable
    Shen of The Sea: Chinese Stories for Children

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    Reviews for Shen of The Sea

    3.5/5

    55 ratings10 reviews

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    • 2/5
      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.
    • 5/5
      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 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.
    • 4/5
      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, 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.
    • 3/5
      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 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.
    • 3/5
      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 human nature.
    • 3/5
      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...
    • 4/5
      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 past the age for Just-So who want something lighter than Grimm. Three Newberys left!
    • 3/5
      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 trappings of the Orient.
    • 5/5
      This book is a wonderful collection of folk tales. I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about Chinese history and culture.
    • 5/5
      Reason for Reading: Read aloud to my 9yo son. We always have a book of folktales, fairy tales, myths, etc. on the go, reading one story every school day.Comments: I have read this book once before to myself some time ago, as an adult, and came away with the impression that it was OK (maybe 3 stars) but now I think I've found out the problem with that first reading. This book is meant to be read aloud! The stories are told in a storyteller voice that just rolls of the tongue when reading out loud and brings them gloriously to life. The stories are hilarious and I can't say that my ds or I didn't like even a single one the tales. I'm not convinced these are traditional Chinese stories (I've read a lot of folktales in my life and never heard any of these before) but would guess that Chrisman wrote them himself based on the style of Chinese tales. The tales often rely on repetition, some are origin stories and they cover a wide spectrum of characters from peasants to princesses and Kings. A number of the stories are about someone who is not too bright or is incredibly lazy or stubborn. While the great majority of tales are folktales a few pass over into fairytale territory with the appearance of a few dragons and other Chinese mythical creatures. Every single time this book came out my son's face lit up, he thoroughly enjoyed it! I also had a ton of fun reading it. This book has a habit of getting mixed reviews and to those who give it low ratings, I ask you to read aloud a couple of stories to a child or group of children. Then see if you don't change your mind! I've found in my 21 years as a mother that some children's books just beg to be read aloud and don't do the trick when read silently. The only thing I'm not too keen on are the silhouette illustrations. Yes, they add to the ethnicity of the book but detailed drawings would have been more fun to look at.