Bamboo: Illus. by Shaoli Wang [Hardcover]

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. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

In a Chinese village, Bamboo, a simple farmer, falls in love with a peasant girl, Ming, and soon they are married. To celebrate the wedding, the newlyweds plant a grove of bamboo.

When Bamboo goes to the New World to seek his fortune, his sister-in-law, Jin, makes life a misery for Ming, taking the best part of the fields, the water buffalo and most of the tools for her own family. How is Ming able to till the land and make the fields flourish all on her own? And will Bamboo ever return safely from across the ocean? In this poetic and heart-warming story by Paul Yee, Ming finds help and sustenance from a mysterious force.

Paul Yee was born in Saskatchewan and grew up in Vancouver's Chinatown. A recipient of the Governor General?s Award, he has authored numerous historical works and children's books about the Chinese in North America. Among his titles for children are The Ghost Train, The Jade Necklace and The Bone Collector's Son. He currently lives in Toronto, where he writes full time.

Shaoli Wang Born and raised in Qing Dao, China, Shaoli Wang has won great acclaim for her paintings and has exhibited widely. She now lives in British Columbia where she teaches art to children.