The Chinese zodiac, known as Sheng Xiao or Shu Xiang, features 12 animal signs in this order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. Originated from ancient zoolatry and boasting a history of more than 2,000 years, it plays an essential role in Chinese culture. The 12 Chinese zodiac animals in a cycle are not only used to represent years in China, but also believed to influence people’s personalities, career, compatibility, marriage, and fortune.
Five Elements: Ancient Chinese believed that all things in the world, including the zodiac animals, belonged to five categories – Metal (Monkey, Rooster), Wood (Tiger, Rabbit), Water (Rat, Pig), Fire (Snake, Horse), and Earth (Ox, Dragon, Sheep, Dog).
2024 is the Year of the Dragon. In this book the idea of marriage compatibility is explored with references to the Tiger, Dog, and Rabbit and the meaning of these signs - Wood, Earth and Fire. In the western world we might think of star signs in a similar way.
"Long ago in ancient China there lives an honest, respectful and hard-working man named Tuan."
"When Tuan was old enough to live by himself he moved into a small house with a small field but he was lonely and longed for a wife. And so Old Lin and Madame Lin hired a matchmaker."
Tuan was born in the Year of the Dog and so with a girl born in the Year of the Tiger there would never be peace. Then the matchmaker suggested the silk weavers daughter but her name contained the character for Wood and Tuan's name contained the character for Earth.
"With Wood and Earth fighting for room under such a small roof there would never be growth."
One night Tuan found a snail in his garden. He took the snail inside and fed it cabbage leaves. Over the next nights, when Tuan returns from his work, there is always a delicious hot dinner waiting on his table. If you have read any folktales or fairy tales you might have guessed about this food. The snail contains a beautiful woman called White Wave - a fairy sent by The Lord of Heaven.
No she is not destined to be a wife for Tuan but she leaves him her shell with the promise that it will always be filled with rice for his dinner. Over time Tuan does find a wife and the final words of this book will make you smile:
"They loved each other very much and lived happily together."
This would be an interesting book to share with a group of older students when you talk about Chinese New Year and the associated symbolism. The illustrations by Kenard Pak are wonderful. Hopefully you can find this book in a library because sadly it is now out of print. I have talked about other books illustrated by Kenard Pak - click on the label on this post to see more.
Publisher blurb: Long, long ago, in a small town in ancient China, there lived an honest and respectful man called Tuan. Tuan was lonely and looked hard for a wife, but even the matchmaker couldn’t help him. One night, however, Tuan’s luck changed. And so begins the story of Tuan, White Wave, and the Dinner that Cooked Itself. This beautiful and enchanting Chinese fairytale will captivate the imagination with the perfect blend of magic and realism!
A breath of fresh air in its beauty and simplicity. Kirkus
The aesthetic of Pak’s work relies heaving on shape making, pattern and texture to encapsulate that traditional vibe of the tale. The muted palette and attention to detail all work together to make this book visually engaging and utterly beautiful. Particularly effective is the use of these techniques when creating images of food and landscape. Skwigly (you can see inside this book on this site)
You could compare this book with The Paper Crane.
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