Bawshou Rescues the Sun: A Han Folktale - Hardcover

Kindergarten-Grade 3-- In primeval China, the sun disappears and the father of the future Bawshou goes to remedy the situation, aided by a golden phoenix. Several months later, Bawshou is born and his mother realizes that her husband is dead by the concurrent return of the bird and the appearance of a new star in the sky. Under the aegis of the phoenix, Bawshou grows into a strapping youth in the twinkling of an eye. He too sets off to rescue the sun and, after various adventures, kindnesses , and trickeries, does so, causing the death of the King of the Devils. Although hardly the best -known Chinese sun legend, Bawshou's tale is decently retold in typical folktale manner. This is not prose of distinction, but it reads well. Colorful illustrations mix line drawing, pastel, and silhouette with mulberry paper borders of various hues. The people are not very attractive, but the devils are eye-catchingly realized. The landscapes, especially the mountains and the sea, are captivating; the phoenix, by Chinese reckoning the ruler and most magnificent of all birds, is here depicted as a fashionably uppity duck. This is not destined to become a classic, but it will prove an interesting addition to folklore collections. --John Philbrook, San Francisco Public Library Grades 3-6
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Vibrant illustrations highlight this retelling of an ancient Chinese folktale. Thousands of years ago, the King of Devils steals the sun, plunging the land into darkness. Bawshou sets out to rescue the sun, a task his father attempted unsuccessfully. Accompanied by a golden phoenix and guided by a shining star--the spirit of his dead father--Bawshou crosses swollen rivers, outwits evil villagers and eventually battles the King of Devils himself before liberating the sun from the devils' rocky outcropping. As retold by Baillie ( Drac and the Gremlin ) and Chun-Chan Yeh, the story unfolds gracefully in the leisurely style of oral narrative. It truly comes alive through the mixed-media artwork of first-time illustrator Powell. Though her characters' faces are rudimentary, her use of color and silhouettes--some clearly inspired by Chinese paper cutouts--is particularly striking. In a delicate ink-and-watercolor painting evocative of traditional Chinese brush-stroke, Bawshou's mother stands beneath a blossoming tree, surveying her rice paddy. Later, Bawshou is swept along by a river that is a foaming swirl of jewel-toned blues, greens and violets. These collaborators conjure up a folktale mood with plenty of child appeal. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.