(2) YA Breathmarked series. Honor, family, respect, ambition -- familiar values are embedded in this Chinese-inspired fantasy set in a world with a long, winding Snake Wall separating East and West. Some children are "breathmarked," born with a patch of dragon scales on their skin indicating an innate talent. East-born twins Sai and Jun have always shared everything, except that Sai is breathmarked and specially chosen to train to protect the East. Jun, who has been illegally training in martial arts for years, betrays his own secret in a fit of jealousy, which tears their family apart; Jun and his father are banished to the West, while Sai and his mother remain in the East. Resentful but undeterred, Jun runs away to fight in a tournament to restore his family's honor. He soon discovers that political corruption has transformed the tournament into a deadly battle against reunification, and he must decide what he is willing to risk. Sensory details plunge readers into the danger and splendor of the tournament as well as Jun's poignant inner conflicts. A page-turning adventure and coming-of-age tale steeped in fantastical myth.

Reviewer: J. Elizabeth Mills | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) 4-6 On one side of the Old City Gate live the Gongshi: stone spirits that are awakened when carved into statues. The spirits' job is to protect the humans on the other side of the gate. The Stone Lions—cub Jin and his parents—must also guard the Sacred Sphere, which maintains the open gate between the two worlds, but fun-loving Jin is far more interested in playing zuqiu (a soccer-type game) than in protecting anything. When a game is called off, Jin angrily kicks the zuqiu ball, which knocks into the Sacred Sphere, sending it through the gate. Chasing it, Jin becomes trapped in the human world, where he joins forces with a girl named Lulu and with Worm, a wise dragon stuck in a worm's form. The small cub, young girl, and tiny dragon prove that size does not necessarily equal courage as they face terrifying natural disasters and the deceitful Dragon-Head creature in order to retrieve the Sacred Sphere from a mysterious, shadowy figure. Lin (Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, rev. 9/09, and sequels) once again cleverly uses embedded narratives to provide background information about characters in her story. Small spot illustrations open each chapter, while occasional full-page art in gorgeous, saturated color accompanies key moments in Jin's journey. The tale's themes (touching on joy, grief, and the interconnectedness of all life) are naturally integrated into the diverting adventure, and an endnote discusses the author's various inspirations.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2025

(1) 4-6 Twelve-year-old July Chen has lived a lonely life. Her classmates and teacher constantly forget her ("Are you a new student?"), and her father is too tired and preoccupied to pay much attention to her. Ghosts, however, can see her, and unlike most people, she is able to see and communicate with them. July finds an unexpected friend in William Xiao, a wandering soul of a boy who has already survived several near-death experiences. On the night of the Hungry Ghost Festival, the two are chased by a death god and several zombie-like ghosts; they travel to the Underworld to find a way to protect themselves permanently. This graphic novel adventure effectively highlights the importance of friendship, family love, and remembering lost loved ones. Lai weaves many aspects of Chinese folk religion and Taoism into the plot while also creating colorful, memorable characters in both the living and spectral worlds (monstrous and friendly spirits who look like animals; blob-like aliens). She also infuses plenty of humor into a narrative that deals with mortality and the supernatural. An entertaining, engaging read with echoes of Miyazaki's film Spirited Away.

Reviewer: Michelle Lee | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2023

(1) 4-6 Food, folklore, and history combine for a mouthwatering and enlightening read in Lin's collection of stories about more than twenty dishes, drinks, and staples of Chinese and Chinese American cuisine. The table of contents is organized like an American-style Chinese restaurant menu, with appetizers, soups, "chef's specials," and desserts; chapters on tea and chopsticks (along with origin stories) are also included. Lin opens each section with a brief introduction, sharing her own food memories and culinary or symbolistic details. While most of the tales involve mythical creatures or magical events, a few historical figures make appearances, including Ming Dynasty explorer Zheng He, Italian explorer Marco Polo, and Emperor Kublai Khan. Lin's vivid illustrations round out the experience with digitally colored drawings in the style of traditional ink paintings for the folktales, and realistic renderings in gouache of the actual dishes. An illustrated timeline and map of China are included in the introduction. An author's note, extensive end notes, a bibliography, and a scallion pancake recipe are appended.

Reviewer: Michelle Lee | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2023

(2) K-3 Translated by Jeremy Tiang. "Deep in the Kunlun Hills, there lived a mystical deer," the Nine Color Deer, so called because of the varied colors in her fur. One day she saves a drowning man (by leaping from wave to wave and walking on water), and in return asks only that he not tell anyone where she is. He keeps his promise until the imperial palace announces that the queen had dreamt of a magical deer with great powers that can "help our kingdom prosper," and the king summons assistance to find the deer. The lure of the reward money, which would aid his poor family, causes the man to break his long-held promise, and he leads the king and soldiers to the Nine Color Deer. The deer's magic saves her ("a dazzling white light blossomed around her") from the soldiers' arrows; the kingdom and the man she'd once saved realize the errors of their ways. Translator Tiang's fascinating closing note relates that this story's first iteration is from two thousand years ago; Duan's version is inspired by the famous Dunhuang paintings in China's Mogao Caves. Her textured illustrations (painted with a "comprehensive technique, involving acrylic, mineral color and Photoshop"), using a soft, subdued palette, honor the style of the original cave paintings; they are wispy and fine-lined and capture the delicacy and eloquence of the mystical deer and her world. A beguiling and welcome new telling of a traditional tale.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(2) 4-6 A ghostly City of Ashes, a disappearing moon, and a sudden snowstorm are just some of the supernatural occurrences that kick off this mythology-inspired adventure novel set in China during the Ming Dynasty. Our protagonists are Mei and Yun Wu, twelve-year-old orphaned twins scrambling to rescue their grandpa after a disastrous encounter with the emperor's son during the Mid-Autumn Festival. The Wu twins' tale overlaps with the story of Lotus, a beautiful, haunted poet who cursed the region seventy years earlier when her ­family was torn apart by a scorned admirer. Along with a bratty noble boy and an inventive princess, the Jade Rabbit (a celestial being with magical powers) helps the peasant siblings on their quest in the Imperial City. Schmidt's story contains many familiar folktale plot points and tropes--magical travel, cases of mistaken identity, riddles. Passages about the book's titular "dream weaving" are whimsically described. The prose does contain a few anachronisms (some dialogue sounds more like ­modern-day speech, and today's Western units of time and speed are used), but they won't be distracting to most readers. An entertaining tale for those who enjoyed Lin's Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (rev. 9/09) and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland but might not be quite ready for the scary parts of the Harry Potter and Narnia books.

Reviewer: Michelle Lee | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(2) YA How do you define yourself when your name tells many stories about your identity? Seventh grader Meilan's name in Chinese can have many connotations. As "Basket" in her family, she feels the weight of responsibility: "I'm the carrier of their dreams and hopes and desires." When the Hua family's ties are severed after the passing of Meilan's grandmother, the family's bakery is sold and she and her parents and grandfather make a sudden move from Boston's Chinatown to small-town Redbud, Ohio. A gifted storyteller who weaves lively tales inspired by Chinese folklore, Meilan finds her vibrant inner world dissipating. She is re-named Melanie by her principal in a misguided attempt to ease her transition into the new school; and when an assignment compels her to investigate her ­grandfather's experiences as a veteran of the Vietnam War, his presence at school is met with anti-Asian bias. Through unearthing his story, however, Meilan discovers the specific origins of her name--and, satisfyingly, the strength to proudly stand her ground. Wang (Watercress, rev. 3/21) presents an earnest portrayal of an Asian American daughter in an immigrant family finding her voice in ­predominantly white, small-town America. Taiwanese cultural heritage plays a strong role in Meilan's world through her mother's colloquialisms, her father's Chinese ­pastries, and the mythical Chinese creatures she imagines into her new environment. Back matter includes a note about transliteration, "Māma's Meanings," and further reading.

Reviewer: Kristine Techavanich | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2021

(2) YA When the government announces a conscription to raise troops against an enemy invasion from across the Great Wall, Mulan answers the call--disguised as her deceased twin brother. The portrayal of fifth-century China is engrossing, but it's Mulan's story--her rocky introduction to combat and her growth in valor, plus the growing attraction between her and the duke's son--that makes this revisioning of the ancient Chinese legend captivating.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2019

(3) K-3 Translated by Alyson Waters. A tigress, robbed of her cubs, is sent a princeling to assuage her thirst for human blood. The tigress cares for the boy as her own, then releases him back to the kingdom. An ancient-Chinese bronze vessel, which itself is based on a folktale about a boy reared by a tigress, inspired this large-format French-import picture book filled with vivid, intensely hued illustrations.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) K-3 A frog stonecutter decides to look for a cushy job. He goes, by wishing, from job to job (to job) and is finally satisfied when he transforms himself into a stone...until he encounters another stonecutter! Horowitz lays out his version of a Chinese folktale of comeuppance with a mason's expertise, and his cut-paper, charcoal, and pencil illustrations are built with similar artistry.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Pearl Law. Ah-ma (grandma) tells her granddaughters the story of Chang'e, the Spirit and Lady in the Moon, as the family gathers to give thanks and celebrate home and family. Digital illustrations utilize vibrant colors and precise line work to bring both the realistic and folktale settings to life. Back matter includes an author's note about the Mid-Autumn Festival and a mooncake recipe.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(3) K-3 Illustrated by L. K. Tay-Audouard. This adaptation of the sixteenth-century Chinese novel Journey to the West by Wu Ch'eng-en (itself incorporating Chinese legends and folklore) is beautifully and fancifully illustrated in a traditional style. Although a bit wordy for a picture book, the story of Tripitaka--a monk sent to India to get Buddhist scriptures from Lord Buddha himself--and his helpers (including the titular Monkey King) is amusing and exciting.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) YA When the Monkey King from Chinese folklore--disguised as new kid Quentin--arrives in Genie Lo's life, it marks Genie's entry into a world of magic and fantasy layered on top of her everyday world. The two must join forces to defeat ancient Chinese demons. Fish-out-of-water Quentin and sassy Genie are familiar characters, but their dynamic makes for entertaining comic sequences between the action.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) K-3 In this unsourced Chinese folktale (companion to Demi's The Empty Pot), rich, selfish Tan Tan sells poor Ping his tree's shade. But Ping follows the shade into Tan Tan's home and brings friends; enraged Tan Tan moves to "another house, where there...were no friends." When Tan Tan returns, Ping is compassionate. Demi's signature watercolor and mixed-media illustrations in neat circular frames complement the straightforward telling.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) K-3 Multicultural Fairy Tales series. Meister gathers Beauty and the Beast stories from France, China, and Switzerland and Hansel and Gretel tales from Germany, Russia, Italy, and the Philippines. Each collection begins with a familiar Western version and then encourages comparison via appended writing prompts. While the retellings and illustrations are undistinguished, the variants are well chosen to highlight folktales as a global genre. Reading list, websites. Glos. Review covers the following Multicultural Fairy Tales titles: Beauty and the Beast Stories Around the World and Hansel and Gretel Stories Around the World.

Reviewer: Amy Bennett-Zendzian

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Melissa van der Paardt. Loosely based on a traditional Chinese tale, this story erases any cultural authenticity. Mouse Shu trains hard to win the Jade Emperor's race for inclusion in the zodiac; his best friend, Mimi the cat, can only think of the cupcake prizes. The cartoonlike digital illustrations have some amusing touches. The back endpapers feature a chart of the zodiac animals, their traits, and their years.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Shaoli Wang. Recipes by Judy Chan. Foreword by Jane Yolen. The wonderful compendium includes original and traditional stories and related recipes (some need supervision) that can be used effectively at home, school, or other settings. The tales are accompanied by background information, including story patterns that relate to variants found in other countries and proverbs. Full-page illustrations and smaller vignettes are done in a colorful folk-art style. Bib.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) 4-6 Five Ancestors: Out of the Ashes series. Trying to beat a dragon bone addiction ("it gave me extra strength and stamina") is no easy task. But Ryan (Phoenix), a skilled young bicyclist, does so while also rescuing his kidnapped cousin from magical dragon-bone dealers. Good-natured if slightly melodramatic and over-explanatory, this second installment is suited for the middle-grade reader interested in bicycle racing or Chinese folklore.

Reviewer: Sian Gaetano

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Sally Rippin. The ancient Jade Emperor tells thirteen animals that they will race; the "first twelve animals to cross the river" will have a year named after them. The animals line up and, each in its own unique fashion, cross the river. The Chinese-ink, linocut, and digital-media illustrations are exuberant and fluid, evoking mood and furthering the whimsical tone of this retelling.

Reviewer: Sian Gaetano

(4) 4-6 Five Ancestors: Out of the Ashes series. After Grandfather's dragon-bone powder is stolen, thirteen-year-old Phoenix, a top-notch mountain bike racer, learns that "Grandfather" (from Stone's previous Five Ancestors series) was actually born in 1638, and without his dragon bone, he'll die. So Phoenix jets to China to find more. Action-packed bike racing and kung fu sequences will likely distract readers from the wooden dialogue and frequent bouts of tell-rather-than-show mode.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger