Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 2-5. Fisher continues his series about world deities with this picture-book overview of ancient Chinese mythology. Beginning with an introduction that mentions Qin Shi Huangdi, China's First Supreme Emperor, Fisher offers very brief historical and cultural background to China's deities, including the interesting point that the immortals often mirrored the status and behavior of human beings. Profiles of 17 gods and goddesses follow, each one presented on a double-page spread that includes a roughly brushed portrait opposite a few paragraphs summarizing the figure's corresponding legend. The condensed mythology may strike some as too abbreviated, and a few of the portraits appear a bit blurred and indistinct. But as in his previous mythology titles, Fisher combines concise, accessible language, colorful art, and exciting stories about figures that aren't often covered in books for youth. A note describing how the artist determined the gods' appearances might have been interesting, but with a bibliography, pronunciation guides, a glossary, and map, this will still be a useful addition to mythology units. --Gillian Engberg Copyright 2003 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Adding to his collections of deities from Ancient Norse, Ancient Maya and Ancient Egypt, Leonard Everett Fisher now introduces 17 of the most powerful in China: The Gods and Goddesses of Ancient China. From Nowa, the part-woman, part-dragon Goddess of Humankind, to Sun Wukong, the God of Mischief who is also known as "the Monkey King," Fisher briefly describes a fascinating array of characters that shaped ancient Chinese mythology. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-6-Xi Wang Mu, Goddess of Immortality; Guanyin, Goddess of Mercy; Guan Gong, God of War; Zhong Kui, God of Healing-what a lineup! Some of these 17 colorful beings come from the Daoist tradition, some from Buddhism, some from traditional religions, and some from other sources, but all of them add to the richness of Chinese life. Fisher succinctly describes their origins, their powers, and their importance in Chinese culture. Each entry covers a boldly colored spread framed with a brightly contrasting border. These dramatic deities are pictured as mostly fierce and strong and somewhat distant, reflecting their power. Chops, or name seals, created for each god and goddess by Mou-sien Tseng, are shown, but their significance is not explained. A useful pronunciation guide is included. Song Nan Zhang's Five Heavenly Emperors (Tundra, 1994) and Tao Tao Liu Sanders's Dragons, Gods and Spirits from Chinese Mythology (Peter Bedrick, 1994; o.p.) cover some of the same material, but their focus is on the stories. Fisher concentrates on the individuals themselves and includes material not readily available elsewhere for children.-Barbara Scotto, Michael Driscoll School, Brookline, MA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Each of thirteen colorful spreads names one or more gods or goddesses of ancient China (e.g., Guanyin, Goddess of Mercy; Guan Gong, God of War), describes their purviews and perhaps relates an abbreviated story about them, and features a somewhat bland portrait. While the context is skimpy, the tales are entertaining and offer a small window into Chinese culture. A pronunciation guide is included. Bib. From HORN BOOK Spring 2004, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
In his latest gallery of divinities, Fisher profiles 17 of "the most popular" deities in traditional Chinese culture, from the mighty Jade Emperor Yu Huang Da Di to two nameless Menshen, soldiers elevated to the status of "door gods," and charged with ensuring peaceful sleep. As usual, the art slightly evokes a national style, but is mostly Fisher; opposite a page-length disquisition on the origin and attributes of each, he poses monumental, slant-eyed, robed figures floating against monochromatic backgrounds and, generally, glowering up at the viewer. Though the information here is strictly recycled, and readers may be confused by the sight of Zhong Kui, the putative god of healing, wielding a sword--not to mention Tibet included among the "Lands of Ancient China" on the endpaper maps--for supporting classroom units or introducing younger children to an unfamiliar system of worship, this album has few competitors. Fisher closes with a helpful list of sources, along with a Pinyin pronunciation guide. (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-9) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
