Review by New York Times Review
GRACE LIN HAS written a middle-grade trilogy of surpassing wonder and emotional weight. "When the Sea Turned to Silver" is the last of the three novels, and it is full of charm and driving action. Statues, paintings and ginseng roots come to life. A horse becomes a dragon, a king becomes a tiger, two thugs become monkeys, a mussel becomes a swallow, a tongue becomes a snake, and a girl becomes a storyteller. Now that it is complete, you must read this trilogy: with your book club, your students, your kids who seem too young for it and your kids who think they're already too old. Like "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon" and "Starry River of the Sky" before it, "When the Sea Turned to Silver" is a classic quest novel: A young person, bereft of helpful adults, hungry and in danger, embarks on a mission that takes him or her far from home. The first book in the series was a Newbery Honor winner. This last one is a National Book Award finalist. In it, a shy and almost silent girl lives on a mountain above a village in imperial China. When her grandmother, Amah, the Storyteller, gets kidnapped by the evil emperor, Pinmei must find her voice and embrace its power. Together with her friend Yishan, Pinmei travels to the City of Bright Moonlight and later to the Crystal Palace at Sea Bottom. They search for a Luminous Stone That Lights the Night, which they plan to give to the emperor in payment for the release of the Storyteller. On the journey they encounter a beautiful maiden who turns out to be a mermaid princess; a strangely scarred servant looking for redemption; a goldfish who brings joy to all hearts; and eventually the dragon Sea King, once an ordinary boy with an exceptionally brave soul. Pinmei and the other heroes of Lin's books tell one another Chinese myths and folk tales, reimagined by Lin with intersecting imagery that weaves from tale to tale and from book to book like a spider's web shining with dew. Red threads. Incandescent pearls. Tigers, dragons, merry goldfish. Lin provides bibliographies of Chinese folk tale collections and writes thoughtful author's notes about her heritage and her choice to use these stories in new ways. Little of that will matter to children. What children will care about is magic, magic that can't be explained with logic, magic that can't be taught, magic that stems from something deep and illogical and true, magic that feels inevitable and mysterious. Lin gives us all that and manages to tie up loose ends and provide satisfying plot revelations at the same time. She also includes glowing full-color illustrations that deepen the connections between the stories. It is a remarkable feat. The novels are best read in order, but the last two are not traditional sequels. "When the Sea Turned to Silver" starts with a slight hint of awkwardness as Lin weaves in references to the past two books that may not resonate for readers new to the series. After that it stands alone beautifully. In an author's note, Lin writes that six, eight and nine are lucky numbers in China, symbolizing peace, good fortune and longevity. Her books provide her personal answers to the question of how to achieve these desires. The first book explores the secret to good fortune, the second the secret to peace and the third the secret to longevity. Immortality is achieved through stories. She writes: "Stories are what connect us to our past and carry us to our future. They are what we cherish and what we remember." Lin has made herself immortal in this trilogy, no doubt. EMILY JENKINS is the author, most recently, of the picture books "Tiger and Badger" and "Toys Meet Snow."
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [November 13, 2016]
Review by Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Lin's third book in her fantasy cycle set in ancient China once again takes traditional folklore and beautifully reimagines it for a new audience. Pinmei lives with her wise, storytelling grandmother, Amah, up on a mountain where her nearest neighbor is the mischievous orphan Yishan. Timid Pinmei must reach deep inside herself when her grandmother is taken by the emperor and his soldiers. After learning that the emperor might trade Amah for the Luminous Stone That Lights the Night, Pinmei and Yishan set off on a perilous journey, periodically interspersed with fantastical stories that cleverly capture human nature as the girl assumes Amah's mantle of the Storyteller. The book jumps between Pinmei and Yishan's adventures, Amah's stay in a prison, and the distress of the Black Tortoise of Winter, who has been captured for nefarious purposes. Each of these plotlines weave with the folktales Pinmei and Amah are telling, each containing bright threads that embroider the final, fuller picture. At times it's hard to keep characters and plot points straight, but concentration is not really the goal. Lin's evocative language sweeps readers away, and the stories within the story are juicy and delicious. To be illustrated with Lin's lovely full-color paintings, this is a worthy companion to her Newbery Honor Book Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (2009) and Starry River of the Sky (2012).--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this compelling companion to Lin's Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and Starry River of the Sky, inspired by Chinese folklore, shy Pinmei, granddaughter of the revered Storyteller, sets out to rescue her grandmother from the evil emperor who has seized her. In the midst of the seemingly endless winter that has fallen over the kingdom, Pinmei and her good friend Yishan begin a dangerous journey in search of the Luminous Stone That Lights the Night to give the emperor in exchange for her grandmother. Lin's fans will not be disappointed: she again delivers a rich interweaving of ancient tales with fast-paced adventure, fantasy, and slowly unfolding mysteries told through captivating language with beguiling similes ("uncooked rice began to fall... like beads from a broken necklace"). Like the Sea King who turns into a dragon when needed, Pinmei remembers her grandmother's words that "when it is time for you to do something, you will do it," and transforms into a storyteller in her own right. Ages 8-12. Agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-6-This luminous companion to Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and Starry River of the Sky complements-and may even outshine-its predecessors. When the Tiger Emperor kidnaps Pinmei's grandmother, she sets out, along with her mysterious friend Yishan, to find the legendary stone that lights the night sky. Chinese folklore is incorporated throughout, as are Lin's jewel-like full-color illustrations. Fantasy, mystery, and adventure combine through elegant storytelling. This is Lin at the top of her game. © Copyright 2016. 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
In this companion to Lins Newbery Honor book Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (rev. 9/09) and Starry River of the Sky (rev. 11/12), young Pinmei goes in search of a Luminous Stone, hoping to give it to the emperor in exchange for her grandmother, whom he has kidnapped and imprisoned. Alternating chapters follow both Pinmei and her amah, a renowned storyteller. As in the previous books, legends are interspersed throughout, here retold by Amah, to her stonecutter cellmate, and also by Pinmei, to those she meets on her journey. Included sporadically are the struggles of the Black Tortoise of Winter, whose survival affects all of humanity. On its own, this third volume contains a richly complex adventure story that revisits previous themes (greed, honesty, forgiveness) and features numerous clever connections between the characters in the novel and those in the interior tales. The three books together, however, offer one grand epic that spans generations, with characters who are re-introduced with different names and appearances but with nuanced clues to their identities. Objects (a multicolored jacket, a jade bracelet, a rice bowl) passed down within families also connect the books stories, offering their own hints at ties between people. Once again, the handsome book designgorgeous cover art, thoughtfully chosen type, compact trim size, and vivid full-page full-color illustrationsis a perfect match for the story. Lins stonecutter claims that storytellers can make time disappearbring us to places we have never dreamed offeel sorrow and joy and peace; the description is a fitting one for author-illustrator Lin herself, who has proven herself a master. jennifer m. brabander (c) Copyright 2016. 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
When her grandmothers kidnapped, a shy girl living in ancient China embarks on a magical journey to find her.Pinmei lives with her grandmother, Amah, a revered storyteller, and Yishan, a boy with a secret, on Never-Ending Mountain. When soldiers of the cruel Tiger Emperor abduct Amah and burn her hut, Pinmei hides in a huge vat. Learning the emperor wants a Luminous Stone, Pinmei and Yishan set out to find it to barter for Amahs release. As their quest unfolds, Pinmei tells Amahs stories, which alternate structurally with the main story. Elements and characters from these folk tales feature in Pinmeis own quest as she encounters such evocatively named figures as Nuwas Tear, the Paper of Answers, the Starry River, the Ginseng Boy, the Red Stone, the Iron Rod, the Green Tiger, the Black Tortoise, and the Sea King. While many things are not what they seem, everything amazingly connects in the surprising finale, when Pinmei finds her voice. The meticulous craft delivers what Lins fans have come to expect. Final illustrations were unavailable for review. This beautifully told companion to Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (2009) and Starry River of the Sky (2012) offers lyrical storytelling, bringing us to places we have never dreamed of. (authors note, book list) (Fantasy. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
