The Water Dragon: A Chinese Legend

by Li Jian

Overview

This fancifully illustrated multicultural children's book tells a famous Chinese myth about a young boy's quest to save his village.

Long ago, in a remote village in China, there lived a kind and generous little boy. He spent his days in the forest, collecting wood to trade for food. One day, the boy made a wondrous discovery: a magic stone that caused his money jar and rice crocks to overflow, both of which he shared with the poor villagers.

But strange things began to happen. It no longer rained. The crops died. The rivers dried up. A terrible drought had struck and would not release its grip. The brave young boy, full of dreams of a white, water-spewing Dragon, took his magic stone on a journey—and discovered how to save his village.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781602209787
Publisher:	Shanghai Press
Publication date:	04/10/2012
Edition description:	Bilingual edition,Hardcover with Jacket
Pages:	42
Sales rank:	208,332
Product dimensions:	9.40(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.20(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Li Jian graduated from Hebei Normal University in 2001, majoring in Chinese Painting. Formerly a middle school art teacher, children's book editor and a partner in an illustration studio, Li now owns his own illustration studio focusing on illustrations for children's fairy tales.

Editorial Reviews

Newcomer Jian retells a Chinese legend well-timed for 2012, the year of the Water Dragon. Ah Bao, a country boy, finds a lucky red stone that supplies him with more rice and money than he can use, but that also dries up all the rain. He dreams of a Water Dragon “dancing in the clouds and showering the land with much needed water,” and sets off to find it, meeting creatures who offer him pieces of their skin, claws, horns—equipment, apparently, for a fight with the “greedy red monster” each creature says Ah Bao will meet. Instead, oddly, Ah Bao swallows his red stone and becomes the Water Dragon himself, and the skin, claws, and other items become part of him. It’s an unexpected twist, as if David had swallowed his slingshot and turned into Goliath. Ah Bao the Water Dragon brings rain to the land, but the story ends there; no word on what dragon life is like, or whether the human boy returns. A translation into Chinese characters appears on every page, making it a fine language instruction tool. Ages 4–8. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

"Graceful watercolors in a traditional Chinese style with an autumnal palette suitably accompany the tale. [T]he story nonetheless has the satisfying elements of an entertaining and adventurous folktale." — Kirkus Reviews

"A translation into Chinese characters appears on every page, making it a fine language instruction tool." — Publishers Weekly

"This remarkable book is experienced illustrator Li Jian's first foray into writing his own picture book. The pictures, which combine Li's classical training in Chinese painting with his talent for bringing fairy tales to life, are at least as compelling as the bilingual text (in English and simplified Chinese characters). Ah Bao is both a courageous and humble hero with a big heart and a sense of responsibility. He will be admired by children and parents, who will doubtless look forward to Li Jian's next solo offering." — PaperTigers.org blog

"I read The Water Dragon to my 3rd-grade students as a read aloud. It is a wonderfully told folktale with lovely illustrations. The kids loved it. It is written in English and has Chinese sub characters. For teachers, this book would be a wonderful addition to your collection of legends and folktales. Parents can read it aloud to their children. My students absolutely were delighted by the ending!" — San Francisco Book Review

" The Water Dragon is a Chinese legend and the story is fantastic with a surprise ending." — Parenting Healthy blog

From the Publisher

Gr 1–4—This bilingual legend tells the story of kind and generous Ah Bao, who finds a magical red stone that multiplies what it touches, creating food and wealth for the boy, which he happily shares with neighbors. He learns that the stone absorbs water, and that there has been a terrible drought since he started using it. He dreams of a water dragon bringing rain to the land, and so he sets off to find it. As he journeys, he encounters various animals that need his assistance. Each one gifts him with a small token and warns him to be careful of the greedy red monster he will soon encounter. Ah Bao meets the monster and swallows the red stone as he flees. The magic stone, combined with the tokens he received from the animals, transforms him into the kind and generous Water Dragon. The paintings are a fantastic blend of traditional Chinese style and composition with modern appeal. Ah Bao is rosy-cheeked and button-eyed, while the world he lives in is full of heavy outlines, loose brushstrokes, and cool, earth-tone color washes reminiscent of ancient Chinese scroll paintings. On a few pages the text is printed over the art, making one page in particular quite difficult to read. A first purchase for folktale collections, especially those looking for tales outside the European tradition.—Anna Haase Krueger, Antigo Public Library, WI

School Library Journal

Chinese dragons are made up of the parts of other animals, and this tale's eponymous water dragon has a snake's skin, a fish's scales, an eagle's claws and a deer's antlers. His origin is the subject of this bilingual tale about a boy who finds a magical red stone that creates endless rice and coins. Generous Ah Bao shares with his neighbors, but unfortunately the stone also dries up all sources of water. When the boy dreams about a water dragon, he sets out to find him. He first meets a giant snake trapped by a rock and helps him by removing it. The snake thanks him by giving him a piece of skin and warning him about a greedy red monster. The boy then meets a carp, a deer and an eagle and does good deeds for them, in turn receiving a body part from each and the same warning. He finally meets the monster and bravely escapes, but he turns into the dragon himself, sending water down to the thirsty earth. Graceful watercolors in a traditional Chinese style with an autumnal palette suitably accompany the tale. The book was originally published in China, and no sources are given for the tale. Although flatly ending with "That's the legend told of the kind Water Dragon…" the story nonetheless has the satisfying elements of an entertaining and adventurous folktale. (Folktale. 6-9)

Kirkus Reviews