Lin-Li and the Phoenix Fairy

In a lyrical retelling of a Chinese folktale, a poor but clever girl weaves and embroiders her own beautiful wedding robe, only to have the wealthy and proud Golden Flower steal it, but magpies take it away and lead Ling-Li to a magical encounter with the Phoenix Fairy.

Grade 2-5?Beautiful, thrifty Ling-Li embroiders and weaves with unsurpassed skill. Betrothed to her childhood sweetheart, she decides to create a sumptuous gown to wear on her wedding day. After three months, she produces a robe so exquisite that the richest girl in the village envies her and snatches it away. Magpies intervene, and the gown eventually ends up on the shoulders of "The Queen of the Birds," the Phoenix Fairy, who returns it to Ling-Li in time for a joyous wedding day. But the garment's story is not over. The magpies take charge once again and punish the covetous rich girl. Eventually, the gown becomes a field of flowers that resembles the plumage of the Phoenix Fairy. Greene retells a tale from Folk Tales from China (Peking, 1960; o.p.). Acrylic paintings depict a pretty countryside bright with colorful flowers, trees, and mountains. For a story so driven by emotions of love, pride in creation, envy, and anger, however, the characters are oddly inexpressive, depicted in static poses with expressions that are hard to read. Ling-Li often looks more anxious than brave or determined. A detailed afterword gives background on the mythological bird feng huang, a creature quite different from the phoenix of the West. A pleasant addition to the growing body of folktales retold in picture-book format from authentic Chinese sources.?Margaret A. Chang, North Adams State College, MA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Greene offers a formal retelling of a sometimes cryptic Chinese folktale. Ling-Li, a virtuous, penniless young woman, painstakingly weaves and embroiders a robe to wear at her wedding. Her vain and wealthy neighbor Golden Flower so covets the robe that she offers to give Ling-Li 10 satin robes and six brocaded jackets in exchange. When Ling-Li refuses, Golden Flower snatches the robe, then tosses it aside, whereupon it is whisked away by a flock of magpies. Ever resourceful, Ling-Li tracks the robe to a mountain peak, where the Phoenix Fairy returns the garment. Sadly, the bride is not to have her vestment, which is destroyed in Golden Flower's final attempt to steal it. The hopeful conclusion, in which the scraps of robe become flowers in Ling-li's garden, may be too abstract for this audience. First-time illustrator Wang's acrylic paintings feature a variegated palette that mingles soothing pastels and bold, warm tones. Particularly striking are his textured, impressionistic renderings of the Chinese countryside. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 4^-6, younger for reading aloud. In a picture book for older readers, Ling-Li works day and night embroidering a beautiful wedding robe, only to have it stolen by wealthy, spoiled Golden Flower. The robe comes into the hands of the Phoenix Fairy, queen of the birds and a symbol of happiness and good fortune, who returns it to Ling-Li with a marriage blessing of harmony and a rich life for the girl and her future husband. Greene's flowing retelling of this lovely Chinese folktale meshes beautifully with Wang's resplendent acrylic paintings. Particularly lovely is the rendering of the brilliant phoenix bird. A lengthy afterword explaining the significance of the phoenix in Chinese mythology will prove both interesting and helpful to children studying China or mythology. Lauren Peterson