The Magical Starfruit Tree Format: Paperback

The Magical Starfruit Tree teaches children about the virtue of sharing, especially with those less fortunate than you through the retelling of a Chinese folktale by an author and illustrator who are both Chinese.

The Magical Starfruit Tree tells the story of a greedy peddler, Ah-Di, a kindhearted young boy, Ming-Ming, and an old beggar on a hot day. In spite of the heat and the old man's apparent thirst, the miserly peddler refuses to give him a juicy starfruit. Although he has little, Ming-Ming offers to buy a piece of fruit for the old man. The beggar gratefully accepts and eats the fruit, saving only one seed. Calling for someone to bring him a pot of hot water, he plants the seed. The old man uses his magic to make the seed grow, blossom, and bear fruit, all before the eyes of the bewildered crowd. In the end there is enough fruit for everyone, the peddler is chastised for his greedy ways and Ming-Ming is rewarded for his generosity.

Retold and illustrated by a Chinese author and Chinese artist, The Magical Starfruit Tree is a traditional story that teaches values to children through example. It also touches on one of the main tenets of the Chinese culture, which is to honor your elders and treat them with respect.

Rosalind Wang was born in China, grew up in Taiwan, and currently resides in Vancouver, Washington. While she was working as a public librarian in Vancouver, Wang was frustrated that she was unable to find any Chinese folktales for her storytelling hour. Eventually, finding none, Wang decided to write them herself. The Magical Starfruit Tree, her second book based on a traditional Chinese tale, follows The Fourth Question, published in 1991. Wang is an education librarian at Portland State University.