The Journey of Meng

A Chinese tale in which a woman goes in search of her husband who has been forced to be a slave for a cruel king.

Grade 3-10-- This Chinese legend concerns a faithful wife who journeys north with warm clothing for her husband, who has been conscripted to help build the Great Wall. There Meng learns that her husband was interred in the great edifice upon his death, but no one knows where. Consequently, she searches the length of it, wailing. Whole sections shatter and burst, revealing the remains of many. Meng pricks her finger and dribbles blood over them, shouting for it to penetrate the "bones of my beloved," until just that occurs. Meanwhile the cruel Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi orders her arrest, but upon seeing her beauty offers her a position in his harem. Meng bargains this into a decent burial for her husband, upon the conclusion of which she hurls herself into the sea. Rappaport's retelling is very good, if a bit on the formal side, especially in dialogue. Yang's illustrations are nothing short of superb: ink and watercolors utilized in a pictorial yet dreamy way; ink washes are particularly evocative and effective. Like Hodges's The Voice of the Great Bell (Little, Brown, 1989), a classic of filial piety, this one of conjugal fidelity is intrinsic to traditional Chinese civilization; therefore, like Voice , it may not be well received in some quarters. Feminists will take a dim view of the self-immolating heroine; white-washers will want a less grisly bowdlerization. Yet this legend possesses a strength and beauty that is spellbinding. --John Philbrook, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Meng joins the ranks of strong female heroines that people the growing number of multicultural folktales finding their way into print. This classic Chinese legend chronicles the young bride's perilous journey to find her husband, a scholar who, like thousands of others, has been press-ganged into labor on the Great Wall. Her search ends sadly: like so many other conscripts, Wan is dead, his bones buried in a section of the wall. There's a touch of magic in the tale, and Meng's confrontation with the evil Emperor and her final, tragic act speak of her courage and loyalty. Splendidly capturing the story's poignancy and exotic locale, Rappaport's polished retelling is amplified and highlighted by Ming-Yi's subtly shaded watercolors--artwork as delicate as fine porcelain. Ages 5-up.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The cruelties attending the building of the Great Wall are dramatized in a powerful story. After her scholar husband is enslaved to work on the Wall, Meng goes on an arduous journey to search for him, only to find that he has died as a result of unremitting toil. Meng summons supernatural powers to topple the Wall in order to reclaim his bones. Enthralled by her beauty, the Emperor begs her to marry him, which she agrees to do on condition that her husband first receive a sumptuous burial--but when the period of mourning is complete, Meng escapes the tyrant by plunging to her death in the sea. Even though the Emperor's vengeance pursues her after death, she triumphs over him yet again as her courage is remembered. The author relates this moving tale with quiet dignity, while the Chinese-born painter conveys Meng's sorrow and determination with elegant simplicity in his lovely ink and watercolor illustrations. A fine contribution. (Folklore/Picture book. 5-10) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.