So I thought I’d start off slow. I’m already a week behind and I wanted to do all kinds of books. This is for the young ones in your life. I had the pleasure of attending a reading of this one with the author and had the book signed.
Mei Ming and the Dragon's Daughter
I got a chance to re-read this after many years on my shelf. I cannot remember the last time I read it, but I’ve obviously had it for more than 20 years. Reminded me of my love of Chinese culture.
The story is of a young girl, Mei Ming, who’s village is suffering from a very serious drought. Every day she goes farther and farther to gather food for her father. One day she reaches a mountain top and finds water and vegetation, enough to save her village. She tries everything she can to dig to get the water to village, but it’s too great a feat. She sings and the animals hear her and guide her on a quest that brings the Dragon’s Daughter. The Daughter helps save her village by… well, I’ll leave that to you to read.
The lead up to the climax is great, but the ending is quick. Perhaps too quick. Without giving up too much, the Daughter is brought in perfectly, but doesn’t really give a compelling reason to help Mei Ming. I realize this is a children’s book, but it would still be nice to know about the “why” behind it.
Still, a very nice fairy tale with the traditional elements and is a treat to read to little ones. Enjoy.
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