Maples in the Mist: Poems for Children from the Tang Dynasty by Ho, Minfong (1996) Hardcover

by Minfong Ho

A collection of short poems written over 1000 years ago by such poets of the Tang Dynasty as Li Po, Yin Luan, and Du Mu.

Genres: Poetry, Picture Books, China, Childrens

Hardcover

First published June 1, 1996

About the author

Minfong Ho is an award-winning Chinese-American writer. Her works frequently deal with the lives of people living in poverty in Southeast Asian countries.

Reviews

[Melki · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author presents poems from the Tang Dynasty, specially selected for children. It's a beautiful marriage of verse and soft, watercolor illustration. My favorite:

Traveler's Song

My loving mother, thread in hand,
Mended the coat I have on now.
Stitch by stitch, just before I left home,
Thinking that I might be gone a long time.
How can a blade of young grass
Ever repay the warmth of the spring sun?

[Asia | Adventures with Asia Minor · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars!

Great works of poetry. I thoroughly enjoyed reading them!

Highly recommend it!

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Happy Reading!

[Flo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This must be the Velveteen Rabbit's influence. And I suppose that my second harmless literary obsession of the year (Wang Wei and other poets from the Tang Dynasty) has something to do with it. Besides, in the middle of this city, I must be feeling a little nostalgia for the peaceful countryside.

I just found this collection today. Lovely poems and illustrations.



I liked the fact that the editor added helpful information about the poets she selected. A new name to add to my shelves, since I wasn’t familiar with her work.



Feb 05, 18
* Maybe later on my blog.
** Photo credit: Illustration by Jean Tseng for Maples in the Mist.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a gorgeous picture book! Kudos to Minfong Ho for conceiving of this picture book because it is timeless. Her idea was to make a picture book particularly focused on those Tang Dynasty poems that are for children.

The illustrations created to go with the poems are so beautiful! I particularly appreciate the nature-related poems at a time when readers are more focused toward living digitally rather than living life in nature. These poems urge readers to notice nature around them.

Here are a couple of poems that spoke to me:

News of Home

You've just come from my old hometown.
You must have some news of home.
The day you left, was the plum tree
By my window in bloom yet?

-Wang Wei

On the Pond

Little rascals paddle a little boat
Picking white lilies to steal home.
Don't you know how to hide your trail?
Your boat opens up a path in the duckweed!

-Bai Ju-Yu

The author/editor/translator wrote a lovely translator's note that documents how hard it is to hold onto the 'old culture' and pass it on once one is raising kids in the USA. May her children enjoy these poems the most!

[Lora · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love visiting free little libraries. I came across this one day and took it home, little realizing how absolutely beautiful this book would be. It is an art piece- both in gorgeous, serene watercolors and simple and deep poetry. It represents a part of our historical heritage as a human race. I will definitely be revisiting this during the winter days of forlorn grey and drear.
PS- after reading this little book, I was inspired to write a haiku. This book soothes and raises spirits, feeds the creative well, and keeps me off the noisy internet tidal waves that sometimes engulf me. Highly recommended- even if you find a different book. Take care of your brain and spirit!

[Phil J · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations are gorgeous, and the purpose- to present classic Chinese poetry- is irreproachable, but the poems themselves just fell flat for me. I was not able to understand why they are considered classics, and I can only assume that their phonetic or rhythmic virtues were lost in translation.

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ive only included a few picture books in my Goodreads lists because they are fantastic and I don’t want to forget about them. This is one of them. These translated Chinese poems from the Tang Dynasty are wonderful, as are the illustrations accompanying them. What a lovely book.

[Madhusree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the art. The poems will likely improve on reading. Altogether a wonderful read.

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of poetry from the Tang Dynasty of China, which I used as part of a homeschool unit on dynastic China.

[Clarissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maples in the Mist: Poems for Children from the Tang Dynasty is a collection of poetry from what is known as the Golden Age in Chinese history. During the Tang Dynasty China experience peace and prosperity which meant that there was extra time, effort and attention paid to the arts. These poems, commonly used to help children learn to read cover a wide range of topics. Each poem has an illustration to back it, the gorgeous drawings combine exquisite color combinations and artistic brushwork. Every page and poem is worth minute consideration to catch each tiny detail.

[Shelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of short poems, written over 1000 years ago by poets of Ancient China is a nice book to share when covering Chinese history or literature. The afterward has additional information about the poet and his work and would be best appreciated if read directly after each poem. The layout would have been improved if these notes had been placed on the same page as the poem and the lovely illustrative accompaniment.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful pictures, some of which remind me of scroll paintings and others which remind me of the reverse paintings on snuff bottles, illustrate these Chinese poems. I know nothing of the originals, but these poems are simple, full of nature, and easy to understand. They're well-matched to the illustrations. A nice introduction to poetry in translation.