What do you think?
Rate this book
Mulan: A Story in Chinese and English
The legend of Mulan and her bravery is captured in this beautifully illustrated Chinese children's book.
Mulan is a folk story from China's Northern Dynasty (439-589) about the unusual tale of an ordinary girl named Fa Mulan. This book is illustrated based on the original ballad, which depicts her bravery through Chinese ink paintings.
A long time ago in China, there lived a young girl named Mulan. Her father was a retired general who taught her many skills girls weren't normally allowed to learn, like martial arts, archery, sword play and how to ride a horse.
One day, soldiers came to Mulan's village. They told everyone China was in danger, and that a man from each family must join the army and fight. Mulan was terribly upset. Her father was too old, but was honor-bound to fight. If only she had been born a boy! That night, Mulan came up with a plan to save the honor of her family and her father's life.
Early the next morning, disguised as a boy, Mulan took a horse and her father's armor before leaving to join the army. No one recognized her, and Mulan was very careful to never let anyone know she was really a girl. Mulan's bravery, courage and the skills she learned from her father helped her to succeed. Over twelve years, Mulan fought against the threat to China before finally helping to win the war. When she was offered a reward from the emperor for her incredible courage, Mulan instead asked for a horse so she could return home to her family.
Mulan's family was so happy to see her! And there, for the first time in twelve years, Mulan exchanged her armor for a dress, fixed her hair into an elegant girl's hairstyle and joined her family, a beautiful young woman once again.
Mulan is a folk story from China's Northern Dynasty (439-589) about the unusual tale of an ordinary girl named Fa Mulan. This book is illustrated based on the original ballad, which depicts her bravery through Chinese ink paintings.
A long time ago in China, there lived a young girl named Mulan. Her father was a retired general who taught her many skills girls weren't normally allowed to learn, like martial arts, archery, sword play and how to ride a horse.
One day, soldiers came to Mulan's village. They told everyone China was in danger, and that a man from each family must join the army and fight. Mulan was terribly upset. Her father was too old, but was honor-bound to fight. If only she had been born a boy! That night, Mulan came up with a plan to save the honor of her family and her father's life.
Early the next morning, disguised as a boy, Mulan took a horse and her father's armor before leaving to join the army. No one recognized her, and Mulan was very careful to never let anyone know she was really a girl. Mulan's bravery, courage and the skills she learned from her father helped her to succeed. Over twelve years, Mulan fought against the threat to China before finally helping to win the war. When she was offered a reward from the emperor for her incredible courage, Mulan instead asked for a horse so she could return home to her family.
Mulan's family was so happy to see her! And there, for the first time in twelve years, Mulan exchanged her armor for a dress, fixed her hair into an elegant girl's hairstyle and joined her family, a beautiful young woman once again.
42 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2014
2 people are currently reading
92 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 30, 2015
A retelling of the classic Chinese poem about the girl who dresses as a man and goes to war in place of her father. She is hugely successful and returns as a decorated warrior.
This book tells the tale of Mulan succinctly, but well. The illustrations are made to feel like traditional Chinese art, and they complement the story so very well. Even though the tale is about a warrior, there is no blood or gore depicted. Each page has the text in both English and Chinese, making this a great book for those practicing their second language skills, whether it be English or Chinese. Also a great multicultural tale with a nice note in the back about the original poem about Mulan.
This book tells the tale of Mulan succinctly, but well. The illustrations are made to feel like traditional Chinese art, and they complement the story so very well. Even though the tale is about a warrior, there is no blood or gore depicted. Each page has the text in both English and Chinese, making this a great book for those practicing their second language skills, whether it be English or Chinese. Also a great multicultural tale with a nice note in the back about the original poem about Mulan.
September 16, 2018
This beautiful illustrated book tells the Chinese folktale of the young woman, Mulan that impersonated her father as a soldier, because he was too old to fight. Gone for 12 years, she made her family proud as a war hero. This book would be ideal for ages 5-7 and can open up discussion about gender roles.
February 18, 2024
I had absolutely no idea that this was actually a real story that Disney based their movie off of! Very interesting! I enjoyed this a lot, the simplicity of the story and the pictures.
February 20, 2018
A spin on the classic tale of Mulan. The book is written in English and Chinese, and is a great book to add to a book collection to show what language it was originally told in. The classic story of a girl disguising herself as a man to fight in a war instead of her weak father going to war. This is a great story to read to students to show that girls are just as tough as boys.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews