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Children of the Dragon: Selected Tales from Vietnam
Legend has it that more than four thousand years ago a mighty dragon prince named Lac Long Quan married a fairy princess named Au Co. From these parents the Vietnamese people were born.
With power, humor, and grace, Sherry Garland shares six of her favorite folktales of Vietnam. Passed down through the ages, these colorful stories depict the rich history, tribal customs, explanations of natural phenomena, and values so important to the Vietnamese people. Award-winning illustrator Trina Schart Hyman brings these magically entertaining and vividly detailed stories to life in an introduction to the folktales of Vietnam that is nothing less than masterful.
How the tiger got its stripes
Chu Cuoi-the man in the moon
Legend of the monsoon rains
Boatman's flute
Raven and the Star fruit
Bowmen and the sisters
With power, humor, and grace, Sherry Garland shares six of her favorite folktales of Vietnam. Passed down through the ages, these colorful stories depict the rich history, tribal customs, explanations of natural phenomena, and values so important to the Vietnamese people. Award-winning illustrator Trina Schart Hyman brings these magically entertaining and vividly detailed stories to life in an introduction to the folktales of Vietnam that is nothing less than masterful.
How the tiger got its stripes
Chu Cuoi-the man in the moon
Legend of the monsoon rains
Boatman's flute
Raven and the Star fruit
Bowmen and the sisters
64 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2001
4 people are currently reading
167 people want to read
About the author
Sherry Garland
30 books60 followersSherry Garland is the award-winning author of 30 books for children, teens and adults.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
September 23, 2016
I don't often give five stars, and in fact this time I'm only giving 4.5 tbh. But I do think every child and every social studies teacher should read this for sure, and lots of other folks who like world folktales, too.
The thing is, that it was an impulse grab at the library when I saw the name of my favorite illustrator on the spine. I thought I was going to just look at the pix. But the stories are surprisingly engaging, and the notes surprisingly fascinating. And of course the art is wonderful.
Buy this for your favorite 8 year old child, or 3rd-grade teacher.
Garland did such a great job, I'll look for more by her.
The thing is, that it was an impulse grab at the library when I saw the name of my favorite illustrator on the spine. I thought I was going to just look at the pix. But the stories are surprisingly engaging, and the notes surprisingly fascinating. And of course the art is wonderful.
Buy this for your favorite 8 year old child, or 3rd-grade teacher.
Garland did such a great job, I'll look for more by her.
March 30, 2016
I liked this. The illustrations were lovely and the stories were rewritten well. After each story the author provides a bit of factual information that may have been in the tales. This is definitely a quality book, but I wasn't enchanted by it.
March 1, 2022
Children of the Dragon is a collection of three folktales from Vietnam. One tells the story of how the tiger got his stripes. Another explains the man in the moon. The third tells how monsoon rains began in Vietnam.
January 18, 2011
A collection of legends from Vietnam researched and retold with skill and beauty. The book’s introduction gives a brief history and background for the country. Each tale has added explanation regarding the genesis of the legend or the instructional, cultural purpose for the tale.
March 19, 2025
beautiful.
May 28, 2020
It's really cool that their creation story is that a dragon prince married a fairy princess and they had 100 children, and so they call themselves "the children of the dragon."
I just didn't like the legends themselves. They were weird and just bad and I didn't like them. It's not the author's fault; it's the stories themselves that aren't good. The illustrations are okay, not bad but not great either.
How the Tiger Got Its Stripes:
A hungry tiger saw a man in control of a water buffalo, making it stop eating the rice paddies, and wondered at how such a strong animal listened to a human that it could overpower physically. He asked the man and he said it's through wisdom, which he keeps in a box at home. The tiger wanted to see it but the man didn't trust him to stay there and not eat the buffalo so he convinced the tiger to let him tie him up to a tree while he went to get the wisdom. When he came back, he told him wisdom is in your head, and he set the tree on fire to punish the tiger. The rope burnt and left black marks all over the tiger and that's how he got the black stripes on his body. The buffalo laughed so hard that he fell over and knocked out his front teeth and that's why buffalo don't have teeth there.
I didn't like this tale at all. I did like the facts at the end, about tigers having been killed in the war and by poachers and now they're almost extinct. And men and boys who work in the rice fields use buffalo to do the work since it's so muddy and wet there and tractors and vehicles wouldn't work. They're called "buffalo boys." They love the buffalo and sings songs to them to pass time and pacify them. Some sit on the buffalo's back and fish when they're soaking in the water.
Chu Cuoi--the Man in the Moon:
A poor woodcutter was in the woods collecting sticks when he found tiger cubs without their mom. He intended to catch one and sell it for a lot of money. The mom came up and he took the cub up into a tree with him, but it moved out of his hold and fell to the ground. The mom got some banyan leaves and chewed them up and put them on its head and the baby recovered like nothing had happened. So the man dug up the tree and transplanted it at his home. He found a neighbor's dog lying dead and did the same process with the leaves and it came back to life. He was told the lord's daughter was dying and he brought leaves and put them on her tongue. She was miraculously better and her dad promised he would marry her. He told her never to plant flowers at the banyan tree or disturb the roots but even though she had planted all the rest of their land, she didn't listen and planted anyway. She hit the roots and the tree came out of the ground and started going up in the air. He grabbed it and held on until it landed in the moon. If you look at the moon you can see him sitting under the tree, trying to figure out how to get home.
This story sucked. His stupid wife didn't listen to a simple instruction, and ruined his life. I also thought he was a villain because he intended to take one of the cubs away from its mom for money, and he dug up the tree in the first place. That seemed like something the bad guy would do. The Moon Festival was interesting though, with rice paper lanterns being lit. They have moon cakes and listen to fairy tales.
The Legend of the Monsoon Rains:
The princess is "perfect in every way, with the grace of a willow, the sweet voice of a nightingale, and a face as pure and smooth as a lotus blossom. So renowned was her beauty that suitors came from all corners of the land, seeking her father's consent to marry her." When you go on about a heroine like this, you've lost me. No one is perfect and this is why people have such a problem with fairy tales.
She was so perfect that her dad turned away every suitor that came for her because no one had the right combination of being handsome, rich, and wise. But one day two men that were as handsome as the other came. She instantly went to her dad and begged that he choose one of them, knowing nothing other than that they were wonderful to gaze upon.
Son Tinh, Lord of the Mountains, described his homeland and what riches he had. If he should receive the king's daughter's hand in marriage, she would sleep on a bed of jasmine and orchids and he promised eternal happiness. Thuy Tinh, Lord of the Seas, was haughty and his eyes burned into her so that she blushed. He spoke loudly and said what he owned, all the sea creatures and things, and she would sleep in a mother of pearl shell and reign at his side as the queen of the seas. The princess thought he was fiery but another perfect suitor. I was even more irritated with her that she couldn't choose one over the other. What's wrong with her? Clearly Son Tinh was better!
Her dad said whichever one came at the first ray of sunlight with gifts could marry her. The lords left to gather gifts in their homes. Thuy Tinh partied hard and everyone drank and danced, but Son Tinh woke early and started out and arrived right on time. They were married and Thuy Tinh arrived late and was mad thinking he'd been tricked. He wanted the princess to be his and Son Tinh called on the animals to fight. So it started a battle between the land and the sea. There were monsoons and destruction. But Son Tinh made the mountain rise so high up in the sky that it couldn't be reached by the sea. Thut Tinh didn't give up and every summer he has the rain and wind come to steal the princess. It explains the annual cycle of the monsoons.
This was the best story in the bunch because it's a cool explanation to account for the weather, that it's a battle between the Lord of the Mountains and Lord of the Sea. I didn't like the princess but it had a little something to it and was more interesting.
But the page showed her holding hands with a man and there was a deer there and a tiger and hawk on his shoulder so it ruined the surprise of who she married before the text got there. Don't people realize massive spoilers like that?!
The Boatman's Flute:
This started out pretty promising and was shaping up to be the second best or best story in the book, until the ending ruined it.
A mandarin had a beautiful daughter and was so overprotective of her that he never let her leave the house. She always looked out the window and one day a boatman was out there playing flute music. She built up this daydream about him, of her going outside and him lifting her into the boat, and her experiencing the world. There would be a tiger and he'd hold her tight. The boatman kept coming and playing his music and she kept listening and enjoying his music. She waved her scarf when he looked up at her window and threw flowers to him. Her dad was going to marry her soon and she hoped he was a lord in disguise that she could marry.
He had a passenger ask him who he was playing for, and the man said he didn't know who she was, but he sees her every day in her window. The man laughed at what a fool he was, because she's the mandarin's daughter and she could never love a plain boatman. The boatman didn't come back to play after that, and she grew ill without his music. Her maid told her dad about the boatman's music and he had him come to the palace and play for her. He even said he wouldn't question fate if it had another husband in mind for her.
The girl was well when she heard the music, but she saw how ugly he was and only told her dad to pay him and left the room. The boatman was heartbroken and died a few months later. A piece of jade appeared where his heart had been when his body was sent down the river on a boat. It was made into a goblet that the mandarin happened to buy and give to her. She heard the flute music when she drank and realize she'd never felt as much happiness as she did when she'd listened to his music. Now her life was empty and she knew his love had been true. She asked forgiveness and regretted her mistake. She cried and her tear broke the goblet and she saw fog come out of it and his soul was free. What in the world? That was strange.
All fathers chose mates for their kids. Sometimes marriage arrangements were made when they were babies, and it was common for husband and wife to meet on their wedding day.
The Raven and the Star Fruit:
There were 2 brothers, Hieu strong but lacking ambition, married to a real stingy, materialistic bitch, and De, king and smart but small, married to a nice woman. It was custom for the oldest to marry first, and when De married it was custom for him to move in with them. Hieu's wife didn't want them there and made Hieu send them to a dilapidated old shack. There was a fruit tree and a raven came and started eating from it. He said if they sewed a bag he'd pay them back in gold. De went with the raven and took only what riches his wife would like and didn't think of himself. There was a ceremony when their dad died which called for Hieu and his wife to come to their house to honor their dad. Hieu's wife demanded a carpet be laid the whole way and the entryway covered in gold. It was a really weird request.
She saw how rich they were and asked how and they told her the story. She wanted their house and they actually left it to her, stupidly. When Hieu went with the raven, he grabbed as much as he could, more than the raven could carry. On the way back over the sea the raven had to tell him to drop things so they wouldn't fall in, and he reluctantly dropped a few things. He wouldn't drop the gold and so he fell into the ocean and drowned. His wife waited until she grew old--you think she would've figured out he wasn't coming before then.. His ghost is said to wander with bags of gold saying "We're almost home."
This one sucked too, didn't like anything about it.
It's interesting that many believe their ancestors protect their homes. They believe ancestors come back to visit Earth on their new year. The star fruit is carambola or tropical star fruit.
The Bowmen and the Sisters:
I didn't like this one either because it was weird.
Twin daughters had humps on their backs. Of course one was nice and obedient, and the other lazy and mean. Everyone thinks twins are either exactly alike or the exact opposite. The nice one went to pick up firewood when their dad was sick and the mean one refused to dirty her hands. While she was out there she encountered a group of bowmen who demanded she entertain them if she wanted to be released. Naturally we would assume a group of men finding a woman would rape her, so I was cringing at the sound of it all. She sang and they released her but wanted more, so she promised to come back. To make sure she did, the leader removed her hump so she'd come back to get it. As if!
She told her family and her sister insisted on going back to get her hump removed, and her dad agreed because the men one is his favorite. So she went back except she couldn't sing like her sister and they all ridiculed her. The leader had her go but she wanted her hump taken off, but instead of doing that he gave her her sister's hump as well so she had two humps.
The bowmen are descendants of minority tribes who live in the hills and mountains and were driven there by the Vietnamese who settled the land. Today they're called mountain people. They believe everything has a spirit. They worship these spirits and look for omens to help make important decisions. Their houses are on stilts to protect against wild animals. Each tribe has a certain cloth to distinguish them. Rules have forced them to do hard labor and they've fought in wars. They're skilled hunters and train animals to work for them. They have elephants haul logs, monkeys to climb trees and get coconuts, and otters to catch fish for them.
I just didn't like the legends themselves. They were weird and just bad and I didn't like them. It's not the author's fault; it's the stories themselves that aren't good. The illustrations are okay, not bad but not great either.
How the Tiger Got Its Stripes:
A hungry tiger saw a man in control of a water buffalo, making it stop eating the rice paddies, and wondered at how such a strong animal listened to a human that it could overpower physically. He asked the man and he said it's through wisdom, which he keeps in a box at home. The tiger wanted to see it but the man didn't trust him to stay there and not eat the buffalo so he convinced the tiger to let him tie him up to a tree while he went to get the wisdom. When he came back, he told him wisdom is in your head, and he set the tree on fire to punish the tiger. The rope burnt and left black marks all over the tiger and that's how he got the black stripes on his body. The buffalo laughed so hard that he fell over and knocked out his front teeth and that's why buffalo don't have teeth there.
I didn't like this tale at all. I did like the facts at the end, about tigers having been killed in the war and by poachers and now they're almost extinct. And men and boys who work in the rice fields use buffalo to do the work since it's so muddy and wet there and tractors and vehicles wouldn't work. They're called "buffalo boys." They love the buffalo and sings songs to them to pass time and pacify them. Some sit on the buffalo's back and fish when they're soaking in the water.
Chu Cuoi--the Man in the Moon:
A poor woodcutter was in the woods collecting sticks when he found tiger cubs without their mom. He intended to catch one and sell it for a lot of money. The mom came up and he took the cub up into a tree with him, but it moved out of his hold and fell to the ground. The mom got some banyan leaves and chewed them up and put them on its head and the baby recovered like nothing had happened. So the man dug up the tree and transplanted it at his home. He found a neighbor's dog lying dead and did the same process with the leaves and it came back to life. He was told the lord's daughter was dying and he brought leaves and put them on her tongue. She was miraculously better and her dad promised he would marry her. He told her never to plant flowers at the banyan tree or disturb the roots but even though she had planted all the rest of their land, she didn't listen and planted anyway. She hit the roots and the tree came out of the ground and started going up in the air. He grabbed it and held on until it landed in the moon. If you look at the moon you can see him sitting under the tree, trying to figure out how to get home.
This story sucked. His stupid wife didn't listen to a simple instruction, and ruined his life. I also thought he was a villain because he intended to take one of the cubs away from its mom for money, and he dug up the tree in the first place. That seemed like something the bad guy would do. The Moon Festival was interesting though, with rice paper lanterns being lit. They have moon cakes and listen to fairy tales.
The Legend of the Monsoon Rains:
The princess is "perfect in every way, with the grace of a willow, the sweet voice of a nightingale, and a face as pure and smooth as a lotus blossom. So renowned was her beauty that suitors came from all corners of the land, seeking her father's consent to marry her." When you go on about a heroine like this, you've lost me. No one is perfect and this is why people have such a problem with fairy tales.
She was so perfect that her dad turned away every suitor that came for her because no one had the right combination of being handsome, rich, and wise. But one day two men that were as handsome as the other came. She instantly went to her dad and begged that he choose one of them, knowing nothing other than that they were wonderful to gaze upon.
Son Tinh, Lord of the Mountains, described his homeland and what riches he had. If he should receive the king's daughter's hand in marriage, she would sleep on a bed of jasmine and orchids and he promised eternal happiness. Thuy Tinh, Lord of the Seas, was haughty and his eyes burned into her so that she blushed. He spoke loudly and said what he owned, all the sea creatures and things, and she would sleep in a mother of pearl shell and reign at his side as the queen of the seas. The princess thought he was fiery but another perfect suitor. I was even more irritated with her that she couldn't choose one over the other. What's wrong with her? Clearly Son Tinh was better!
Her dad said whichever one came at the first ray of sunlight with gifts could marry her. The lords left to gather gifts in their homes. Thuy Tinh partied hard and everyone drank and danced, but Son Tinh woke early and started out and arrived right on time. They were married and Thuy Tinh arrived late and was mad thinking he'd been tricked. He wanted the princess to be his and Son Tinh called on the animals to fight. So it started a battle between the land and the sea. There were monsoons and destruction. But Son Tinh made the mountain rise so high up in the sky that it couldn't be reached by the sea. Thut Tinh didn't give up and every summer he has the rain and wind come to steal the princess. It explains the annual cycle of the monsoons.
This was the best story in the bunch because it's a cool explanation to account for the weather, that it's a battle between the Lord of the Mountains and Lord of the Sea. I didn't like the princess but it had a little something to it and was more interesting.
But the page showed her holding hands with a man and there was a deer there and a tiger and hawk on his shoulder so it ruined the surprise of who she married before the text got there. Don't people realize massive spoilers like that?!
The Boatman's Flute:
This started out pretty promising and was shaping up to be the second best or best story in the book, until the ending ruined it.
A mandarin had a beautiful daughter and was so overprotective of her that he never let her leave the house. She always looked out the window and one day a boatman was out there playing flute music. She built up this daydream about him, of her going outside and him lifting her into the boat, and her experiencing the world. There would be a tiger and he'd hold her tight. The boatman kept coming and playing his music and she kept listening and enjoying his music. She waved her scarf when he looked up at her window and threw flowers to him. Her dad was going to marry her soon and she hoped he was a lord in disguise that she could marry.
He had a passenger ask him who he was playing for, and the man said he didn't know who she was, but he sees her every day in her window. The man laughed at what a fool he was, because she's the mandarin's daughter and she could never love a plain boatman. The boatman didn't come back to play after that, and she grew ill without his music. Her maid told her dad about the boatman's music and he had him come to the palace and play for her. He even said he wouldn't question fate if it had another husband in mind for her.
The girl was well when she heard the music, but she saw how ugly he was and only told her dad to pay him and left the room. The boatman was heartbroken and died a few months later. A piece of jade appeared where his heart had been when his body was sent down the river on a boat. It was made into a goblet that the mandarin happened to buy and give to her. She heard the flute music when she drank and realize she'd never felt as much happiness as she did when she'd listened to his music. Now her life was empty and she knew his love had been true. She asked forgiveness and regretted her mistake. She cried and her tear broke the goblet and she saw fog come out of it and his soul was free. What in the world? That was strange.
All fathers chose mates for their kids. Sometimes marriage arrangements were made when they were babies, and it was common for husband and wife to meet on their wedding day.
The Raven and the Star Fruit:
There were 2 brothers, Hieu strong but lacking ambition, married to a real stingy, materialistic bitch, and De, king and smart but small, married to a nice woman. It was custom for the oldest to marry first, and when De married it was custom for him to move in with them. Hieu's wife didn't want them there and made Hieu send them to a dilapidated old shack. There was a fruit tree and a raven came and started eating from it. He said if they sewed a bag he'd pay them back in gold. De went with the raven and took only what riches his wife would like and didn't think of himself. There was a ceremony when their dad died which called for Hieu and his wife to come to their house to honor their dad. Hieu's wife demanded a carpet be laid the whole way and the entryway covered in gold. It was a really weird request.
She saw how rich they were and asked how and they told her the story. She wanted their house and they actually left it to her, stupidly. When Hieu went with the raven, he grabbed as much as he could, more than the raven could carry. On the way back over the sea the raven had to tell him to drop things so they wouldn't fall in, and he reluctantly dropped a few things. He wouldn't drop the gold and so he fell into the ocean and drowned. His wife waited until she grew old--you think she would've figured out he wasn't coming before then.. His ghost is said to wander with bags of gold saying "We're almost home."
This one sucked too, didn't like anything about it.
It's interesting that many believe their ancestors protect their homes. They believe ancestors come back to visit Earth on their new year. The star fruit is carambola or tropical star fruit.
The Bowmen and the Sisters:
I didn't like this one either because it was weird.
Twin daughters had humps on their backs. Of course one was nice and obedient, and the other lazy and mean. Everyone thinks twins are either exactly alike or the exact opposite. The nice one went to pick up firewood when their dad was sick and the mean one refused to dirty her hands. While she was out there she encountered a group of bowmen who demanded she entertain them if she wanted to be released. Naturally we would assume a group of men finding a woman would rape her, so I was cringing at the sound of it all. She sang and they released her but wanted more, so she promised to come back. To make sure she did, the leader removed her hump so she'd come back to get it. As if!
She told her family and her sister insisted on going back to get her hump removed, and her dad agreed because the men one is his favorite. So she went back except she couldn't sing like her sister and they all ridiculed her. The leader had her go but she wanted her hump taken off, but instead of doing that he gave her her sister's hump as well so she had two humps.
The bowmen are descendants of minority tribes who live in the hills and mountains and were driven there by the Vietnamese who settled the land. Today they're called mountain people. They believe everything has a spirit. They worship these spirits and look for omens to help make important decisions. Their houses are on stilts to protect against wild animals. Each tribe has a certain cloth to distinguish them. Rules have forced them to do hard labor and they've fought in wars. They're skilled hunters and train animals to work for them. They have elephants haul logs, monkeys to climb trees and get coconuts, and otters to catch fish for them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2017
This book is a major cause of my love for reading.
All throughout elementary school, I would (much to the librarians' dismay, who didn't want us to check out the same book multiple times) check it out twice a year without fail. In kindergarten, my parents had to read it all to me, in first grade, I read it with little help from them. By fifth grade, I likely could have recited each tale word for word.
It's now been a few years of me struggling to remember even the title, I do however remember exactly where in our library it was located as well as the call number (398.2 GAR, I believe)
All throughout elementary school, I would (much to the librarians' dismay, who didn't want us to check out the same book multiple times) check it out twice a year without fail. In kindergarten, my parents had to read it all to me, in first grade, I read it with little help from them. By fifth grade, I likely could have recited each tale word for word.
It's now been a few years of me struggling to remember even the title, I do however remember exactly where in our library it was located as well as the call number (398.2 GAR, I believe)
March 23, 2017
This book is a collection of Vietnamese folk tales retold by Sherry Garland. At first sight of this book, I was a little bit skeptical about reading it, thinking that there will be some sort of bias or misinformed information. However, when I opened the book, I realized that the author has put in effort and work to really research all about Vietnamese cultures and traditions before writing her book. For now, the book stays in Banks's first level of integration because it only tells about Vietnamese legends and stories. However, the introduction page and the short notes at the end of each story add great detail and history about the cultures of Vietnam. I felt very satisfied reading this, and I loved every story that was retold in the book. I especially remembered the "How the Tiger Got Its Stripes" story from when I was still a 4-year-old, and it brought nostalgia of my home country to me. The language used was very descriptive and engaging to the readers. The only thing that I wished the book could have improved on was the amount of illustrations and pictures that could go with the stories. Overall, I would love to have this book as one of my classroom library book. The introduction at the beginning of the book, especially, brought a great deal of Vietnamese history and traditions into light. I loved reading every single word about it.
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December 20, 20151. SUMMARY – This book is a collection of short myths from Vietnam. In one tale, a curious tiger becomes a victim of his own curiosity. His stripes are a reminder of his misfortune. In another, an epic love triangle is at the core of monsoon season. With each year, the rivalry between earth and sea returns in another attempt to win back the heart of an unrequited love.
2. GENRE – This is an example of traditional fiction, multicultural fiction, and informational text. This is a collection of myths that are stories that explain natural phenomena such as a tiger’s stripes. These are traditional tales from Viet Nam which would be an example of multicultural text.
3. LITERARY CONCEPTS – sensory details, characterization, plot, setting
4. TRAITS – Organization, Word Choice
5. OTHER CONTENT – life sciences, geography, customs
6. Interest/ grade level – 3rd - 5th/5th - 6th
2. GENRE – This is an example of traditional fiction, multicultural fiction, and informational text. This is a collection of myths that are stories that explain natural phenomena such as a tiger’s stripes. These are traditional tales from Viet Nam which would be an example of multicultural text.
3. LITERARY CONCEPTS – sensory details, characterization, plot, setting
4. TRAITS – Organization, Word Choice
5. OTHER CONTENT – life sciences, geography, customs
6. Interest/ grade level – 3rd - 5th/5th - 6th
July 30, 2016
Children of the Dragon contains retellings of favorite Vietnam folktales. Legend has it that over four thousand years ago a dragon name Lac Long Quan married a fairy princess names Au Co. These two became the parents of the Vietnam people. Illustrator Trina Schart Hyman helps to bring each folktale to life with vibrant detailing and colors.
I would introduce this picture book by sharing one its folktales with my students. I would choose the folktale “Chu Cuoi – the Man in the Moon” because it is traditionally told on the night of Tet Trung Thu, or the Moon Festival, which occurs in early Autumn. The Moon Festival is often talked about by Ha in Inside Out and Back Again by Thannhai Lai and is one of her favorite pastimes.
I would introduce this picture book by sharing one its folktales with my students. I would choose the folktale “Chu Cuoi – the Man in the Moon” because it is traditionally told on the night of Tet Trung Thu, or the Moon Festival, which occurs in early Autumn. The Moon Festival is often talked about by Ha in Inside Out and Back Again by Thannhai Lai and is one of her favorite pastimes.
June 21, 2008
Have you ever wondered how the tiger got its stripes or why every year there is a monsoon season? Simple tales from Vietnam are now available. If you enjoy folklore, Children of the Dragon needs to be in your library. Sherry Garland has brought together a collection of folk tales that have been passed on to her through friends, relatives, and research. The stories are about heroes, princesses, animals, and plants. Each includes a short history of how the folk tale is connected to Vietnamese history culture. Beautifully illustrated with acrylic paint and India ink by Caldecott Award winner Trina Schart Hyman.
April 30, 2017
This book should have had more illustrations. The illustrations were lovely-- suited to be hanging in a gallery--but they were small and few.
The stories were simple fables and myths, teaching virtues or the origins of natural occurrences. Each story was accompanied by a short section of informational text that taught about the culture of Vietnam.
The stories were simple fables and myths, teaching virtues or the origins of natural occurrences. Each story was accompanied by a short section of informational text that taught about the culture of Vietnam.
August 22, 2016
The folk tales in this collection are very well written and provide good insight into Vietnamese culture. The moral lessons are applicable anywhere. After each story, there are notes about aspects of Vietnamese culture that are reflected in the stories. I have read several of the stories aloud in 2nd and 3rd grade classes.
October 5, 2010
I liked some of the stories in here. The artwork is precious and just remembering the book makes me want to go look for the stories right now online.
February 3, 2020
The stories are told in a typical fairy tale way that sounds familiar to Westerners. I am curious how much of the telling is the same in style and how much of that was the author/translator making it familiar to her audience. After each story she includes further relevant information connecting the fairy tale to the history and culture of Vietnam, a nice touch. The illustrations are beautiful and definitely the highlight of the book. This book is a lovely way to learn about the culture and mythos of a place I had previously not given much thought to.
August 25, 2021
Very nicely done. Best quote: "According to legend, Vietnam's history began four thousand years ago when a dragon prince named Lac Long Quan married a fairy princess named Au Co. They had one hundred children, but this was too much for them to handle, so the parents agreed to separate."
I was stuck imagining this conversation for several minutes. "This whole 100 kids to 2 parents thing, not working. You take 50 and I take 50, I think that will go better."
But, you know, now we have Vietnam. So I guess it worked out.
I was stuck imagining this conversation for several minutes. "This whole 100 kids to 2 parents thing, not working. You take 50 and I take 50, I think that will go better."
But, you know, now we have Vietnam. So I guess it worked out.
May 13, 2017
Gorgeously illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman, this is a lovely collection of Vietnamese legends, myths and folktales. Each story is accompanied by a descriptive passage which elucidates relevant cultural practices, as well as religious and folk beliefs. A good read-aloud book, too!
January 12, 2022
A collection of Vietnamese folktales.
We read this for Blossom&Root's 1st-grade LA curriculum.
We read this for Blossom&Root's 1st-grade LA curriculum.
June 20, 2022
I enjoyed the modern cultural lesson at the end of each story that help teach about Viet Nam.
August 10, 2022
What a delightful book! I want to read more books by this author. The illustrator, Trina Schart Hyman, is wonderful.
June 12, 2025
Lovely stories with some historical information included.
February 22, 2024
This is a wonderful collection of six short stories, including folktales and mythology, from Vietnam. Most of the stories are short enough to hold a younger child's attention and detailed enough to engage older children as well.
The illustrations are lovely and nicely detailed, if a bit sparse, with two pictures per tale.
The illustrations are lovely and nicely detailed, if a bit sparse, with two pictures per tale.
August 19, 2020
Ages 6 and up. Selected tales from Vietnam that rival any of the Grimm’s fairy tales in adventure, imagination and vibrancy. Many of the stories are supplemented by explanations of Vietnamese history that provide context.
November 3, 2022
It just looked interesting. (:
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September 24, 2018Read. Not reviewed.
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