Picking Turnips

by Xu Zhou, Adam Lanphier (Translation)

There was a little mouse who lived in a huge pile of books. He felt very lucky to live there, because of the many picture books for him to read. Take The Gigantic Turnip for instance-- he'd read many different editions. The little mouse said that they all got the story wrong, though. According to his uncle's uncle's uncle, The Gigantic Turnip should have gone like this...

Genres: China

40 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2016

Reviews

[Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picking Turnips is probably the best version of The Gigantic Turnip story I've ever read. It's SO FUNNY! As the familiar story unfolds, an alternative is presented by some mice tunneling beneath the large turnip that the usual characters—a white-haired grandfather and grandmother, a grandson (a granddaughter in the original), a puppy, a kitten, and one mouse who is the uncle
of a mouse under the ground—are trying to pull out of the ground. A tug of war is going on between the two teams, one on the ground and one under the ground. The mice team wins in the end and the excited mice and two moles are ready to juice the turnip. It was then the little mouse's uncle starts to realize that his nephew and friends did hit a gigantic turnip and have got it. So he quickly runs home to join them. If you know well of the story, get ready to be surprised by this wonderful adaptation.

[Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Gigantic Turnip is a story children all over the world are familiar with. What we know is that there is this gigantic turnip that no one can pull out. So that Grandpa has to call Grandma for help, then his grand daughter, then a dog, then a cat and lastly a mouse. Together they finally pulls out the turnip. The story has been adored by parents and kid for its simple plot and lots of repetition. While in Picking Turnips, the author Xu Zhou makes a bold adaptation of the story that gives us SO MUCH FUN. What we don't know is that there is a group of mouse pulling the same turnip from under the earth. The picking turnips story is actually a tug of war contest between the on-ground team and under-earth team. What makes it even funnier is this little mouse's uncle who goes to help the on-ground team without knowing that his nephew and friends are pulling the same turnip. Finally the under-earth team wins. It is then the little mouse uncle comes to realize it's time to go home and drink turnip juice. Very funny story and a very creative adaptation of classic stories.

[Delfina · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are probably a dozen or more versions of Gigantic Turnip. However, after reading this edition, you will be surprised to find that this one is more interesting. I like this edition best! I've read to my little son many times, and made him laughed a lot every time. He loves it too!

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here is another Bilingual book I found. This story is written as a retelling on Tolstoy's the gigantic Turnip. As these Bilingual books go, I like the artwork in this one better. Like all these, fear not, the English translation is in the back of the book.

I didn't try as hard with the characters and I feel like I was able to figure out a little more. I relaxed into it. The story was funn and all the animals were cute. Those mice really wanted to juice that turnip. Wow, they must love turnips.

I don't know if I can every be fluent in Mandarin, but I'm learning every more characters and I have just a speck more understanding than I did the last book. It's fun to try and learn either way.