The Ballad of Mulan: English/Chinese
from Pan Asian Publications (USA)
According to legend, there was a young woman named Mulan whose aged and frail father was conscripted. Mulan, unwilling to see her father fighting in a war, disguises herself as a man and joins the army in his place. For the next ten years she shows remarkable skill as a warrior and becomes a famous general. Her true identity remains hidden from her comrades until the very end. Now, over fifteen centuries later, Mulan continues to be an inspiration to Chinese girls and women. She embodies the belief that woman—if given the opportunity—are capable of accomplishing the same feats as men.
Five Heavenly Emperors: Chinese Myths of Creation
by Song Nan Zhang
from Tundra Books
Just about every civilization has stories of creation. The myths and legends of the ancient Greeks and Romans are very well known, but these 12 myths from ancient China are just as fascinating. Between Pangu separating the sky from the earth and the Northern Emperor separating man from gods, we have an array of deities as busy and colorful as those in Greek and Roman myths. They create men out of clay, mend the broken sky after the flood, and shoot down suns so that life on earth will not die.
Inspired by the art of the Ming Dynasty, this is a wonderful collection of Chinese myths of creation, illustrated by award-winning artist Song Nan Zhang.
The Great Voyages of Zheng He: English/ Chinese
by Song Nan Zhang
from Pan Asian Publications
Decades before the voyages of Columbus, Vasco da Gama and Magellan, Zheng He led seven major expeditions that extended the cultural and economic reach of the Chinese empire and helped China become a political superpower. Written and illustrated by Song Nan Zhang who co-authored the English text with his son, The Great Voyages of Zheng He highlights tells the story of a man who faced many obstacles to become advisor to an emperor and admiral of the greatest navy the world had ever seen.
The Great Voyages of Zheng He
by Hao Yu Zhang
from Pan Asian Publications
Decades before the voyages of Columbus, Vasco da Gama and Magellan, Zheng He led seven major expeditions that extended the cultural and economic reach of the Chinese empire and helped China become a political superpower. Written and illustrated by Song Nan Zhang who co-authored the English text with his son, The Great Voyages of Zheng He highlights tells the story of a man who faced many obstacles to become advisor to an emperor and admiral of the greatest navy the world had ever seen.
The Legend of the Panda
by Linda Granfield
from Tundra Books
A timeless tale about a beloved animal
One of the world’s most beloved and reclusive animals, the panda is almost as mysterious today as it was thousands of years ago. The original Chinese folk tale of how the panda came to have its distinctive black-and-white coat is a story of love, bravery and the sacrifice of a young shepherdess. Illustrator Song Nan Zhang has drawn upon his experiences touring the silk road region of Tibet to create the gloriously colourful illustrations that depict the ancient Wolong Valley in Sichuan province. As retold by master historian Linda Granfield, The Legend of the Panda is augmented with fascinating information about panda bears and the efforts to save them. A book as beautiful as it is informative.
Awakening the Dragon: The Dragon Boat Festival
by Arlene Chan
from Tundra Books
In ancient times, the Chinese saw the dragon as both a protector and a threat, able to bring on rain or cause droughts. To honor this powerful creature, people created long narrow boats that they raced in an annual rainmaking festival.
From the wearing of fragrant pouches, to the consumption of rice dumplings, to thrilling boat races, the dragon boat festival of today is a celebration of Chinese traditions all over the world.
Arlene Chan, a respected librarian and an experienced dragon boat racer, explores the origins of the festival, it’s customs, and the races themselves. Beautifully detailed illustrations by Song Nan Zhang let you experience the beauty and energy of this ancient festival.
From the Hardcover edition.
Cowboy on the Steppes
by Song Nan Zhang
from Tundra Books
In 1968, as part of Mao’s Cultural Revolution, thousands of teenagers were “relocated.” The artist’s brother was sent to a place that could not have been more different from his crowded, noisy Beijing home. He was sent to the steppes to live with Mongolian herdsmen.
The studious, gentle, city boy had much to learn: he had to memorize the faces of his cattle; he had to learn to ride with the greatest horsemen in the world; he had to adjust to food, clothing, and scenery wildly different from anything he had ever known.
Despite the hard life, he grew to love Mongolia. His respect for the people who befriended him and his admiration for them were recorded in his diaries.
Song Nan Zhang’s gorgeous paintings are the perfect complement to an unforgettable true story.
A Time of Golden Dragons
by Hao Yu Zhang
from Tundra Books
Through the ages, the dragon has been an important symbol for the Chinese. A time of Golden Dragons is the most auspicious possible. In fascinating text and beautiful paintings, Song Nan and Hao Yu Zhang trace the dragon’s history. Perhaps inspired by giant crocodiles, the image of the dragon affects every aspect of life in China, including the marking of dragon years, the flying of dragon kites, and the eating of dragon cakes at dragon boat races.
A splendid introduction to the richness of Chinese culture, this is a book to cherish this special year and for years to come.
From the Hardcover edition.
Lady White Snake: A Tale From Chinese Opera
by Aaron Shepard
from Pan Asian Publications (USA)
What fate awaits a thousand-year-old white snake that travels from its sacred mountain home to the human world, only to fall in love with a mortal? Such is the bizarre beginning of this tragic love story, one of the most popular in all of Chinese opera. Lady White's marriage and loyal devotion to her beloved husband Xu Xian is considered by Fahai--the abbott of a nearby temple--as heresy and an abomination. Fahai attempts to make Xu Xian aware of the apparent danger he faces from his own wife. And in a spectacular battle, the devout monk musters all his powers to get rid of Lady White Snake once and for all. Although our heroine prevails in the end, time is not on her side and there is great loss.
The Children of China: An Artist's Journey
by Song Nan Zhang
from Tundra Books
Before coming to Canada, while he was still an art teacher in Beijing, Song Nan Zhang traveled from Inner Mongolia east, south, and north to find and paint unusual scenes of Chinese family life.
Here are the children who grow up in the saddle with their nomadic parents or become as agile as the mountain goats they tend. A boy plays chess on the ground with his shepherd grandfather. A teenager tends her father’s pottery shop. At festivals a child plays hide-and-seek, behind yellow parasols, and stilt dancers wait to compete.
+++
