Chrisman won the 1926 Newbery Medal for the work, recognizing the previous years "most distinguished contribution to American literature for children". Many of the stories were hard to follow because of the repeating of certain names (Nu Wa appears twice and Ching Chi thrice as different people), name parts (Ah, Mei, Ching, Fu, Wu, Lang, Ting....) and words that I am sure are not really Chinese at all. The book was written by an American in the mid 1920s. This collection of short Chinese traditional tales is timeless. I finally finished it; if it had been an ILL book I'd have forced myself to read it in 2 weeks. Shen of the sea; Chinese stories for children by Chrisman, Arthur Bowie, 1889-1953; Hasselriis, Else, illustrator. “Shen” is the Chinese word for a spirit and “Shen of the Sea” is the title of one of the stories. Shen of the sea is an exiting collection of stories you will read over and over agian. As it was I renewed it 3-4 times. It's about as authentic as "The Mikado" (also regarded as "authentic" at the time). A series of fascinating Chinese stories, strong in humor and rich in Chinese wisdom, in which the author has caught admirably the spirit of Chinese life and thought. I think I would have liked it better if, like Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, the author had made clear that it was "inspired" by Chinese folklore though I'm not sure that distinction would have been one understood by the author or readers at that time period. Is it a product of the 1920s full of cultural appropriation and imperialism? Fans of dragons and demons in particular and Chinese folklore in general … About Shen of the Sea. 3-5 Genre. The title story tells of a king who tries to match wits with the demons of the water in order to save his city from a flood. Ashen Lords are a brand new land-based threat for any pirate brave enough to take them on. Assembled Product Dimensions (L x W x H) 8.56 x 5.75 x 0.82 Inches. We always have a book of folktales, fairy tales, myths, etc. Series Title: Newbery prize books: Responsibility: by Arthur Bowie Chrisman; illustrated … Shen of the Sea Chinese Stories for Children by Arthur Bowie Chrisman. Grades. Publication Date: October, 1968. For this roundup, we took a look at the... A series of fascinating Chinese stories, strong in humor and rich in Chinese wisdom, in which the author has caught admirably the spirit of Chinese life and thought. Written by: Arthur Bowie Chrisman. My edition of Shen is illustrated by Else Hasselriss, a Danish artist who lived from 1878–1952. Age: 6+ (read to); 8+ (independent reading) Interests: China, folk tales, dragons. Stub This article … Ah Mee's invention --Shen of the sea --How wise were the old men --Chop-sticks --Buy a father --Four generals --The Rain King's daughter --Many wives --That lazy Ah Fun --The Moon Maiden --Ah Tcha the Sleeper --I wish it would rain --High as Han Hsin --Contrary Chueh Chun --Pies of the princess --As Hai Low kept house. I read this as part of my quest to read all the Newbery Medal winners sometime before I die. Publication date 1968 Topics Short stories, Children's stories, Short stories, Chinese Publisher New York, Dutton Collection inlibrary; printdisabled; internetarchivebooks; china Digitizing sponsor Internet Archive Contributor Internet Archive Language English. There’s some sort of moral attached to each one, but not in any obtrusive way as in Aesop’s Fables. Ironically, I didn't like the first story in, This collection of short Chinese traditional tales is timeless. Yet, when I read it, I enjoyed it. As it was I renewed it 3-4 times. The title story tells of a king who tries to match wits with the demons of the water in order to save his city from a flood. The title story tells of a king who tries to match wits with the demons of the water in order to save his city from a flood. Chrisman never went to China and probably never spoke to anyone Chinese. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Shen of the Sea. It's taking me that long. Cancel anytime. So don't be looking for authentic Chinese folk tales here. These are also very cute and absurd, merely in a different setting. Title: Shen of the sea : a book for children: Author: Author: Arthur Bowie Chrisman 1889-1953.: Year: 1925: Source: _empty_: Progress: Create a pagelist for the source file before commencing proofreading (to verify file is correct) This article is within the scope of WikiProject Novels, an attempt to build a comprehensive and detailed guide to novels, novellas, novelettes and short stories on Wikipedia. One reviewer wrote, “Although this book is 75 year old, it reads well because the stories are interesting and have a certain dynamism. No, e.g. About Shen of the Sea. Winner Description: by Arthur Bowie Chrisman, and published by Dutton. I have trouble trusting that these are accurate folktales as there is no information in the book attesting to origins. Yes. E.P. Taken at face value these are some cute stories about how some things were invented, words came to be, and moral things we should all know. Sometimes it got a little slow, but collections of tales tend to do that when you're reading them in a bunch. illustrated by Else Hasselriis. no ghastly Ting A Ling for a name. Chrisman also includes some Anglicized Chinese phrases and words which may or may not be correct (shen/shin for demon and lung/long for dragon are two I recognize). But presenting it as authentic Chinese folktales to children today would be a misrepresentation. This is yet another early example of the librarians of the ALA trying to use the Newberys to reward cultural diversity and failing big time.Is it as bad as "The Pigtail of Ah Lee Ben Lo"? I found most of them boring and terribly silly. Shen of the Sea: Chinese Stories for Children is a delightful little book of folk tales, something that I think Tales from Silver Lands tried to be and failed. Shen of the Sea is a collection of short stories written by Arthur Bowie Chrisman. But they are couched in insensitive language by a story writer and not a folklorist. 3. Undated title pages of three Dutton editions, displayed at Google Books (books.google.com), show the former subtitle reported as 1925 and 1958, the latter reported as 1968. I don't know . It is a Western interpretation/appropriation of Chinese folklore. What else can one expect though? by Arthur Bowie Chrisman. 252 pp – 16 stories. There were some that held my attention for a bit, but most of them were just a slog. Shen Of The Sea Chinese Stories for Children. I reviewed Shen of the Sea, my fifth Newbery medal-winning book, last Monday. A wonderful collection of folk tales. Two books of short stories completed for the year. Shelving menu. It's a little hard for me to judge this one since I read it right after reading the previous Newbery winner, which is another collection of tales. 2 stars. This one was nowhere near as impressive as the other one. Shen of the Sea is a collection of short stories by Arthur Bowie Chrisman that won the Newbery Medal in 1926. It has the trappings of Chinese folklore but it is not Chinese folklore. Switch payment method. It was fun to read, and quite humorous at times. This is one of the more readable and entertaining Newbery winners of its period. As the book’s jacket flap has it, Mr. Chrisman traveled through California. And besides the dumb names which were clearly chosen to amuse someone by their play on language for English, they also got details about pretty much everything wrong for China. It was hailed at the time as "authentic" but cultural authenticity is regarded a little differently today. 1793 Ratings. 4.0. Diverse voices and sparkling debuts dominate today's contemporary short story collections. The stories in Shen of the Sea make frequent reference to luck, fortune, astrology, and fate. Chrisman's original stories are written in the style of humorous Chinese folk tales. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Other tales relate the origin of chopsticks, and an instance when mud pies are revealed to be the origin of fine China. Now he is truly flexing his power as he summons Ashen Lords into the Sea of Thieves! Are the stories funny? Children will enjoy the twists, as many times the story seems to wrap up, and then several more pages reveal an amusing, surprising extra turn of events. As a folklorist I am deeply disappointed in this book and I would be hard pressed to recommend it to any child today. Reason for Reading: Read aloud to my 9yo son. It was hailed at the time as "authentic" but cultural authenticity is regarded a little differently today. 2. At best Shaggy Dog stories. 8 ratings. Add payment method. While the lack of cultural authenticity and overwhelming orientalist are not surprising given the era in which this book was written, it’s hard to celebrate it today. To see what your friends thought of this book, Shen of the Sea: Chinese Stories for Children. This article about a children's book is a stub. Chrisman's original stories are written in the style of humorous Chinese folk tales. shen of sea. Chrisman won the 1926 Newbery Medal for the work, recognizing the previous year's "most distinguished contribution to American literature for children". Hopefully. Of the five books recognized by the Newbery Award selection committee in 1925 and 1926, four of them were short story collections, including back-to-back winners Tales from Silver Lands and Shen of the Sea. Dutton & Co. Shen of The Sea: Chinese Stories for Children. I do like the inclusion of Chinese words and I do appreciate, that for the time, it was big step forward in accepting and introducing other cultures to children. I think perhaps Shen of the Sea could use a little light editing (such as Dr. Dolittle received) or at the very least a forward to clarify the author's use of another culture's bits of folklore to create new literary inventions. I eventually fell asleep while reading this book and never picked it up again. I only feel slightly bad because it is a Newbery Medal. Along the way, he made the acquaintance of a “genial Chinese shopkeeper.” The extent to which Mr. Chrisman’s book arises from Chinese folklore and the extent to which Mr. Chrisman studied “the ancient literature and history of … . I found the stories slightly interesting, but got a little hung over the names and places. 5 stars. Chrisman's 16 original stories are written in the style of humorous Chinese folk tales. I'm glad I didn't give up but I will also not recommend it to any readers (unless s/he is participating in the reading challenge ~ then I'd have to say, some of the stories are not terrible. Customer reviews & ratings. I do like the inclusion of Chinese words and I do ap. It's important to remember when reading some of these older books that weren't offensive at the time and our sensibilities are more enlightened now. Voices from a Medieval Village, Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shen_of_the_Sea&oldid=1016774874, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Ah Mee's Invention - about the invention of the, Shen of the Sea - a story about tricking demons to save a kingdom, How Wise Were the Old Men - a story about prophecy and the twists life take, Buy a Father - a story about morality, primarily obedience, Four Generals - a story about using cleverness to overcome, The Rain King's Daughter - a story about a young woman who uses cleverness to avoid a war, Many Wives - a story about a beautiful young maiden and a not so bright king, That Lazy Ah Fun - about the invention of, I Wish It Would Rain - a story about an over indulged queen, High as Han Hsin - about the invention of the, Contrary Chueh Chun - a funny story about a man who always does or believes the opposite, As Hai Low Kept House - a funny story about following orders literally and a series of unfortunate circumstances, This page was last edited on 9 April 2021, at 00:33. In a video op-ed published March 16, 2021 by the Chinese media outlet Guancha.cn, Professor Shen Yi of Shanghai's Fudan University commented on the U.S.-Australia-India-Japan Quad In a video op-ed published March 16, 2021 by the Chinese media outlet Guancha.cn, Professor Shen Yi of Shanghai's Fudan University commented on the U.S.-Australia-India-Japan Quad virtual summit that … I read this for my 2018 Reading Challenge and my Newbery Challenge. Anyway, this one is a product of its time. I am conflicted. I've finally finished this Newbery Medal winning book. Full of superstition, dragons, demons (aka Shen), witches, and naughty childr. A series of fascinating Chinese stories, strong in humor and rich in Chinese wisdom, in which the author has caught admirably the spirit of Chinese life and thought. Children will enjoy the twists, as many times the story seems to wrap up, and then several more pages reveal an amusing, surprising extra turn of events. October 30th 1968 Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Some were mildly entertaining). A book of unauthentic Chinese folktales told in such a way to make fun of the culture. You won't put this book down for a second. I wasn't in love with this book, but I did kind of enjoy reading it. The stories tell of royalty and peasants, city dwellers and common country folk. 0. The title story tells of a king who tries to match wits with the demons of the water in order to save his city from a flood. These tales were made up for a Western/American audience to explain the origins of various items: the printing press, chop-sticks, gunpowder, tea, porcelain, and kites. It's important to remember when reading some of these older books that weren't offensive at the time and our sensibilities are more enlightened now. Unusually entertaining folktales. It was first published by Dutton in 1925, illustrated with more than 50 silhouettes by Else Hasselriis. One reviewer wrote, “Although this book is 75 year old, it reads well because the stories are interesting and have a certain dynamism. I should have realized it would not stand up to such works written by Chinese authors. Shen of the Sea is a collection of short stories written by Arthur Bowie Chrisman. So I went for Shen of the Sea: Chinese Stories for Children, by Arthur Bowie Chrisman. A collection of stories that capture ancient Chinese wisdom and thought and enliven Chinese culture for the middle school reader. This one was nowhere near as impressive as the other one. It was first published by Dutton in 1925, illustrated with more than 50 silhouettes by Else Hasselriis. Start by marking “Shen of the Sea: Chinese Stories for Children” as Want to Read: Error rating book. Shen of the Sea is a collection of short stories by Arthur Bowie Chrisman that won the Newbery Medal in 1926. And the Newbery Winner read/re-read continues. Each folk tale embodies its own humor and cleverness—none of them are straightforward or predictable. Shen of the Sea: Chinese Stories for Children. Doctor Dolittle was good when I read it originally. And yet told one at a time these stor. The book is illustrated with more than 50 detailed silhouettes by Danish artist Else Hasselriis . Shen of the Sea E.p. The title story tells of a king who tries to match wits with the demons of the water in order to save his city from a flood. Published Chrisman never went to China and probably nev. 2.5 stars. It has the trappings of Chinese folklore but it is not Chinese folklore. 3 stars. If you would like to participate, you can edit one of the articles mentioned below, or visit the project page, where you can join the project and contribute to the general Project discussion to talk over new ideas and suggestions. 4 stars. 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