Tales from Within the Clouds (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780824818203)

South of the clouds, in the land of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, dwell the descendants of a once pastoral people, the Nakhi. In ancient times, family names were passed from mother to child, there were no marriages, and women alone raised children. (In the Nakhi language, there is no word for "father.") Today there are still Nakhi who follow these traditions, and Nakhi folktales reflect these beliefs. In the legends presented here we are introduced to a fantastic cast of characters: plants, insects, animals-all of them female! We discover why the Sun, hot-tempered and impetuous, is unpleasant to look at, while the graceful Moon attracts us with her silvery light; why the goat complains and her sister, the sheep, only murmurs "ba-ba"; why the azalea, for all her beauty, lives the shortest and saddest of lives. The ten stories, each illustrated with delightful paintings by celebrated artist Li Ji, welcome us into the unique and little-known world of the Nakhi.

Author: Carolyn Han
ISBN-10: 0824818202
ISBN-13: 9780824818203
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
Language: English
Published: 05/01/1997
Pages: 64
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 0.97lbs
Size: 9.41h x 8.29w x 0.50d

Review Citation(s):
Hornbook Guide to Children 07/01/1997 pg. 110 - Recommended, Satisfactory