Böcker av Li Jian

From China-based publisher Shanghai Press, this book recounts the legend of Mulan and her bravery through beautiful Chinese ink paintings. Though we all know the beloved Disney retelling, the original story of Mulan comes from a folktale from China''s Northern Dynasty (439-589) about the unusual tale of an ordinary girl named Fa Mulan. One day, the government drafted Mulan''s father into the army. However, he was too old. Mulan didn''t have an older brother and the younger one was not old enough to be a soldier, so she decided to disguise herself as a man and joined the army in place of her father, hoping her secret wouldn''t be exposed. Her excellent martial arts skills always put her on the front lines of every battle. During the 12 years she was in the army, she made great contributions and won admiration from her unit of soldiers. After the war, the emperor honored generals and soldiers, rewarding them with status and money; Mulan didn''t care about either. All she wanted was a horse to take her home as soon as possible. Once home, Mulan changed her armor into a dress and fixed her hair in an elegant hairstyle. She came out and thanked her unit for accompanying her home. It''s safe to say, she had fooled them all.

This fancifully illustrated multicultural children''s book tells a famous Chinese myth about a young boy''s quest to save his village.Long ago, in a remote village in China, there lived a kind and generous little boy. He spent his days in the forest, collecting wood to trade for food. One day, the boy made a wondrous discovery: a magic stone that caused his money jar and rice crocks to overflow, both of which he shared with the poor villagers.But strange things began to happen. It no longer rained. The crops died. The rivers dried up. A terrible drought had struck and would not release its grip. The brave young boy, full of dreams of a white, water-spewing Dragon, took his magic stone on a journey—and discovered how to save his village.

"There was once an extraordinary girl who was as beautiful as she was brave. She knew how to read and write and sew. She loved to ride horses and shoot her bow and arrows. But it was the love for her family and her father that made her into a great soldier."--Page 4 of cover.

One day a doctor in a small village rescues a sheep. His kind act might save the village when a monster shows up demanding a child from every household, and the sheep suddenly becomes a beautiful young woman.

"When a special exhibition of terracotta warriors comes to town, Ming and his mother goes to see them at the museum. To remember this exciting event, Ming's mother buys him a little figurine of a general to keep in his room at home. But at midnight, Ming wakes up and finds the general figurine is alive and he has a copper carriage ready to take Ming to his home in Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Tomb in Xi'an, China"--Amazon.com.