BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lin, Grace. 2009.
WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON. New
York: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN
9780316114271
PLOT SUMMARY
All of her young life, Menli finds the countless stories her
father shares with her fascinating. The
family, which lives in the Valley of the Fruitless Mountain, spends their days
working hard in the fields to provide food on the table. One night, after listening to her father tell
the story of "The Old Man of the Moon," Menli decides she is going to
leave home in search of the Old Man to ask what her family must do to change
their fortune. Along the way, she
encounters various characters and magical creatures who guide her on her
journey.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In her novel, WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON, Grace Lin
brings a wonderful, mythical tale to expose young readers to the myths and
folklore that has been passed on through generations. While doing so, she masterfully weaves a
series of tales into the story's main plot to pull readers into a mystical
world grounded in symbols and mythical creatures, especially dragons. This is evident in one of the early stories
Menli's father shares with her "The Story of Fruitless
Mountain." This tales describes how
Jade Dragon and her four children - Pearl, Yellow, Long, and Black Dragon- help
move the clouds and rain over the Fruitless Mountain region. In this tale, these mystical creatures are
able to transform into other entities, like rivers and lakes. The story is used to explain how the four
great rivers of the land came to be.
The motif of the
dragon is also seen in one of the companions Menli encounters on her journey to
find The Old Man of the Moon. Known
simply as Dragon, this talking mythical creature is beautifully described for
young readers to imagine: He was "brilliant red, the color of a lucky
lantern, with emerald-green whiskers, horns, and a dull stone-colored ball like
the moon on his head." The dragon
creature is seen again when Menli finds that an old poor man is actually the
King of the City of Bright Moonlight.
She is able to see behind his disguise when she spots him wearing a gold
bracelet "embroidered with intricate dragons and multicolored
clouds," a symbol that only royalty is allowed to have.
To add to the playfulness and wonder of the story, other
mythical creatures are weaved throughout Menli's journey. A talking goldfish, which are symbolic of luck
and prosperity, tells Menli how she can reach the Old Man on the Moon while a talking
silver-colored fish helps Menli's parents find her. In a humorous scene, Menli and Dragon must
find a way to cross through a peach tree forest that is littered with combative,
talking monkeys. Knowing that these monkeys
are attacking anyone who comes near the peach trees, Menli sets up a trap to
distract the greedy monkeys.
As Menli and Dragon seek to find the Old Man on the Moon,
Lin provides readers with authentic details of the settings, customs, and
traditions of the Chinese culture. Menli's
home community is described as a small, poor community where "the thin
walls of their closely spaced homes" doesn't allow for much privacy. When the family gathers for dinner, they
share a meal consisting of boiling rice, cooked bamboo, and plums, using
chopsticks to serve one another and sitting cross-legged on the wooden
floor. The Inner City of the Kingdom of
Bright Moonlight is fortified by solid, gray stone walls, with many homes
having "scalloped rooftop tiles."
Other cultural markers are seen in the names of the characters: Menli,
which means "quick thinking," Ba, who is Menli's father, as well as Wu
Kang, Da-A-Fu, and Amah. Mention of
Chinese celebrations, such as Moon Festival, are shared in the characters'
dialogue and adds a subtle touch to the authenticity of the book.
To bring the characters and mythical creatures to life,
Grace Lin also includes vividly colored portraits throughout the book as well
as in the chapter headings. Rich shades
of crimson red, navy blue, and teal green accompany the illustrations, which
depict scenes such as the King's moonlit garden, Magistrate Tiger painting in
the black-coal eyes of Dragon, and the
goldfish man holding water globe bowls to Menli. The drawings help to reinforce the cultural
details added in the text, and depict characters wearing traditional attire,
such as kimonos and ojis. As an added
bonus, Lin's full page illustrations are outlined with borders containing
Chinese symbols and items, such as gold coins, yellow suns, and purple lotus flowers.
REVIEWS
BOOKLIST: "With beautiful language, Lin creates a
strong, memorable heroine and a mystical land. Stories, drawn from a rich
history of Chinese folktales, weave throughout her narrative, deepening the
sense of both the characters and the setting and smoothly furthering the plot.
Children will embrace this accessible, timeless story about the evil of greed
and the joy of gratitude."
CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: "Drawing inspiration from not
only Chinese folktales but also American fairy tales like The Wonderful Wizard
of Oz, Grace Lin has crafted a highly accessible and compulsively readable
folktale, further enhanced by her beautiful full-color illustrations."
COOPERATIVE CHILDREN'S BOOK CENTER CHOICES: "Grace Lin
deftly inserts a series of tales inspired by traditional Chinese folktales into
the larger tapestry of Minli's extraordinary journey that is full of adventure
and trials. Gorgeous book design augments this fast-paced fantasy, including
occasional full-page color illustrations, chapter heading decorations, and a
typeface treatment that visually distinguishes the folktale segments from the
overarching story of Minli's quest."
CONNECTIONS
*Have students watch a book trailer as well as Grace Lin's
interview on the Today Show in which she shares her motivation when writing
this book:
http://www.gracelin.com/content.php?page=wherethemountainmeetsthemoon
*Have students create a WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON
Activity book, board game, or event.
Handouts, templates, and directions can be found at http://www.gracelin.com/content.php?page=wherethemountainmeetsthemoon&display=activities
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