The people from Scholastic Storybook Treasures are back again, this time honoring Asian traditions and heritage. To celebrate the diversity of our society, all the stories in this DVD are focused on the Chinese. Some of these are old tales from Chinese folklore, while others have been rewritten to suit Asian culture. All-in-all, they aren't very different from the kinds of stories that originate in the west, and they teach similar lessons, albeit with a unique Eastern spin.
The first story is Tikki Tikki Tembo, (Not to be confused with Rikki Tikki Tavi), which has a dual lesson; one being about favoritism by parents and the other about why parents no longer use the traditional, extremely long names for their children, which were used long ago. The tale uses the standard old "he-fell-in-the-well" gimmick to tell us about two kids, one of whom has such an incredibly long, unwieldy name that when he falls in the well, his younger brother has trouble getting the message out because adults don't usually hang-in-there for long sentences from kids. Tikki Tikki Tembo was written by Arlene Mosel and illustrated by Blair Lent.
Story number two is The Tale of the Mandarin Ducks. This beautifully illustrated story is a morality tale about sacrificing comfort in favor of doing the right thing. The story is about a greedy prince who wants to own everything beautiful, so he captures a magnificent Mandarin Duck from the nearby lake. The duck is now separated from his mate and her eggs, so he cries daily, miserable to be separated from his family. A servant and her ex-samurai lover risk their lives to rescue the unhappy drake and reunite him with his family. The Tale of the Mandarin Ducks was written by Katherine Paterson and illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon. Actor B. D. Wong narrates and supplies the voices.
Story three is Grandfather's Journey, which is a sentimental story that reminds us of how much the children of Asian cultures are taught to respect their elders. A boy tells the story of his grandfathers life, from his boyhood in China, to his time living in San Francisco, his return to China and the way he was torn between two cultures. Grandfather's Journey was written and illustrated by Allen Say and narrated by B. D. Wong.
The fourth story is The Stonecutter. More simply illustrated than the other stories, this one is a morality lesson about envy and the lust for glory. A stone-cutter becomes jealous when he sees a prince and wishes to the spirits that he could become more powerful. His wish is granted but he isn't satisfied, and continues to repeatedly change his wish, because the grass is always greener on the other side. The Stonecutter was written and illustrated by Gerald McDermott.
Lon Po is the fifth tale. It is an Asian adaptation of the "Little Red Riding Hood" fairy tale. In this case the wolf comes to the house of three children while their parents are out. The wolf gains access to the home by dressing like their grandmother but the eldest sister quickly figures it out and begins to outwit the wolf with a series of clever pranks that would make the kid from Home Alone proud. Lon Po Po was written and drawn by Ed Young and narrated by B. D. Wong.
The sixth and final tale is Sam and the Lucky Money. Young Sam and his mother travel to the city for the Chinese New year celebration. Sam is given a few dollars of "lucky money" as a present, to spend however he likes. At first he is excited about all the things he's going to buy, but once he gets to the city and sees how expensive everything is, he gets angry that he wasn't given more money to spend. However, a chance encounter with a poor, homeless man shows Sam just how fortunate he is, and gives Sam a wonderful idea of what to do with his money.
Sam and the Lucky Money was written by Karen Chinn and illustrated by Cornelius Van Wight and Ying-Hwa Hu. Actress Ming-Na Wen narrates the story and supplies the voices.
DVD Bonus Features
The only bonus included is the read-a-long feature.
"Tikki Tikki Tembo and More Stories To Celebrate Asian Heritage" is on sale April 26, 2011 and is rated G. Animation. Directed by Scholastic Treasures. Written by Arlene Mosel, Katherine Peterson, Allen Say, Gerald McDermott, Ed Young, Karen Chinn. Starring B D Wong, Ming Na Wen.
