Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
(2011, Ages 8 and Up)
3/4/22
It’s not only because I enjoy stories as both an academic subject and a relaxing pastime that my frustration boils whenever I hear about schools cutting arts and music courses due to budget constraints. Bad enough such a move takes away opportunities to express oneself and to explore and/or challenge the real world through a more universal and imaginative lens. It implies that, on a professional, economic, and educational level, creative endeavors have less value and importance than practical skills—a sentiment I consider offensive as well as unhealthy because I can say from years’ worth of personal experience that cold, hard facts and figures alone do not ensure real-world survival. It’s been said that folktales are often based on some actual truth. That I do firmly believe. I also believe that such stories can even be prophesies in disguise, which, if taken to heart, can lead to life-changing miracles.
For as long as little Minli can remember, Fruitless Mountain is a name that has suited her home well. Each and every day, she, her parents, and her fellow villagers trudge and toil through mud and rock just coax even the most meager grains of rice from the lifeless land, breaking their bodies and their spirits. Her only respite comes from the stories of enchantment and adventure her beloved father tells in the evening, despite her mother’s bitter disapproval of such impractical things. But one night, in return for a kindness rendered to a talking goldfish, Minli learns of the Old Man of the Moon, a mysterious being said to know the answer to every question in the world. And so, with the help of the many magical friends she meets and the many more fantastic tales they have to tell, Minli sets out to learn how to bring the fruit back to Fruitless Mountain and change the fortune of her loved ones for the better.
In spite of everything I said before, I do understand that even the most beautiful and meaningful stories are powerless if their young audience has no interest in listening. This is a sentiment author Grace Lin, a Taiwanese-American, shares in the “Behind the Story” section at the back of the book:
“I grew up as the only Asian in my elementary school classroom and one of the few minorities in my town (very much how it is written in my book The Year of the Dog). By the time I was eleven, I had fully disregarded my Asian heritage. My wise mother, knowing that any type of forced cultural exposure would lead to scorn, silently left half a dozen Chinese folktale and fairy tale books on the shelf. Unable to resist the pull of new books, I very quietly began to read them.
At first I was disappointed. The translation from Chinese to English had left the stories completely thin and at times rough and hard to understand. There were hardly any details or descriptions, and the black-and-white illustrations were simple line drawings, a far cry from the lush paintings in my books of European fairy tales. I thought these Chinese stories had not made an impression on me.
But I was wrong. As I grew older, I began to regret my childhood disinterest in my heritage. I visited Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China, and suddenly, those stories came flooding back to me. In the land and architecture around me, the Chinese fairy tales seemed to come alive. Everything I saw brought back memories of those stories.”
As readers see via beautiful photos of her travels in Asia, Lin’s desire to reconnect with her roots comes to life through her gorgeous full color illustrations. I think that for her to have done them in black-and-white would have done her book a terrible disservice. Not only would such a choice have dimmed the beauty of the story itself, but readers would have been denied a taste of the vivid aesthetic of China. Her drawings have a calligraphic appearance, with graceful curves and refined angles, elegantly simple and yet richly detailed. For example, a photo of the Humble Administrator’s Garden, a popular attraction in Suzhou (near Shanghai), was the basis and backdrop for the Palace Garden in the City of Bright Moonlight, in which Minli visits with the mysterious but kindly king, a full moon beautifully reflected in the leaf-laden pond.
It is possible to enjoy this book even if you’re not well versed in traditional Asian folktales, like, admittedly, myself. That said, there are specific narrative elements I do recognize, which add some gratifying resonance to the reading. Early on, Minli befriends a Chinese dragon who is actually a painting come to life. I was reminded of the Animated Tales of the World episode, “The Magic Paintbrush,” a Chinese folktale in which a boy uses said brush to bring literal life to his own art. At another point, Minli and Dragon must find a way past a bunch of greedy peach-hoarding monkeys. Here, I can’t help but think of Sun Wukong, a.k.a. The Monkey King, a central character in the 16th-century Chinese novel, Journey to the West. There is one similar story that English-speakers will be very familiar with: L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz. Besides the brave little girl journeying from her dull, grey home into a whimsical world of color and self-discovery, you have friendly magical creatures the girl never dreamed existed, one of whom also becomes her traveling companion. I’d have to say that Dragon most closely resembles the Scarecrow. He goes by the name of what he actually is and was technically created, not born. He also must be set free (having been tied up by the monkeys) when Minli first meets him and is convinced by her that his own problem—being unable to fly—could possibly be solved if he joins her to see an omniscient being of great power. He humbly claims not to be as worldly-wise as his human friend, but his kindness, not his knowledge, is what she truly cares about:
“‘Why do you have to go through the forest?’ Minli asked. ‘Can’t you just fly over?’
More tears, the size of lychee nuts, rolled down the dragon’s face.
‘I cannot fly,’ he sobbed. ‘I do not know why. All other dragons can fly. But I cannot. I wish I knew why.’
‘Don’t cry,’ Minli said, patting the dragon, feeling more sorry for it than ever. ‘I’m going to Never-Ending Mountain to see the Old Man of the Moon and ask him how to change my family’s fortune. You can come too and ask him how to fly.’
‘You know where Never-Ending Mountain is?’ the dragon asked. ‘I thought to see the Old Man of the Moon was impossible. You must be very wise to know how to find him.’
‘Not really,’ Minli said, ‘I got the directions from a goldfish.’ (Pg.48-49)
[. . .]
‘So you were born from a painting!’ Minli said, ‘That explains why you are so different from the dragons my father told me about.’
‘Your father knew other dragons?’ the dragon asked eagerly. ‘I have never seen another dragon. I always thought if I could fly, I would finally see another like me.’
‘Um, well,’ Minli said, ‘I don’t think my father ever knew any dragons. He just told stories about them. Most people think dragons are just in stories. You are the only dragon I’ve ever met.’
‘Oh,’ the dragon said sadly, ‘and I am not even a real dragon.’
All this time, Minli had been cutting the twine ropes. At that very moment, Minli cut the last rope and rubbed the dragon’s arm. ‘You’re the only dragon I’ve ever met in real life,’ she said, ‘and you feel real to me. So, I think you’re a real dragon. Or, at least, real enough. Anyway, if we’re going to Never-Ending Mountain together, let’s at least be real friends.’
‘Yes,’ Dragon agreed, and they both smiled.” (Pg. 58-59)
But it’s the side characters’ own stories that really inspire—and would make a wonderful fairytale collection in its own right. Initially, as much as Minli loves her father’s stories with all her heart, they are also a source of guilt for her as they cause friction between her and her well-meaning but bitter mother, who constantly complains about their poverty and sees stories as worthless:
“‘So the Old Man of the Moon was right!’ Minli said.
‘Of course he was,’ Ba replied. ‘The Old Man of the Moon knows everything and can answer any question you ask.’
‘I should ask him how to bring fortune to our house!’ Minli said. ‘He would know, I’ll ask him. Where do I find him?’
‘They say he lives on top of Never-Ending Mountain,’ Ba said. ‘But no one I have ever spoken to knows where that is.’
‘Maybe we can find out,’ Minli said.
‘Oh, Minli!’ Ma said impatiently. ‘Bringing fortune to our house! Making Fruitless Mountain bloom! You’re always wishing to do impossible things! Stop believing stories and stop wasting your time.’
‘Stories are not a waste of time,’ Ba said.
‘Stories,’ Ma said, slapping her hands against the table, making the water in the fishbowl sway as she stood up and left the table, ‘are what wasted money on this goldfish.’
Minli stared down at her rice bowl; the few white grains left sat like precious pearls at the bottom of her bowl. Ba patted her arm. ‘Eat all your rice, Daughter,’ he said, and with his shaking hands, he scooped the last of his own rice to feed the fish.” (Pg. 24-25)
As Minli’s quest progresses, however, the tales of those she meets prove to be increasingly important. One may present a riddle or mystery, like that of the Village of the Moon Rain, for instance, which is solved by a different one later. Besides creatively fleshing out their respective narrators, they show how each of them are connected to one another, regardless of their walk of life, whether they themselves realize it or not. There’s something else that makes these stories especially unique. Each of these short, self-contained chronicles has a stylized title bordered by simple but lovely oriental designs. For each text, the traditional and rigid Times New Roman is traded for a more fluid and artistic font (I unfortunately wasn’t able to determine which). These clever touches in the pages’ visual presentation tell readers they are about to enter another world and witness a new wonder even before the recitation begins:
“And as they approached the spot, Minli realized that the yellow was flowers—in front of them was land full of blooming trees. The trees were heavy with bright blossoms and as the wind blew through the branches, golden flowers showered down like rain.
[. . .]
‘That’s our home,’ he told her, ‘the Village of the Moon Rain.’
‘Village of the Moon Rain?’ Minli asked. ‘That’s a strange name. Why isn’t your village named after the flowering trees?’
‘It is,’ Da-Fu said.
THE STORY OF THE
VILLAGE OF
THE MOON RAIN
Over a hundred years ago, when our ancestors were first brought here, the land of the village was barren and gray. Everything was dull and colorless, the wind cold and bitter. Still, our ancestors worked hard. They built houses out of the mountain stone, sewed warm, wadded-cotton jackets, and planted seeds in the hard dirt.
But, despite their efforts, the land refused to bear a single plant or flower. However, even though it looked hopeless, our ancestors continued to work.
Then one night, when the moon was big and round, the air filled with a strange fluttering sound. Our ancestors thought a great storm was coming and rushed inside.
And a great storm was coming. With a crash, raindrops seemed to fall from the sky.
But what a strange rain it was! Round and smooth, in the glowing light the raindrops looked like silver pearls! And when they touched the ground, they disappeared.
‘It’s raining pearls!’ our ancestors said to each other. ‘Jewels from the moon!’ And they rushed out with baskets and bags, catching what they could from this strange storm. Magically, when the raindrops were caught, they didn’t disappear; and soon their baskets and bags were full.
But in the morning, our ancestors saw that the drops were not pearls or jewels. In the sunlight, they saw that they were really seeds. But no one knew what kind of seeds they were. Curious, they planted them in the hard earth.
And when the moon rose again that night, the strange rain fell again as well. This time our ancestors were not fooled and just watched the drops disappear into the ground. But in the morning, the planted seeds were sprouting as if watered by a magic brew.
So night after night the seed rain fell from the sky. And as daylight broke over the land, the seedlings grew higher. Soon they grew into beautiful silver trees with golden flowers. They were so beautiful, our ancestors planted more and more seeds and soon the whole village was blooming with hundreds and hundreds of flowering trees.
And since then our home has been called the Village of the Moon Rain. We plant new seeds every day, and every night, the moon rain falls and every morning a new seedling sprouts. Maybe in another hundred years all this stony land will be covered with trees and the mountain will be as golden as the Moon.” (Pg. 183-187)
Sometimes it’s only later in life that one comes to appreciate the tales that had not only shaped one’s outlook, but helped to establish one’s roots and sense of identity in a world so often dreary and chaotic. What began as a storyteller’s way to explore and pay homage to her ancestral past blossomed into a stunning adventure for young readers all the more magical for being inspired by a celebrated real-world culture. Like the celestial body in its title, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is sure to brighten the imagination and shed light on stories not as far beyond the realm of possibility as they may appear.
CREDITS:
All images, audio, and links belong to their respective owners; no copyright infringement is intended.
All book excerpts are from Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin (2009 paperback edition, published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.)
MAIN THEME:
“The Call” – Briand Morrison and Roxann Berglund
For as long as little Minli can remember, Fruitless Mountain is a name that has suited her home well. Each and every day, she, her parents, and her fellow villagers trudge and toil through mud and rock just coax even the most meager grains of rice from the lifeless land, breaking their bodies and their spirits. Her only respite comes from the stories of enchantment and adventure her beloved father tells in the evening, despite her mother’s bitter disapproval of such impractical things. But one night, in return for a kindness rendered to a talking goldfish, Minli learns of the Old Man of the Moon, a mysterious being said to know the answer to every question in the world. And so, with the help of the many magical friends she meets and the many more fantastic tales they have to tell, Minli sets out to learn how to bring the fruit back to Fruitless Mountain and change the fortune of her loved ones for the better.
In spite of everything I said before, I do understand that even the most beautiful and meaningful stories are powerless if their young audience has no interest in listening. This is a sentiment author Grace Lin, a Taiwanese-American, shares in the “Behind the Story” section at the back of the book:
“I grew up as the only Asian in my elementary school classroom and one of the few minorities in my town (very much how it is written in my book The Year of the Dog). By the time I was eleven, I had fully disregarded my Asian heritage. My wise mother, knowing that any type of forced cultural exposure would lead to scorn, silently left half a dozen Chinese folktale and fairy tale books on the shelf. Unable to resist the pull of new books, I very quietly began to read them.
At first I was disappointed. The translation from Chinese to English had left the stories completely thin and at times rough and hard to understand. There were hardly any details or descriptions, and the black-and-white illustrations were simple line drawings, a far cry from the lush paintings in my books of European fairy tales. I thought these Chinese stories had not made an impression on me.
But I was wrong. As I grew older, I began to regret my childhood disinterest in my heritage. I visited Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China, and suddenly, those stories came flooding back to me. In the land and architecture around me, the Chinese fairy tales seemed to come alive. Everything I saw brought back memories of those stories.”
As readers see via beautiful photos of her travels in Asia, Lin’s desire to reconnect with her roots comes to life through her gorgeous full color illustrations. I think that for her to have done them in black-and-white would have done her book a terrible disservice. Not only would such a choice have dimmed the beauty of the story itself, but readers would have been denied a taste of the vivid aesthetic of China. Her drawings have a calligraphic appearance, with graceful curves and refined angles, elegantly simple and yet richly detailed. For example, a photo of the Humble Administrator’s Garden, a popular attraction in Suzhou (near Shanghai), was the basis and backdrop for the Palace Garden in the City of Bright Moonlight, in which Minli visits with the mysterious but kindly king, a full moon beautifully reflected in the leaf-laden pond.
It is possible to enjoy this book even if you’re not well versed in traditional Asian folktales, like, admittedly, myself. That said, there are specific narrative elements I do recognize, which add some gratifying resonance to the reading. Early on, Minli befriends a Chinese dragon who is actually a painting come to life. I was reminded of the Animated Tales of the World episode, “The Magic Paintbrush,” a Chinese folktale in which a boy uses said brush to bring literal life to his own art. At another point, Minli and Dragon must find a way past a bunch of greedy peach-hoarding monkeys. Here, I can’t help but think of Sun Wukong, a.k.a. The Monkey King, a central character in the 16th-century Chinese novel, Journey to the West. There is one similar story that English-speakers will be very familiar with: L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz. Besides the brave little girl journeying from her dull, grey home into a whimsical world of color and self-discovery, you have friendly magical creatures the girl never dreamed existed, one of whom also becomes her traveling companion. I’d have to say that Dragon most closely resembles the Scarecrow. He goes by the name of what he actually is and was technically created, not born. He also must be set free (having been tied up by the monkeys) when Minli first meets him and is convinced by her that his own problem—being unable to fly—could possibly be solved if he joins her to see an omniscient being of great power. He humbly claims not to be as worldly-wise as his human friend, but his kindness, not his knowledge, is what she truly cares about:
“‘Why do you have to go through the forest?’ Minli asked. ‘Can’t you just fly over?’
More tears, the size of lychee nuts, rolled down the dragon’s face.
‘I cannot fly,’ he sobbed. ‘I do not know why. All other dragons can fly. But I cannot. I wish I knew why.’
‘Don’t cry,’ Minli said, patting the dragon, feeling more sorry for it than ever. ‘I’m going to Never-Ending Mountain to see the Old Man of the Moon and ask him how to change my family’s fortune. You can come too and ask him how to fly.’
‘You know where Never-Ending Mountain is?’ the dragon asked. ‘I thought to see the Old Man of the Moon was impossible. You must be very wise to know how to find him.’
‘Not really,’ Minli said, ‘I got the directions from a goldfish.’ (Pg.48-49)
[. . .]
‘So you were born from a painting!’ Minli said, ‘That explains why you are so different from the dragons my father told me about.’
‘Your father knew other dragons?’ the dragon asked eagerly. ‘I have never seen another dragon. I always thought if I could fly, I would finally see another like me.’
‘Um, well,’ Minli said, ‘I don’t think my father ever knew any dragons. He just told stories about them. Most people think dragons are just in stories. You are the only dragon I’ve ever met.’
‘Oh,’ the dragon said sadly, ‘and I am not even a real dragon.’
All this time, Minli had been cutting the twine ropes. At that very moment, Minli cut the last rope and rubbed the dragon’s arm. ‘You’re the only dragon I’ve ever met in real life,’ she said, ‘and you feel real to me. So, I think you’re a real dragon. Or, at least, real enough. Anyway, if we’re going to Never-Ending Mountain together, let’s at least be real friends.’
‘Yes,’ Dragon agreed, and they both smiled.” (Pg. 58-59)
But it’s the side characters’ own stories that really inspire—and would make a wonderful fairytale collection in its own right. Initially, as much as Minli loves her father’s stories with all her heart, they are also a source of guilt for her as they cause friction between her and her well-meaning but bitter mother, who constantly complains about their poverty and sees stories as worthless:
“‘So the Old Man of the Moon was right!’ Minli said.
‘Of course he was,’ Ba replied. ‘The Old Man of the Moon knows everything and can answer any question you ask.’
‘I should ask him how to bring fortune to our house!’ Minli said. ‘He would know, I’ll ask him. Where do I find him?’
‘They say he lives on top of Never-Ending Mountain,’ Ba said. ‘But no one I have ever spoken to knows where that is.’
‘Maybe we can find out,’ Minli said.
‘Oh, Minli!’ Ma said impatiently. ‘Bringing fortune to our house! Making Fruitless Mountain bloom! You’re always wishing to do impossible things! Stop believing stories and stop wasting your time.’
‘Stories are not a waste of time,’ Ba said.
‘Stories,’ Ma said, slapping her hands against the table, making the water in the fishbowl sway as she stood up and left the table, ‘are what wasted money on this goldfish.’
Minli stared down at her rice bowl; the few white grains left sat like precious pearls at the bottom of her bowl. Ba patted her arm. ‘Eat all your rice, Daughter,’ he said, and with his shaking hands, he scooped the last of his own rice to feed the fish.” (Pg. 24-25)
As Minli’s quest progresses, however, the tales of those she meets prove to be increasingly important. One may present a riddle or mystery, like that of the Village of the Moon Rain, for instance, which is solved by a different one later. Besides creatively fleshing out their respective narrators, they show how each of them are connected to one another, regardless of their walk of life, whether they themselves realize it or not. There’s something else that makes these stories especially unique. Each of these short, self-contained chronicles has a stylized title bordered by simple but lovely oriental designs. For each text, the traditional and rigid Times New Roman is traded for a more fluid and artistic font (I unfortunately wasn’t able to determine which). These clever touches in the pages’ visual presentation tell readers they are about to enter another world and witness a new wonder even before the recitation begins:
“And as they approached the spot, Minli realized that the yellow was flowers—in front of them was land full of blooming trees. The trees were heavy with bright blossoms and as the wind blew through the branches, golden flowers showered down like rain.
[. . .]
‘That’s our home,’ he told her, ‘the Village of the Moon Rain.’
‘Village of the Moon Rain?’ Minli asked. ‘That’s a strange name. Why isn’t your village named after the flowering trees?’
‘It is,’ Da-Fu said.
THE STORY OF THE
VILLAGE OF
THE MOON RAIN
Over a hundred years ago, when our ancestors were first brought here, the land of the village was barren and gray. Everything was dull and colorless, the wind cold and bitter. Still, our ancestors worked hard. They built houses out of the mountain stone, sewed warm, wadded-cotton jackets, and planted seeds in the hard dirt.
But, despite their efforts, the land refused to bear a single plant or flower. However, even though it looked hopeless, our ancestors continued to work.
Then one night, when the moon was big and round, the air filled with a strange fluttering sound. Our ancestors thought a great storm was coming and rushed inside.
And a great storm was coming. With a crash, raindrops seemed to fall from the sky.
But what a strange rain it was! Round and smooth, in the glowing light the raindrops looked like silver pearls! And when they touched the ground, they disappeared.
‘It’s raining pearls!’ our ancestors said to each other. ‘Jewels from the moon!’ And they rushed out with baskets and bags, catching what they could from this strange storm. Magically, when the raindrops were caught, they didn’t disappear; and soon their baskets and bags were full.
But in the morning, our ancestors saw that the drops were not pearls or jewels. In the sunlight, they saw that they were really seeds. But no one knew what kind of seeds they were. Curious, they planted them in the hard earth.
And when the moon rose again that night, the strange rain fell again as well. This time our ancestors were not fooled and just watched the drops disappear into the ground. But in the morning, the planted seeds were sprouting as if watered by a magic brew.
So night after night the seed rain fell from the sky. And as daylight broke over the land, the seedlings grew higher. Soon they grew into beautiful silver trees with golden flowers. They were so beautiful, our ancestors planted more and more seeds and soon the whole village was blooming with hundreds and hundreds of flowering trees.
And since then our home has been called the Village of the Moon Rain. We plant new seeds every day, and every night, the moon rain falls and every morning a new seedling sprouts. Maybe in another hundred years all this stony land will be covered with trees and the mountain will be as golden as the Moon.” (Pg. 183-187)
Sometimes it’s only later in life that one comes to appreciate the tales that had not only shaped one’s outlook, but helped to establish one’s roots and sense of identity in a world so often dreary and chaotic. What began as a storyteller’s way to explore and pay homage to her ancestral past blossomed into a stunning adventure for young readers all the more magical for being inspired by a celebrated real-world culture. Like the celestial body in its title, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is sure to brighten the imagination and shed light on stories not as far beyond the realm of possibility as they may appear.
CREDITS:
All images, audio, and links belong to their respective owners; no copyright infringement is intended.
All book excerpts are from Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin (2009 paperback edition, published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.)
MAIN THEME:
“The Call” – Briand Morrison and Roxann Berglund
EPISODE SONGS:
“Village of Legend” - Sean Zarn
“Village of Legend” - Sean Zarn
“Lunar Dreams” - Sean Zarn
Download the full 15-minute episode here!
Grace Lin on Wikipedia
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon on Wikipedia
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon on Grace Lin's Official Website
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon on Goodreads
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon on Common Sense Media
Buy Where the Mountain Meets the Moon at Barnes & Noble
Buy Where the Mountain Meets the Moon on Amazon
Buy Where the Mountain Meets the Moon on Ebay
^^ Back to Books, Graphic Novels, and Other Works of Literature
Grace Lin on Wikipedia
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon on Wikipedia
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon on Grace Lin's Official Website
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon on Goodreads
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon on Common Sense Media
Buy Where the Mountain Meets the Moon at Barnes & Noble
Buy Where the Mountain Meets the Moon on Amazon
Buy Where the Mountain Meets the Moon on Ebay
^^ Back to Books, Graphic Novels, and Other Works of Literature