I loved this book as a child. Memorizing the silly, long name and peeking into an unfamiliar culture are sweet memories. After reading it with my own children (and being more aware of negative or incorrect portrayals of other cultures in American and English literature), I sought out more information about the book’s background, specifically if Arlene Mosel had any connection to Chinese language and culture from which to retell “an ancient Chinese folktale.” (A claim written on my copy’s inside book jacket.) I couldn’t. Instead, I found people who do understand at least 1 of the Chinese languages stating that the names are misinterpreted, and they’ve never heard of this folklore behind short names.

I’ll be purging the beautiful copy I own.

Mother Tongue notes: Thankfully, I didn’t read this with students before researching. I have 1 student who is familiar with Mandarin and Chinese culture. This book could’ve been at least embarrassingly incorrect to read in the child’s group. Not to mention the ripple effect of teaching other students incorrect information about a culture I’m not familiar with, specifically in a multicultural setting.