This is a wonderful book to use when learning about folktales and about how other cultures write and pass on their folktales.

A collected of Vietnamese famous fairy tales. "How the Tiger Got Its Stripe" is a legend story try to explain how the tiger got its stripes and the buffalo doesn't have the front teeth. it is all because of the tiger curiosity in wanting to see the human wisdom. The second legend is "Cu Cuoi- the Man in the Moon," related to the Vietnamese Mid-Autumn festival for children. It is said that Mid-Autumn festival of every year has the brightest moon, that when some one looked up into the moon will see a figure of a man sitting under the tree. Next,"The Legend of the Monsoon Rain" is about the jealousy of the Lord of the Sea over the Lord of the Mountains who was able to marry the beautiful princess Mi Nuong. Thuy tinh, the Lord of the Sea raise strong wind and storm to defeat Son Tinh, the Lord of the mountain, in order to get Mi Nuong back. This legend explain why Vietnam has the Monsoon rains each year. "The Boatman's Flute" is about a beautiful daughter of a mandarin who break the boatman heart with her cold reaction. After the boatman die, the girl regret and free his spirit by her apology. "The Raven and the Star Fruit" tell a story of two married brother who with the same starfruit tree, one find riches and happiness because of the good heart, the other out of greedy ripe the sad ending. The last one is "The Bowmen and the Sisters," about an twin sister which the older one was mean and lazy and the younger one sweet in nature and hard working. Because of her sweetness she had the bowman removed the hump on her back while her sister got two hump because of her meanness receive and extra hump. ( )

Illustrated collection of Vietnamese folklore.

This book did a good job of demonstrating the culture of another country. I was drawn to this book primarily do to the wonderful illustrations and cover art. The cultural history is deep and plentiful in this book. I felt it was a good example of folktale ( )