Great Look at Childhood During Turbulent Times

"Mao and Me" is powerful because of its art. From a historical perspective, it is fantastic to see non-propaganda visual depictions of the Cultural Revolution, because so few photographs exist. Chen Jiang Hong's art really stands out. The brush and line work is very pretty and very detailed, although the colors are too uniform.

The book is a memoir, so there is not necessarily a traditional narrative that you see in most children's books. There is no problem to solve and there is no lesson to learn. Chen is very matter-of-fact in both the storytelling and the art. Despite a difficult and turbulent time in history, Chen makes no judgements.

Having read many memoirs about the Cultural Revolution, this book rings true. There are tears and violence, two consistent themes of the Cultural Revolution. Because of that, it may not be the best choice for children to read. Nevertheless, it can serve as a good introduction to this period in Chinese history. ( )

The story centers on young Chen whose family was living through the ruling of Mao. The medium that he used has a feel of being from a different culture. ( )

erano secoli che non convincevo la myrta a leggerci un libricino insieme e stasera finalmente ce l'ho fatta. ce lo siamo lette a turno, qualche pagina lei, qualche pagina io. una storia molto triste e scritta con dolcezza. ci è piaciuto! :-) ( )

La vie d'ue famille pendant la période maoiste : l'enfance de Chen Jiang Hong...

Chen is only three years old when Chairman Mao initiates the Cultural Revolution in China. The youngest member of his extended family, Chen notes the highlights of the monumental changes that he doesn’t truly comprehend; he recalls wearing a picture of Mao around his neck, the destruction of family photographs, the public burning of books and art. ( )