Lady White Snake: A Tale From Chinese Opera
Grades 2-5--Shepard and Zhang present a tale from Chinese traditional literature in the form most Chinese would know it-as an opera performance. Shepard's text, written in vivid, engaging prose, tells the tragic tale of an immortal white snake that is transformed into a lovely woman in search of love. With her companion blue snake, she visits the beautiful West Lake in Hangzhou and meets a handsome, caring young man, an orphan without prospects. They marry and live happily until a zealous monk interferes. Then Lady White must call on a host of immortals to help her fight for her own life as well as her husband's. Lady White and Blue prove to be formidable women warriors. Zhang's illustrations, depicting characters dressed in opera costumes and makeup, yet acting against naturalistic settings, recall the many opera movies made in Chinese film studios. Zhang's color work and skill in composition perfectly complement the dramatic, action-packed text. Versions of "The White Snake" appear in Yin-lien Chin's Traditional Chinese Folktales (M. E. Sharpe, 1989) or Tao Tao Liu Sanders's Dragons, Gods & Spirits from Chinese Mythology (Schocken, 1983; o.p.). Shepard identifies specific translations of one particular libretto as the source for his retelling. This picture-book version of a famous Chinese story cast in a unique Chinese art form offers American children an authentic encounter with this rich and ancient culture.Margaret A. Chang, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North AdamsCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.