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Mulan: A Story in Chinese and English

 Cover image for Mulan : a story in English and Chinese
Mulan: A Story in Chinese and English
Written and illustrated by Li Jian
Translated by Yijin Wert
Better Link Press, 2014. Unpaged Bilingual Picture Book

Many children have seen the Disney cartoon about the Chinese heroine, Mulan.  This book recounts, in simple language, the original story of Mulan based on traditional Chinese texts. Below the English text the story is also printed in Chinese. Jian's lovely watercolor illustrations are reminiscent of Chinese block prints. This book gives parents a great way to introduce fairly young children to the cultural origins of this well known story. For slightly older children Robert San Souci has a handsomely illustrated picture book called Fa Mulan: The Story of a Woman Warrior.

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