The Seven Chinese Brothers

Author: Margaret Mahy
Illustrator: Jean and Mou-sien Tseng
Title: The Seven Chinese Brothers
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc. 1990
Genre: Traditional Literature
Pages: 35
Reading Level (Lexile): 820L

I found this book in the Children’s section of the Library

Plot Summary: The Seven Chinese Brothers each have a special power. The brothers are kind and try to help repair the Great Wall. The evil emperor captures the Third Brother because he believes he is too strong and should be stopped. The brothers cleverly help each other as each one posses a different power. When they switch places (because they all look alike) the 6th brother ends up being tortured. He survives being burned because he has the power to resist heat. When the emperor sees this, he threatens to shoot him with arrows. The other brothers decide they will all go down to defend him. Before they can get to their brother, he cries so much that it creates flooding throughout the town. All the soldiers and the emperor are washed away. The brothers are left with an abundance of fish from the river and feast together.

The Seven Chinese Brothers is a tall tale from China. The happy ending reminds me of other traditional tales that leave the reader with a good feeling at the end. This tall tale, like others, also offers a moral. The brothers are almost too nice and helpful and end up being punished for it. They continue to show their compassion for their siblings as each faces a different danger. In the end, they are rewarded and live happily ever after.

The Seven Chinese Brothers may appeal to later elementary aged students. Students from other backgrounds may enjoy this book as it offers a tall tale from China. They might be able to compare their background with the Chinese culture during the times of Emperor rule. Students may be able to make connections with the brothers and think about something that he/she is good at. Although the brothers had powers that humans don’t, children could also think about what power they would like to have, if given one. This book could also be read if doing a study on Chinese culture, or as an introduction to a unit on China.