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Jan Brett has done it again! This is a delightful tale primarily about a little girl (Mei Mei) and a hen (Daisy) living along the Li River in the Guang Xi Province. The story has many layers and was very well received by my Kindergarten class, both when read in a large group and again independently. The bold, yet intricate illustrations are absolutely captivating. It's a glimpse of rural Chinese culture without the use of photographs and a list of facts. I think it can be both valuable and enjoyable up to second or third grade.
The basic premise of the strory is that Daisy is the smallest and weakest of the hens, and is bullied and ostracized by her housemates. She accidentally gets lost, encounters many frightening situations that she is able to overcome, is rescued when Mei Mei uses profound courage and wit, and returns home to live happily ever after.
My school has a bully prevention program and I am always in search of high quality picture books to use for my weekly lessons. This story offers the opportunity to discuss the themes of bullying and courage without feeling as if I am bashing children over the head with a preachy messsage. Students are able to use their Language Arts skills of building vocabulary, making predictions, making inferences, and comprehending while being entertained in the process. It incorporates animals such as a water buffalo, monkeys, and cormorants. There is the mountainous terrain around the river, baskets, bamboo, pottery and the wide array of vegetables for sale at the marketplace to learn about and discuss. Finally, there is Mei Mei's approach to organic, sustainable farming and the ethical treatment of animals to use as a theme.
Many of the folk tales and other stories I have read for this seminar have included violence and scary images that I prefer not to use with my five and six-year olds. I have no desire to give them nightmares or hear complaints from parents! I was overjoyed to find this story that I feel great about using and that my students love. If you teach at the early elementary level I hope you check it out and enjoy it as much as I did.
