Chang and the Bamboo Flute [Hardcover]

Elizabeth Starr Hill (Author), Lesley Liu (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

Chang's creativity brings more than just music to his family

When a flood on the Li River in southern China threatens their houseboat, Chang and his family, including his father's specially trained fishing birds, are lucky to find shelter in a barn belonging to the family of Chang's friend Mei Mei. Chang has brought his bamboo flute with him, but is shy about playing it in front of Mei Mei's family, especially her older brother, who likes to tease Chang about the sounds he makes in place of speech - sounds that only the fishing birds understand. Chang's music is especially important to him, but he wants to keep it private. It is only after the floodwaters recede and the family returns home to the damaged houseboat that Chang will find that the time has come to share his talent with others.

Collaborating again on this companion volume to Bird Boy, a Parents' Choice Gold Award Winner, Elizabeth Starr Hill and Lesley Liu have created another sensitive, appealing book, in which a boy discovers how to play to his strengths rather than keeping them hidden.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Chang and the Bamboo Flute by Elizabeth Starr, illus. by Lesley Liu, follows the star of Bird Boy as he and his family are forced to leave their houseboat, damaged in a flood, and live on land. When they return to their river home a few days later, they discover something valuable missing, and only Chang can remedy the situation. Of the first novel, PW wrote, "Hill's economical prose effortlessly weaves in multiple themes of courage, responsibility, and friendship while shedding light on a unique way of earning a living [cormorant fishing]."
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 2-5. Chang is mute but can make sounds that the cormorants--birds his father has trained to fish--respond to. He also plays beautiful music on his bamboo flute. Chang and his family live on a houseboat on the Li River in southern China, where it has been raining for days. The fishing has not been good, but Chang's mother cooks up a dinner in her cherished wok. When Chang and his friend Mei Mei return from the market, it is raining so hard that Chang's family seeks shelter with Mei Mei's family, who put them up in a barn. They return home to find some damage to the houseboat, and, worst of all, the wok is gone. Chang goes to market resolving to barter his flute for a used wok, but instead finds the audience for his playing so generous that he can purchase a fine new one. This simply told story with its unusual locale offers lessons in friendship, cooperation, and acceptance of disability. The many evocative illustrations and the good-size typeface makes this an enticing package that children will take to eagerly. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); 1 edition (October 25, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374312389
• ISBN-13: 978-0374312381
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,081,725 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Chang and the Bamboo Flute, March 24, 2003

By 

Anita Arnold - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chang and the Bamboo Flute (Hardcover)

This chapter book is an easy book for children to follow, however, a child unfamiliar with the Chinese culture may have difficulty understanding some of the terminology used. I think the overall theme,in this book, of believing in one's inner strengths and abilities and being proud of who you are is very positive for elementary readers. This is something that the main character, Chang, struggles with throughout the story. One of the reasons he struggles with this is because he has been made fun, especially by his bestfriend's brother, of his inability to speak and he is afraid that people will do the same to the music he makes with his flute. But Chang soon realizes that there are times when you have to overcome your inner struggle for the benefit of someone else and when you can do that, it feels really good. I think that as students read this book, they will easily understand this concept of being proud of oneself and helping and respecting others just as Mei Mei helped and respected Chang.