Monkey: A Superhero Tale of China, Retold from The Journey to the West [Paperback]

Aaron Shepard (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 093849726X | ISBN-13: 978-0938497264 | Publication Date: January 1, 2005

 

SIX MONTHS ON THE KINDLE BESTSELLERS LISTS!

 

If you think Superman or Spiderman has been around a long time, think about Monkey. He has been China's favorite superhero for at least five centuries. He's amazingly strong, he can fly, and he has a few tricks those other superheroes never heard of. And he's always ready to do battle with demons, dragons -- sometimes even the gods. 

 

Monkey stars in The Journey to the West, an epic comic fantasy from the sixteenth century. The part retold here is about Monkey's origin and early career -- and the one time he didn't come out on top. 

 

For ages 10 and up. Not illustrated!

 

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Aaron Shepard is the award-winning author of "The Mountain of Marvels," "The Songs of Power," "The Magic Flyswatter," and many more children's books from publishers large and small. His stories have also appeared often in Cricket magazine.

 

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SAMPLE

 

"Here I am, only four hundred years old," said the Monkey King, "and I've already reached the heights of greatness. What is left to hope and strive for? What can be higher than a king?" 

 

"Your Majesty," said the gibbon carefully, "we have ever been grateful for that time four centuries ago when you hatched from the stone, wandered into our midst, and found for us this hidden cave behind the waterfall. We made you our king as the greatest honor we could bestow. Still, I must tell you that kings are not the highest of beings." 

 

"They're not?" said the Monkey King. 

 

"No, Your Majesty. Above them are gods, who dwell in Heaven and govern Earth. Then there are Immortals, who have gained great powers and live forever. And finally there are Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, who have conquered illusion and escaped rebirth." 

 

"Wonderful!" cried the Monkey King. "Maybe I can become all three!" He considered a moment, then said, "I think I'll start with the Immortals. I'll search the earth till I've found one, then learn to become one myself!"

 

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

See above.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

"Here I am, only four hundred years old," said the Monkey King, "and I've already reached the heights of greatness. What is left to hope and strive for? What can be higher than a king?"

"Your Majesty," said the gibbon carefully, "we have ever been grateful for that time four centuries ago when you hatched from the stone, wandered into our midst, and found for us this hidden cave behind the waterfall. We made you our king as the greatest honor we could bestow. Still, I must tell you that kings are not the highest of beings."

"They're not?" said the Monkey King.

"No, Your Majesty. Above them are gods, who dwell in Heaven and govern Earth. Then there are Immortals, who have gained great powers and live forever. And finally there are Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, who have conquered illusion and escaped rebirth."

"Wonderful!" cried the Monkey King. "Maybe I can become all three!" He considered a moment, then said, "I think I'll start with the Immortals. I'll search the earth till I've found one, then learn to become one myself!"

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Skyhook Press (January 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 093849726X
• ISBN-13: 978-0938497264
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,724,792 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Start here to understand China..., February 18, 2010

By 

James G. Snyder "taiji dreamer" (Albuquerque, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Monkey King: A Superhero Tale of China, Retold from The Journey to the West (Ancient Fantasy) (Kindle Edition)

The universally known stories in a culture have a profound and lasting influence in the mindset of growing children they are told to, and mark the continuity of tradition when repeated to their own children. This is true in every culture and this story is the ultimate in Chinese children stories. Not only does this story contain numerous character studies, conflicts and scenes that have entered into linguistic/world view idiom, but hidden inside this story are cryptic allusions to deep Buddhist and Taoist training. The full version of this story has 100 books and some authors have considered this story on par with such classics as the Tao-Te-Ching.

This version is a good introduction to this story, the sort to give you a taste or to read to a child. I have a dozen versions of this story and while this is not my choice as the best short-popular version, it is close. Further, this author has released this text for the Kindle for 1 penny! This is the world's greatest bargain. Absolutely everyone should load this on their reader...

As an aside...

I hope that many like myself will purchase his dead tree version of the book and put it on their shelf, prove to publishers and Amazon that this is a good economic model. May many more authors release inexpensive e-book versions of texts as a promotion of their work. There is presently a vast quantity of high quality free audio books by authors trying to break in or grow their base, for traditionally published material. I regularly purchase texts that I have listened to or heard for free on the NPR Radio Reader program.

I personally have been less than enthused with the universal $10 price for kindle books, the overall reading experience and utility is not the equivalent of a paper book. Given that 99.9% of the infrastructure costs such a printing, ink, paper, transport and warehousing are nonexistent for e-books, $10 is exorbitant. I generally feel that if the paper back version of a book is available for $15 compared to a $10 Kindle e-book, I would unhesitatingly go with paper.

There is a lot of inexpensive e-book content "notably - Author 50-years-dead stuff" but much of the contemporary less than $5 content is barely spam. I hope that the Kindle consumer community will spot and recommend high quality inexpensive content; review and recommend it to others. Vote with your voice and and wallet (mouse-click) for this content to knock publishers of their high-horse...

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read For All, June 5, 2008

By 

Sandra Heptinstall "Reviewer" (Louisiana, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Monkey King: A Superhero Tale of China, Retold from The Journey to the West (Ancient Fantasy) (Paperback)

This is a story about a monkey who was born from a magic boulder, that was bathed in the energies of Earth and Heaven, quickened by the light of the Sun and Moon. He became known as the Monkey King when he wandered into the midst of other monkey's and found them a safe home in a cave behind a waterfall. The other monkey's made him their King, which is the highest honor they could bestow on him.

It was on the Monkey King's four hundred birthday that he sat complaining that he had reached the heights of greatness. "What is left to hope and strive for he asked?" The Monkey King was told that above them are Gods, who dwell in Heaven and Earth. Then there are Immortals, who have gained great powers and live forever. And finally there are Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, who have conquered illusion and escaped rebirth.

That information was enough for the Monkey King to set off on his own course of action. To become not just a God or Immortal, but to become a Buddhas. He wanted it all. Nothing would stop him until he could attained what he wanted.

Even though the Monkey King studied hard he would always manage to get himself into trouble time and time again. At the end of this book we find the Monkey King pinned between stone walls. His head and arms are out, but the rest of his body was hopelessly trapped.

What kind of trouble did the Monkey King get into to find himself trapped? Was it his faith to be pinned between the stone walls forever? I can only say you must read this book for yourself to find the answers.

Monkey, is the most popular figure in all Chinese literature, loved for centuries by both young and old. Even in todays world Monkey is still cherished in the Chinese culture.

What a wonderful way to expose and broaden the minds of our young people and adults. To be transported to another place and time. To experience stories that have lasted for centuries.

Sandra Heptinstall, LA

10 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Historic Superhero!, April 21, 2005

By 

M. Russell "luckygirl" (NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Monkey: A Superhero Tale of China, Retold from The Journey to the West (Paperback)

I loved "Monkey: A Superhero Tale of China"! Although Monkey steals the show, the supporting characters are terrific and round out the story nicely. We tend to read aloud, with sound effects, and the kids had a blast trying to make the sounds of the Dragons!