The Tale of the Mandarin Ducks [Hardcover]

Katherine Paterson (Author), Diane Dillon (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 26, 1990 | Age Level: 4 and up

Coveting a mandarin duck for his magnificent plumage, a greedy Japanese lord captures and cages him for all to admire. But the wild drake pines for his mate. Some compassionate servants release the drake to go to his mate, but are sentenced to death for it--and the drake comes to their rescue. Watercolor and pastel paintings illuminate this Japanese folktale.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A beautiful mandarin duck is captured and caged by a greedy lord who wants to show off the bird's magnificent plumage. But the wild creature pines for his mate. When Yasuko, the kitchen maid, releases the bird against her lord's command, she and the one-eyed servant, Shozo, are sentenced to death. The grateful bird intends to return their kindness, but can he outsmart the cruel lord?

Winner of the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award for Illustration, and a New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From Publishers Weekly

In another picture book retelling of a Japanese folktale, Paterson ( The Tongue-Cut Sparrow ) recounts the story of Shozo, a one-eyed Samurai unjustly forced to be a servant, and Yasuko, a kitchen maid. They befriend a mandarin duck who pines for his mate while kept in captivity by a fearsome lord. When Yasuko releases the duck, both servants are sentenced to death, but they are subsequently saved by two mysterious imperial messengers who care for them throughout the night and disappear, leaving in their place the two mandarin ducks. Yasuko and Shozo live happily from that time on because "as they had learned years before, trouble can always be borne when it is shared." Paterson's story is rich with magic, compassion and love. The Dillons' elegantly detailed watercolor and pastel drawings, in the style of 18th-century Japanese woodcuts, are exquisite. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile; 1st edition (September 26, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525672834
• ISBN-13: 978-0525672838
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,678,260 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Katherine Paterson has twice won both the Newbery Medal and the National Book Award. She received the 1998 Hans Christian Andersen Medal as well as the 2006 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award for the body of her work. An active promoter of reading and literacy, she lives with her husband, John, in Barre, Vermont. They have four children and seven grandchildren. Visit Katherine Paterson on her web site at www.terabithia.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Tale of the Mandarin Ducks, March 17, 2000

By 

Diane V. Graff (Escondido, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Tale of the Mandarin Ducks (Hardcover)

My granddaughter (11) and I have enjoyed this book emmensely and are re-reading it often. She loves tales of Japan and the beautiful illustrations. My husband and I lived in Japan for 2 years. This book's story has good moral principles and is an easy way to teach kind thoughtful behavior and the benefits of love and responsibility.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love Takes Wing, November 6, 2005

By 

BeatleBangs1964 (United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Tale of the Mandarin Ducks (Picture Puffins) (Paperback)

This beautifully illustrated book and equally beautiful story is very moving. It is set in old Japan and is a look at Japanese history and culture.

It is the story of love; of being willing to take chances to protect another and about kindness rewarding many times over. It speaks to the ripple effect of how one single act of kindness, in this case freeing an imprisoned drake will be rewarded lovingly.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Read Aloud!, May 18, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Tale of the Mandarin Ducks (Picture Puffins) (Paperback)

This book is great to read to kids! It has suspense and it also shows kids how doing the right thing can seem bad, but soon you'll get something back. I liked the moral of the story and I like the way they illustarted it to look just like ancient Japan.