Monkey Creates Havoc in Heaven

Monkey is the adventurous, picaresque hero of Chinese folklore, equipped with magic and wit, who annoys and escapes the gods as long as he can. In this episode, Monkey runs afoul of the Celestial Emperor, the God of Venus, and the Supreme Taoist Dignitary before the God Erlang, the divine avenger, takes him on in all-out battle. Monkey's daring pranks include stealing the divine peaches from Grandma Wang's orchard, swallowing the golden pills of immortality from the Dou Sai Palace, and stealing a magical sword from the Dragon King. For these and other misdemeanors, he at last is tamed by the Buddah Ru Lai, to serve 500 years imprisoned in a mountain. Colorful, detailed illustrations captures the mood, motion and fantastic creatures of the story. The text seems overly stiff and academic in style, and for some tastes, the episodic material remains too diffuse. Nevertheless, this is a lively introduction to Monkey as a favorite rascal from Chinese lore. Ages 3-8. (Feb.)