Where the Mountain Meets the Moon facts for kids
First edition, with Newbery seal
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| Author | Grace Lin |
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| Illustrator | Grace Lin |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's fantasy |
| Publisher | Little, Brown and Company |
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Publication date
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2009 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 278 |
| ISBN | 9780316114271 |
| OCLC | 672213061 |
| Followed by | Starry River of the Sky |
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is an exciting fantasy and adventure book for kids. It's inspired by old Chinese stories. Grace Lin wrote and drew all the pictures for this book, which came out in 2009.
The book won a special award called the Newbery Honor in 2010. It also won the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature that same year. People loved it so much, it's been translated into many languages, like Chinese, French, and Korean.
Contents
The Story of Minli's Journey
The story takes place in a poor village called Fruitless Mountain. A young girl named Minli, who is ten years old, lives there. She loves listening to her father's amazing stories. Her mother, however, often feels sad about their poverty.
The villagers are very poor because the land is dry and hard. They believe this is because Fruitless Mountain is the broken heart of the Jade Dragon. This dragon once brought rain to the Earth. Minli wishes for good luck for her family and village.
Minli's Quest Begins
One day, Minli buys a goldfish, which makes her mother unhappy. It turns out the goldfish can talk! Minli decides to free the goldfish. When she does, it tells her how to find the Old Man of the Moon. This wise immortal lives on Never-Ending Mountain. He can answer her question about bringing good fortune.
The next day, Minli sets off on her adventure. She leaves the goldfish behind so it won't be a burden. Her parents worry when they find her gone. But the goldfish seller tells them to trust Minli.
Meeting a Dragon Friend
Minli sleeps in the forest and wakes up to find a dragon trapped. She bravely saves him. They become good friends, and the Dragon offers to travel with her. He can't fly, which is unusual for a dragon.
Dragon explains he was born from a painting. He came to life when his eyes were painted. Together, they continue their journey.
Adventures Along the Way
Minli and Dragon meet some selfish monkeys. Minli cleverly tricks them so they can pass. They then enter the City of Bright Moonlight. Minli leaves Dragon in a cave and finds shelter with a kind boy.
The boy is poor but helps Minli find the king. The king has a special "borrowed line of text." This line is important for finding the Old Man of the Moon. Minli meets the king, and he freely gives her the line. It's a page from the legendary Book of Fortune.
Outside the city, Dragon also finds a red string of destiny. He thinks this is the "borrowed line." Minli and Dragon meet up, share their stories, and wonder which line is the real one.
Back Home and New Challenges
Meanwhile, Minli's parents return home. Her mother realizes how much she misses Minli. She feels bad for being so unhappy when she had such a precious daughter.
On their journey, Dragon gets hurt protecting Minli from a poisonous Green Tiger. Minli quickly finds help in a nearby village called Moon Rain. An old man, A-Gong, gives Dragon medicine that also works as tea.
Twin children from the village trick the Green Tiger into an old well. The next day, they take Minli and Dragon to Never-Ending Mountain. It turns out to be very close to their village.
The Old Man of the Moon
The twins explain that their village gets its name from seeds that fall from the moon. These seeds make flowering trees bloom every night. The flowers are the antidote to the Green Tiger's poison.
Minli uses the borrowed line of text and the string of destiny. She stitches them into a kite that becomes a bridge. Minli crosses it alone to meet the Old Man of the Moon.
He tells her she can only ask one question. Minli thinks carefully and decides to ask Dragon's question: Why can't he fly? The old man tells her to remove a rock from Dragon's head.
A Fortunate Return
Minli removes the rock, and Dragon can fly immediately! They fly home to Minli's village. The "rock" turns out to be the valuable Dragon's Pearl. This pearl brings great wealth to her village.
The Jade Dragon reunites with her child, Dragon. Fruitless Mountain transforms into Fruitful Mountain. Because Minli chose to help her friend, she and her family receive all the good fortune they wished for.
More Books in the Series
This book is part of a series! A companion book, Starry River of the Sky, was released in 2014.
Then, in 2015, Grace Lin announced a direct sequel. This new book, When the Sea Turns to Silver, came out in 2016.
Possible Movie Adaptation
In 2015, Grace Lin shared that the rights to make a movie of the book were bought. She isn't sure if the movie will actually be made. She thought it might happen between 2020 and 2025.
Stage Play Adaptation
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon was also turned into a play! It was performed at the Wheelock Family Theater in Boston in April 2014. Caroline Workman played Minli. Michael Tow played the Storyteller and Minli's father. Jane Staab directed the show.
