Little Plum by Ed Young

Genre II: Traditional Literature

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Young, Ed. Little Plum. New York: Philomel.1994. ISBN 0399226834

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Little Plum is a Chinese folktale that takes place in a small, farming village at the foot of a mountain and is centered around an old couple and their remarkable son. The characters are exactly what we expect in a folktale in that they are proud, hard working and endure great hardships. The couple, having been childless all of their marriage, is desperate for a child. Their desperation turns to elation when they finally have a son. Although he is no bigger than the seed of a plum, the couple is so proud of what a hard worker their son becomes. As time quickly passes he impresses everyone with his determination. No matter his size, Little Plum is able to accomplish much and is a tremendous help to his parents causing the other village parents to berate their own children for not measuring up to Little Plum (pardon the pun). However, when the villagers suffer under an evil lord, even Little Plum’s mother doesn’t believe he is able to fulfill his promise to save them.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Young expertly maintains the sincerity of the ancient tellings of this folktale and even offers in his author’s notes the Chinese word for plum (jujube) to authenticate his retelling further. His portrayal of the common folktale theme “good people win out over cruel leader and live happily ever after” will be warmly accepted by readers as he also skillfully wraps the reader in the small, farming village, culture of China. However, the beauty of the story’s language may have been sacrificed in translation for I feel that Little Plum’s supernatural feats are explained more mechanically and lack emotional provocations. Yet, it is Young’s pastel paintings illustrating this story that restores any beauty lost in the text. Young’s use of contrasting light and dark colors, shades and shadows pull the reader past the vague lines and into the heart of the tale.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
BOOKLIST: Kids will identify with Little Plum; he may appear to be lost in a gigantic world, but he's able to control the great creatures that tower over him. Young's sweeping double-page-spread pastels, full of energy and movement, dramatize that this story is about perspective.

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: Young's spare, action-filled text will hold listeners' attention, while his artwork adds emotional resonance, rhythm, and unity to the tale. He fills each page with pastel paintings in a rich, dark palette, emphasizing mass over line in a style reminiscent of European expressionists.

3. CONNECTIONS
*Universal themes in literature: After discussing the theme of the story, reread it and have students write down a time when the good people enjoyed something wonderful and when they suffered something terrible. Talk about how these types of events happen to all people making this theme “universal”.
*After reading the book ask students why the animals were so important to the villagers. Have students work in groups to create lists of what role animals play in the lives of farmers and villagers and what is different about the roles animals play in their own lives.