Tongues of Jade by Laurence Yep
"Tongues of Jade," authored by Laurence Yep and published in 1989, is a collection of Chinese folktales that emphasizes the rich cultural heritage of Chinese immigrants in the United States. The book features sixteen retold stories originally collected by Jon Lee in the 1930s and one from Wolfam Eberhard, all reflecting the experiences and values of Chinese communities in places like Oakland and San Francisco. The title suggests the preservation of culture through storytelling, with jade symbolizing the importance of these narratives in maintaining cultural identity.
Organized into five thematic sections— "Roots," "Family Ties," "Wild Heart," "Face," and "Beyond the Grave"— each section begins with an introduction that connects the stories to broader aspects of Chinese culture. The tales explore themes such as family responsibility, virtue, pride, and the supernatural, providing moral lessons that are interwoven with humor and charm. Accompanying the text are black-and-white watercolor illustrations by David Wiesner, which enhance the storytelling experience.
Overall, "Tongues of Jade" serves as an accessible introduction to Chinese and Chinese American culture for young readers, promoting cultural awareness and sensitivity within a diverse society. It stands as an important contribution to multicultural literature, inviting exploration of the values and traditions upheld by generations of Chinese immigrants.
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Subject Terms
Tongues of Jade by Laurence Yep
First published: 1991; illustrated
Subjects: Animals, family, and nature
Type of work: Short fiction
Recommended Ages: 10-15
Form and Content
Like its companion volume, The Rainbow People (1989), Tongues of Jade is a collection of folktales retold by Laurence Yep. Sixteen of the seventeen stories originally appeared in The Golden Mountain, a book of Chinese folktales collected in the 1930’s in Oakland’s Chinatown by Jon Lee, and the last story, “The Ghostly Rhyme,” is a story gathered by Wolfam Eberhard in San Francisco’s Chinatown. These were tales recalled by Chinese immigrants who came to work in the United States in the nineteenth century who called themselves “guests of the Golden Mountain.” As a leisure activity, they told one another stories that illustrated aspects of Chinese culture with which they identified. Following the Chinese idea of jade as a preserver, the book as a whole suggests that by telling stories, the storytellers’ jade tongues maintain part of the group’s cultural heritages.
Through the use of simple and concise language, Yep artfully retells the stories in third-person narrative form and organizes them into five sections according to the following themes: “Roots,” “Family Ties,” “Wild Heart,” “Face,” and “Beyond the Grave.” At the beginning of each section, a brief introduction links the theme to Chinese culture. These introductions assist readers in understanding the meaning and significance of the stories. The attractive black-and-white watercolor illustrations by David Wiesner preface each story and augment the simple retellings beautifully.
The first section, “Roots,” contains three earthy tales with strong connections to China. “The Green Magic” is a story of two brothers. Emerald, the older boy, is happy with his green thumb, while Jade, the younger brother, wants to create great magic in the world. “The Guardians” is a tale about the relationship between the farmer and the earth. In “The Cure,” a boy finds a magic melon in which three pretty fairies reside.
Four tales in the second section, “Family Ties,” portray the sense of responsibility to one’s family. The title character of “The Little Emperor” is spoiled and does not see the love and effort that his mother spends on him; ironically, his mother dies before he can demonstrate his change of heart. The “Royal Robes” tells how the peacock’s first performance of his duty brings a splendid reward of beauty. “Fish Heads” is a story of how an undutiful daughter-in-law is turned into a monkey because of a trick that she plays on her mother-in-law. A wife’s love leads her to seek assistance in defeating the dark supernatural force portrayed in “The Phantom Heart.”
The third section, “The Wild Heart,” has four tales. Charity as a virtue is emphasized in “The Snake’s Revenge” and “Waters of Gold.” “The Foolish Wish” is a humorous ghost story, and “The Tiger Cat” relates an interesting story of how tigers and cats became what they are today.
The fourth section, “Face,” is divided into three stories. “The Rat in the Wall” humorously illustrates the lesson learned by a rich man who takes too much pride in his wealth. “The Fatal Flower” is a moral story of a young girl who craves physical beauty and, because of her intense desire, almost loses her life. “The Teacher’s Underwear” facetiously depicts a teacher who falls into disgrace and exile because of his pride and poverty.
The last section, “Beyond the Grave,” contains three more stories related to magic and supernatural forces. In “The Magic Horse,” a fascinating flying horse comes alive in a poor painter’s last painting and brings fortune to the man’s son. In “Eyes of Jade,” the jade collector is sent to the underworld because of his greediness. “The Ghostly Rhyme” is a humorous tale about a ghost who is a poet and is unable to rest until he remembers the last line of a poem.
Critical Context
Laurence Yep has written many works related to his Chinese American heritage and experience. His novels Dragonwings (1975) and The Dragon’s Gate (1993) were both named Newbery Honor Books. In digging into his culture, Yep has done a exceptional job in turning his cultural heritage and experience into exciting, imaginative, and entertaining works for young readers.
Both Tongues of Jade and The Rainbow People are intended to introduce Chinese and Chinese American culture to young readers. They are excellent collections of Chinese folktales that reveal those things valued by many Chinese and Chinese Americans and passed down through the generations. This kind of work is extremely important in moving young adult literature into the direction of multicultural education. Young readers in a culturally diverse society such as the United States will certainly benefit from books that offer different cultural perspectives. More important, such works can cultivate cultural awareness and sensitivity among young readers.