Chinese Mythology: The True and False Monkey Kings

Monkey King, also known as Sun Wukong, is a main character in the classical Chinese epic novel Journey to the West. As the real hero of this novel, this resourceful, brave and humorous Monkey King has been loved for four hundred years by Chinese children and adults alike.

In The True and False Monkey Kings, Monkey King's master, the Tang Priest Xuanzang, is waylaid by a band of robbers on his journey to India. Monkey King kills all the robbers, but the Master accuses him of being too cruel and sends him away.

After Monkey King leaves, a six-eared Macaque dresses up as the Monkey King and come to steal the Master's belongings. Guanyin the Goddess to Mercy sends Monkey King back to subdue the imposter, but the two monkeys are so alike that no one, in Heaven or on Earth, can tell which one is the true Monkey King.

Finally, the two are brought before Sakyamuni Buddha who sees through the macaque's disguise and exposes him. Before he can escape, Monkey strikes him down with his golden rod.

The charming illustrations and graphic design help engage young children and compliment this well-known Chinese tale. The pictures are big enough for a small story time and kids will find plenty to look at in one-to-one sharing.

The book comes with Chinese characters and the Pinyin (phonetic transcriptions), making it an excellent means of learning elementary Chinese. The book ends with a Q & A, which helps parents engage their children in a discussion about the story.