The Topsy-Turvy Emperor of China

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Overview

The mean and monstrously ugly Emperor Cho Cho Shang decrees that everything in China be the opposite of what it was-the just and beautiful becomes unjust and ugly; cruel and hideous is now fair and lovely. The kingdom is hopelessly topsy-turvy until a few brave souls, starting with the Emperor's own son, decide to resist the madness and put things right again.

"Gleefully parodies modern times (or any other ...

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1996 Paperback New Mint! !

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More About This Book

Overview

The mean and monstrously ugly Emperor Cho Cho Shang decrees that everything in China be the opposite of what it was-the just and beautiful becomes unjust and ugly; cruel and hideous is now fair and lovely. The kingdom is hopelessly topsy-turvy until a few brave souls, starting with the Emperor's own son, decide to resist the madness and put things right again.

"Gleefully parodies modern times (or any other rotten times)...This spoof speaks truth."-The New Yorker

The mean and ugly Emperor Cho Cho Shan, determined to be considered the handsomest and noblest man in China, declares that everything is to be the opposite of what it was and evil, ugliness, and stupidity are to be the most admired qualities in his kingdom.

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Editorial Reviews

School Library Journal
Gr 4 UpA newly illustrated edition of Singer's tale of a mean, ugly, ignorant emperor who, in order to deify himself, forces all of his subjects to follow his example of doing the opposite of what is true and decent. The earlier edition (HarperCollins, 1971; o.p.) was illustrated with line drawings by William Pene Du Bois. Jusim's full-color pictures are more ornate, and words and paintings are placed against a burnt-edged, parchmentlike background. The artist has decorated the text with vignettes that bring it to life. Tiny details adorn clothing, add personality to facial features and expressions, and exude irony and humor. Three of the six full-page pictures, all surrounded by the same brown-toned, surrealistic border, can be viewed upside down for a different look at the scene that suggests the author's true intent. This fable mirrors the history of China as well as the Hitler years in Eastern Europe as it teaches a lesson in human foolishness and tyrannical oppression. Paired with Lois Lowry's The Giver (Houghton, 1993) when using it with older audiences, it could provide an interesting tool for discussion.Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
Kirkus Reviews
A dark tale of the eternal "struggle between good and evil, beauty and ugliness," from a master, given pristine treatment in the illustrations that appear in this edition.

A cruel Chinese emperor casts everything in his kingdom in his own deformed spirit, and the result is The Court of Injustice (where robbers go free, for a price), a Secretary of False Promises, stuffed arsenals, punk hairdos, police corruption, and godless temples. But tyranny will always have its opponents, and so the crown prince, who grows up with an intuitive sense of truth and justice, joins the revolutionaries to bring an end to his father's reign. There is a heroic dimension to this tale and some savage buffoonery, but nothing unruly finds its way into the meticulous, paneled Asian art, which remains coolly distant and stylized.

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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780374475888
  • Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
  • Publication date: 4/26/1996
  • Pages: 32
  • Age range: 5 - 8 Years
  • Product dimensions: 6.22 (w) x 9.46 (h) x 0.15 (d)

Meet the Author

Isaac Bashevis Singer
Isaac Bashevis Singer
The great voice of the Yiddish-language tradition in modern Jewish literature, Isaac Bashevis Singer is best known for short stories (think "Yentl") with deeply Jewish roots yet universal appeal.

Biography

Isaac Bashevis Singer emigrated to New York from Poland in 1935 and found work with the Jewish Daily Forward. Author of many novels, collections of short stories, and books for children, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1978.

Author biography courtesy of Penguin Group (USA).

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    1. Also Known As:
      Isaac Warshofsky
    1. Date of Birth:
      July 14, 1904
    2. Place of Birth:
      Radzymin, Poland
    1. Date of Death:
      July 24, 1991
    2. Place of Death:
      Surfside, Florida

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