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    The Five Chinese Brothers
    The Five Chinese Brothers
    The Five Chinese Brothers
    Audiobook10 minutes

    The Five Chinese Brothers

    Written by David Stradling

    Narrated by Owen Jordan

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Five brothers who all look alike outwit the townspeople who condemned one of them to death.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherWeston Woods
    Release dateJan 1, 1958
    ISBN9780545831024
    The Five Chinese Brothers
    Author

    David Stradling

    Claire Bishop is Associate Professor in the History of Art department at the CUNY Graduate Center, New York. She is the author of Installation Art: A Critical History; Artificial Hells: Participatory Art and the Politics of Spectatorship; and editor of Participation. in 2008 she co-curated the exhibition "Double Agent" at the ICA. She is a regular contributor to Artforum, October, Tate Etc, IDEA, and other international art magazines.

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    Reviews for The Five Chinese Brothers

    4/5

    28 ratings18 reviews

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    • 3/5
      This is a strange story about five identical brothers with special powers who outwit an executioner. It is apparently a Chinese folk tale, but except for the brothers being referred to as "The Chinese Brothers" every single time they're mentioned, there's nothing particularly Chinese about it. But I guess in 1938 (when it was published) China was sufficiently "alien" to make references to its culture a required feature whenever possible. The drawings are caricatures - everyone has a queue hairstyle (which ended some 15 years before this book) and round cap and robes - but I don't know if I'd necessarily label the book as racist. Perhaps the next reader will have more thoughts on the matter.
    • 4/5
      A book my husband loved from his childhood, I purchased this for him to relive the moment. The five brothers each have a special gift/power, when used at the right time, it will save one of them from an unjust death.
    • 5/5
      An excellent story concerning 5 identical looking brothers, each endowed with a unique "power." One gets in trouble but outwits the state when a certain execution is ordered and a brother is selected to provide is own unique defense against an execution.
    • 2/5
      Characters: First Chinese brother, Second Chinese brother, Third Chinese brother, Fourth Chinese brother, Fifth Chinese brother, mother, fishing boy. judge, executionerSetting: Imperial China, a fishing village in the ChinaTheme: family relationship, brotherhood, superpowers, lack of justice system, severe punishment, habeas corpusGenre: brotherly love, family, folk stories, picture bookGolden quote (optional): “Your honor, will you allow me to go and bid my mother good-bye” “It is only fair”Summary: Near the sea in a fishing village in China there are five brothers that look alike, that live with their mom. All five brothers have a special power or skill, which makes them seem like ancient heroes. One brother can swallow the sea, Second brother has an iron neck, third brother can stretch his legs pretty far, fourth brother cannot be burned, and the fifth brother can hold his breath indefinitely. The first brother is a good fisherman, that always brings rare and fine fishes to the village’s market, and one day he gets a request from a young boy to allow him to join him during his next fishing trip. The first brother rejects the boy, but the boy insists until the first brother accepts. The first brother has one request, the little boy must obey all commands given to him, and the little boy agrees. They go fishing, the first brother swallows the sea, and the little boy begins to collect sea creatures that are now left in the bare ground, when the first brother gets tired of holding on to the sea in his mouth, he asks the little boy to make his way back to safety, but the little boy ignores the plea. The first brother can no longer hold on and releases the sea and the little boy disappears. The first brother is charged with murder, he is sentenced to decapitation, but before the execution he makes a plea with the judge to let him go home to say good-bye to his mom, and the judge agrees. In return, the second brother comes in to replace his brother, but the executioner is unable to cut through the iron neck of the second brother. The judge offers three more methods of execution, but every time a new brother is put in place to use his special skills to survive the execution. At the end, the judge allows the first brother to walk free, justifying that he must be innocent since he survived all the types of execution.Audience: children, 3rd graders and upCurriculum ties: Imperial ChinaAwards (optional): Lewis Carroll Shelf Award, National Education Association named it “Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children.”Personal response: This book does a good job of continuing the tradition of telling folk stories to children. The story allows children to capture the imagination of boys and their fascination with superpowers. I have mixed feelings about the book, especially when read to children. On one part I think that the book may send a negative message about using your special powers or skills to escape punishment. On the other hand I feel that it shows that innocence ultimately prevails over everything. The illustrations of this book may display some type of generalization of Chinese, and can be considered by some as offensive.
    • 4/5
      Well written fairy tale of five brothers with different unique super-natural abilities.
    • 3/5
      Not a cozy picture book to snuggle up on the couch with, this shocking fable of long ago tells the story of five Chinese brothers who band together to take advantage of their striking physical similarities and bizarre talents to save the life of one of the eccentric brothers. Sometimes upsetting and even gruesome this inventive story portrays the brothers’ tag-team effort to save the life of the unjustly accused brother. Despite (or maybe because of) the grisly topic, this classic book has been a favorite of young children since its original publication in 1938. Young readers are consistently fascinated by each brother’s narrow escape and delighted as the brothers cleverly exhibit a sequence of death-defying feats. The attention-grabbing pen and ink drawings, floating in the white space of the page, supplement the grim text with humorous cartoon images of the brothers’ outlandish exploits. The black and white images (highlighted with yellow) have been criticized for portraying all Chinese people the same. It’s the five brothers’ amazing escapes that children will focus their attention on, making this “blast from the past” an imaginative and fun read aloud book for children in kindergarten through third grade.
    • 2/5
      The first brother in this story of five, appears to be invincible, unable to die. He had been sent to trial because he brought a young child fishing with him and was unable to hold the water in while the child was running around not listening. Unable to hold it, the first brother had to release the sea from his mouth and the little boy was lost. The brother appeared in front of the judge to be killed but he had asked to go see his mother first. In which he had sent his second bother who would not be affected by the punishment that was to be delivered. That pattern was repeated until the fifth brother came through, by that point the village thought that he, the first brother, was unable to die, so they relieved him of his punishment.
    • 5/5
      Despite being a little insensitive for modern tastes, The Five Chinese Brothers is a slightly non-sensical tale of brothers that try to save their other brother from being put to death. That said, this book is pretty silly, with each of the brothers having a unique ability despite looking extremely identical. With a combination of love for their brothers, and a little teamwork, this book shows that you can get a lot done together.
    • 4/5
      This story have been around since 1936. It is based on a passed down folk tale. It has been banned for “racist, and stereotypical” depiction of Chinese people through the illustrations. One thing to remember is that this is a product of 1936 where usually no more than 4 colors were used in printing. Even if the illustrations were redone today, I think parents would still want this book banned. The story is of 5 brothers who each go to be executed but survive. Yep. The townspeople try to cut off someone’s head, tries to burn someone alive, try to drown them, etc. But that is not why this book was banned. I loved everything about this. It is such a classic, and unlike modern fairy tales has not been “cleaned” up for an audience. It has been left in its original form, and I think that makes it that much more special.
    • 1/5
      The book is about 1 murder and 4 attempted executions. My child asked me the same question I had in response to the book, "why?"
    • 3/5
      Five brothers who look alike, all outwit execution. This book is great for bringing culture into the classroom, but I think it's a little too stereotypical.
    • 3/5
      I liked reading this book. The illustrations were very well done and were more interesting than usual, for example in one part of the story you had to turn the book sideways to view the entire illustration. I thought the illustrations were very helpful in telling the story. The characters were obviously not that believable (no one could actually swallow the ocean or have a neck strong enough to stop a sharp blade) but they were silly and funny and very likeable. The plot was very organized and stayed at the same, steady pace that made the story interesting to read. While this book was more silly than most others I have read so far, I would say if I had to pick a main idea from this story it would be that family is important and will always have your back.
    • 4/5
      Children’s Classic Bishop, Claire Huchet. The Five Chinese Brothers. illus. by Kurt Wiese. Coward, 1938.Characters: Five Chinese brother(Identical) ; one that could not be burned , one that had a neck made of steel, one that could swallow the ocean, one that could stretch his legs very long and one that could hold his breath indefinitely.Setting: China in the late early 18th century, near a port. Theme: family bond and loyalty Genre: cautionary tale, fairy tale Golden quote: “Your honor will you allow me to go and bid my mother goodbye?”Summary: When a little boy fails to listen to the brother that can swallow the ocean, he is tragically drowned as a result a group of brothers band together to manipulate a trial process in order to avoid be unjustly executed. Audience: Elementary 3rd -6th grade Curriculum ties: Cultural, entertainment, behavior Awards: Caldecott Honor Award, Lewis Carroll Shelf Award and National Education Association “Teachers’ Top 100 Books for Children” Personal response: This book is a fine example of a cautionary tale that may be used to entertain kids in elementary while telling them the importance of listening and following directions. The story was surprisingly dark for the year that it was made but it is that darkness and individuality that could resonate with the contemporary youth audience.
    • 3/5
      I felt like this book was funny at some parts and had playful events that occurred throughout. These are two of the things that I liked about the book. When the king in the book failed so many times to kill who he thought had caused the little boy's death, it was a way to show comedic slapstick humor through a children's book. However, the things I did not like about this book were some of its themes and how this book played on the identical chinese brothers. It almost seems that the author is trying to make a joke about how chinese people look the same, which can be taken very offensively. Also, the theme of death is a little to prevalent for my taste. The author seemed to talk too much about killing. The little boy died in the sea and the king tried to kill who he thought killed the boy 4 seperate times. This just seems a little morbid for me. The big picture of this book was to tell a funny tale of "sticking together."
    • 4/5
      A story about 5 brothers who all have special powers. They all find a reason to use their powers in one way or another. A great book to keep childrens attention.
    • 4/5
      In China lived five brothers, each in appearance exactly like the others. Each, too, had a special ability: the first could swallow the sea; the second had an iron neck; the third could stretch his legs very far; the fourth couldn't be burned; and the fifth could hold his breath indefinitely. When a young boy is drowned while collecting shells from the sea bed after the first brother had drunk up the sea, the first brother is sentenced to be killed. However, his brothers' special talents may be just what is needed to save him.

      The Five Chinese Brothers is a picture book, written by Claire Huchet Bishop and illustrated by Kurt Wiese. I enjoyed it greatly as a child, though, looking back on it as an adult, there are some problems with it.

      The problem is with the illustrations. They are lovely and entertaining, but they are also sadly stereotypical of Chinese people. I'd hesitate to call them racist, but they certainly reflect the time the were published, back in 1938. The Chinese people in general, and not merely the identical brothers, are all drawn as being essentially identical, with yellow skin, closed eyes, and hands together in their sleeves. Usual, I suppose, for the time, though such illustrations would be fairly offensive today--the book would probably not be published.

      I understand that there's a more recent retelling of the story by Margaret Mahy, with illustrations by Mou-Sien Tseng, called The Seven Chinese Brothers, which may lack these problems and so be preferable, but I've not read it, so I can't comment.

      Even with its problems, The Five Chinese Brothers is a great book. If it should, perhaps, be read by parents together with their children, in order to ensure an appropriate understanding that the book doesn't accurately represent Chinese people, well, that's not so bad--children's books are usually best read by parents and children together, anyway.
    • 2/5
      I guess there is controversy over this title because of the depictions of the Asian characters as all looking alike. There is a problem with the idea of a major plot point being that all the Chinese brothers look alike (considering it's a racist presumption that all Asians look alike, or whatever). Also, if I'm correct in assuming it's based off "The Seven Chinese Brothers," in that folk tale (the variations I've read, anyway) all the brothers look different. So to have changed the story so they all look alike is odd. And probably racist.But anyway, I gather the story is one that a lot of people read as kids, so it's somewhat of a classic. But I hadn't read it and therefore don't have any particular emotional attachment to it. It's got a lot of the violent folklore/fairy tale tropes that make modern readers uncomfortable (i.e. being burned at the stake and other modes of execution attempted). I liked the idea of trying to swallow the ocean in order to catch fish. But other than that, I remain pretty firmly unimpressed. I didn't think it's logical that a judge would allow the various brothers to go home each time a method of execution failed. Also why would they try to suffocate someone with whipped cream? (I've never given any thought to this method of execution but it seems relatively uncommon!)
    • 5/5
      I always loved the humour of this book as a child and yet struggled with the moral: five look-alike brothers with unusual features each escape the death penalty for the first brother's crime by tricking the executioner. As I look back on this book as an adult, however, I see that there is an open door here for discussion with children of the issue of wrongful punishment, social justice, accidents versus intentional crimes, and how God might cosmically alter circumstances so that the innocent do not suffer. These are big issues for such a small book, of course, but this is one of those books in which you instantly fall in love with the characters and then ask yourself later, "why I am rooting for them after all that they're doing?" As such, this would be a good gateway for discussion of this type of issue in understanding other literature: how authors can sometimes make the bad guys seem good, and vice versa, and how or whether one can decide what is really in a person's heart. Beyond that, the story gets children anticipating patterns as they see the same sort of thing happening from one brother to the next, and wonder exactly how it will play out, developing their problem-solving skills as they see the unique solutions. It is always fun to revisit this book, and I have never met a child who didn't love it.