The Three Sisters

With a long history that connects with oral traditions and storytelling in various cultures, folktales have functioned as a form of entertainment for people but also as a means to enhance social cohesion within communities through its transmission of shared histories and experiences. Through readily accessible stories, folktales can provide a means of cultural transference and perform an important pedagogical function for communities by imparting wisdom, knowledge, and shared values to the next generations. As such, the characters represented in folktales can serve as positive role models for its listeners to emulate or, conversely, as warnings of what could happen to people who lead unprincipled or immoral lives.

With his picture book The Three Sisters, prolific author Paul Yee creates an original Chinese folktale for children of all ages that draws upon recognizable historical, mythological, and cultural elements, something he has done in his previous works such as The Bone Collector’s Son. Its narrative style lends the book to being read aloud, and its straightforward plot will make the story easy to comprehend, even for younger children as the accompanying illustrations will help them to understand what is happening. Although having some knowledge about Chinese culture may contribute to children’s appreciation of the folktale, it is not essential for children of all ages to enjoy it on a more general level. Adults can provide these cultural details as needed to contextualize their understanding of the story.

The story opens by introducing the main antagonist, Emperor Wang, who wages numerous wars and refuses to listen to his advisors’ pleas for peace. To soothe the emperor’s anger, his advisors call upon his court musicians, Master Yen and Lady Li, to play music. Both Master Yen and Lady Li also have three talented daughters who can also play musical instruments. One day, the Emperor summons each of their three daughters to play for him. Despite the parents’ pleas that their daughters are too young, Master Yen and Lady Li eventually obey. To satisfy the Emperor’s demands, the daughters agree to play some music for a time. However, when the Emperor refuses to let them leave, each of them escapes by using their music to summon others to their aid. When the youngest daughter escapes with the rest of her siblings and mother, the Emperor gives chase with his guards. However, thanks to the collective power of the three sisters’ music, a fearsome dragon emerges, scaring the Emperor as well as prompting him to end all of the wars that he has been waging.

The Three Sisters conveys a number of positive messages for readers about the value of peace, strength of family, and importance in believing in oneself. Readers will admire the three sisters’ faith and resolve in escaping from the Emperor as well as the book’s final resolution in which the wars end and peace is reinstated. The story may also remind people of other folktales or even fairy tales. Besides elements such as easily identifiable protagonists and antagonists, many of these narratives progress through a recognizable plot trajectory in which the protagonist experiences certain trials or challenges that they eventually overcome through their personal resolve, talents, or use of other means of intervention.

Illustrated by Shaoli Wang, the book’s colourful illustrations contribute to the narrative’s visual impact. For example, when one of the sisters plays gu-zheng music to summon great waves of water that flood out of a painting and sweep away the Emperor’s guards, Wang’s illustration captures the dynamism of this occurrence. Similarly, another accompanying illustration dramatizes the tension of a specific moment in the plot when the three sisters and their mother are escaping from the Emperor and his guards. After the three sisters summon a mythological dragon that confronts the Emperor, Wang’s drawing conveys the creature’s immensity and power. Encompassing the top portion of two pages, the dragon is situated above the Emperor and his guards, thereby visually conveying its dominance over them. The dragon spews fire upon the Emperor and his guards, all of whom are frightened and cowed into submission.

Furthermore, Wang’s illustrative style evokes an appropriate tone. If Yee’s story were dealing with a different topic, such as specific historical events or time periods pertaining to Chinese Canadian communities, a more realist style might be more appropriate in those instances for capturing a historical atmosphere. Since this is a folktale, the aesthetics of Wang’s illustrations evoke a more whimsical tone that suits Yee’s narrative and also leaves room for the reader’s imagination.

The book’s language level is suitable for its intended audience, but the story can also be enjoyed by older audiences who appreciate folktales and fairy tales. In the classroom, teachers can approach The Three Sisters in a variety of different ways since its content can be discussed in the context of different subjects. For example, the book could appear as part of a literary unit about folktales from different cultures or as part of a social studies unit about different cultural traditions. When discussing The Three Sisters, teachers could prepare questions that prompt reflection on different elements of the book, such as its literary qualities, characterization, incorporation of Chinese culture, or significance in the contemporary context. Alternatively, a more open-ended approach to discussion may evoke more personal responses from students. For instance, teachers can use the book to initiate discussion about the types of folktales or fairy tales that students have read before and how this tale compares with their previous exposure to those types of stories. In addition, the book could provide a means for discussing Chinese culture and, more broadly, other cultural traditions that students may be familiar with. It could encourage them to share stories from their own families and communities that have cultural significance or that are meaningful for their sense of belonging.

Raised in Vancouver and currently based in Toronto, Paul Yee has received numerous awards for his work, including the Governor General’s Literary Award and Ruth Schwartz Children’s Book Award. More details about his books are available at his publisher’s website https://tradewindbooks.com/authors/paul-yee/. Born and raised in China and currently living in British Columbia, Shaoli Wang has taught art to children and adults for many years and has illustrated several of Paul Yee’s previous books, including Bamboo, the “Shu Li” series, and Chinese Fairy Tale Feasts. To learn more, visit https://tradewindbooks.com/genre/shaoli-wang/.