Asian Myth

Introducing an Asian mythology trilogy from the creator of the Captivating History series. This book includes three captivating books.

Mei and Yun Wu have always been different from the other kids in the village. They’ve learned not to talk about why. But now, as this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, the twelve-year-olds find that they are exactly like everyone else: bursting with excitement. That’s because word of their grandfather’s incredible mooncakes has reached the Emperor of China himself. And on festival night, the emperor’s son will arrive to sample Grandpa’s mooncakes and report back to His Majesty.

Why are identity cards important, even for gods? How can you tell a Deva from a Manava? How would you find a particular god in a crowd of gods? One day, when Krishna wanted to board an aeroplane, he was not allowed to! All because he did not have an identity card. Then his friends Garuda and Sesha took him to meet Lata-kumari in Guwahati, who told him the story of Anasuya and the Ashwini twins, and why Rishi Chavan made a rule that all gods should carry a dhvaja a flag with each god's very own symbol. Did Krishna get his identity card so he could ride the aeroplane finally?

This is the tale of an exciting journey along the Silk Road with a young Monk and his newfound guardian, Samir, a larger than life character and the so-called "Seller of Dreams". The man is a scammer; his biggest skill being the ability to talk his way into getting what he wants. While that talking did save Monkey's life, it has left a lot of people furious with Samir— furious enough to hire assassins. Monkey decides to try and save Samir from the attempts on his life—as a way to pay off his debt! If he can save Samir six times, he'll be a free man...but will they all survive that long?

Why was Indra an unhappy god? What are the many magical things Indra has in paradise? Will Indra ever find happiness? Little Harsha was sad, so a cloud flew him up to Indra's palace, just to show Harsha that the king of gods was sadder than him! There, with his new friends Indra and Airavata, the six-tusked white elephant, Harsha sees so many amazing things a wish-fulfilling tree, a pot of never- ending gold, and a potion that keeps him healthy. Then Indra thinks of a naughty plan to steal Vasishta's cow! When he catches Indra, a very angry Vasishta tells him the secret to being happy.

Twelve-year-old Winston Chu is supposed to learn impulse control at the cooking academy his mom enrolled him in. But learning to think before he acts won't happen overnight. While skateboarding home with a pie in hand, Winston inadvertently stops a robbery at Mr. Pang's Whimsies, an oddities shop in Chinatown. As a reward, Mr. Pang invites Winston to choose any item in the store. But the strange old man warns Winston to browse carefully, for the first thing Winston touches will be the thing he gets.

Stella and Luna know that their mama, Elsie, came from the Philippines when she was a child, but they don't know much else. So one night, they ask her to tell them her story. As they get ready for bed, their mama spins two tales: that of her youth as a strong-willed middle child and immigrant; and that of the young life of Mayari, the mythical daughter of a god. Both are tales of sisterhood and motherhood, and of the difficult experience of trying to fit into a new culture, and having to fight for a home and acceptance.

In this Korean folktale, a greedy merchant sells the shade from his tree to a passing traveler. What he doesn’t realize, however, is just how clever this traveler is! What happens when the merchant’s ploy backfires and the traveler decides to stay in the shade?

Hoping to avoid war, the Vietnamese king must build an extravagant gate to please the Chinese ambassador. The king’s advisor, Quynh, knows the gate will never please the ambassador, so he must come up with another plan. Will he be able to use the ambassador’s greed and pride against him to save his people?

Savitri, a beloved princess in India, is searching for a husband. While on a journey to meet the princes in the region, she meets Satyavan, a former prince. They soon marry, but Satyavan is cursed to die in one year. Instead of letting her husband go, Savitri challenges Yuma, the god of death. Will she be able to save her husband?

Ling Li loves to listen to the songbirds that live in part of the Great Wall near her village. After a soldier kills them, she travels to see the Jade Emperor with hope that he will bring them back to life. Can Ling Li meet the emperor’s challenge and save the birds’ song?

In this Japanese tale, two sets of fox parents arrange for their children to marry. Everything seems to go as planned, but there’s a problem—in order to secure the marriage, each set of parents lied to the other about their child’s beauty! What happens when their dishonesty comes to light? Will the fox-bride and her husband still love each other?

Have you ever noticed how fireflies look like stars that have fallen from the sky? According to this Indonesian tale, that’s how they came to be! A greedy man overeats the stars with the help of a coconut tree and learns a lesson when he fails to properly thank the friendly tree.

Kashima, a god in Edo, Japan, resides in his shrine to protect the people from Namazu, a catfish, from causing earthquakes that devastate the lives of the villagers. When Kashima helps one of the villagers, Namazu must decide whether to obey Kashima and stay put or swim and potentially endanger the lives of the villagers.

Tam and Cam are stepsisters who are supposed to work together, but Cam sees Tam as her rival and always leaves all the work for her to do. When a festival comes to town, will Tam succeed in catching the eye of the king? Follow along on this Cinderella-esque tale from Vietnam and find out!

A boy named Ty is sent on several impossible errands by his scheming stepmother and each time he is helped by a tortoise. Frustrated by his success, Ty’s stepmother sends him away. Ty decides to follow the river looking for work when he encounters the emperor making a sacrifice to the river god. Can Ty help the emperor?

Welcome to The Book of Japanese Folklore: a fascinating journey through Japan’s folklore through profiles of the legendary creatures and beings who continue to live on in pop culture today. From the sly kitsune to the orgrish oni and mischievous shape-shifting tanuki, learn all about the origins of these fantastical and mythical creatures. With information on their cultural significance, and how it’s been spun into today’s popular culture, this tome teaches you about the stories and histories of the beings that inspired characters in your favorite movies, animes, manga, and games.

It is time for the Chinese emperor to choose his successor. Instead of one of his lazy sons, he decides to choose someone who is not from the royal family and devises a special test. Who will be worthy to become the next emperor?

In this Chinese folk tale, an old widow’s son is killed by a tiger. After she demands justice from the magistrate, he grants it to her, but not quite in the way she expected. Will she be able to move past her grief and find a way to survive on her own?

Two brothers, Heung Bu and Nol Bu, lived as neighbors. One spring day when the brothers were out planting, Heung Bu finds a wounded swallow. He nurses it back to health and is rewarded with a single pumpkinseed. Heung Bu plants the seed and is rewarded for his kindness. Nol Bu, jealous of his brother’s good fortune, seeks out a wounded swallow of his own. Will he be rewarded like his brother?