By Gene Luen Yang (First Second – an imprint of Roaring Book Press)
ISBN: 1-59643-152-0
Hugely entertaining retelling of the stories of the Monkey King of Chinese classical fiction, flawlessly blended with a parallel storyline about Chinese Americans attempting to fit into American culture. The result of such attempts is of course always something new and different, but why does getting there always have to be such a titanic struggle?
Jin Jang spent his formative years in the cosmopolitan safe enclave of San Francisco’s Chinatown before his family moved to the woefully provincial suburbs. He is only the second ever Asiatic kid in his elementary school. His experiences growing in this environment form a counterpoint to bright, vibrant reinterpretations of Monkey’s greatest exploits. A third story strand features Danny, an all-American White boy who is perpetually embarrassed by the grotesque racial stereotype that is his cousin Chin-Kee (sound it out… get it?).
How these three elements seamlessly blend into a modern fantasy that pitilessly explores the experience of growing up foreign in your own country makes for a captivating reading experience that can be enjoyed by all ages, although you should be aware that racial issues are dealt with head-on and some images might appear offensive unless you’re actually paying attention.
The book was nominated a National Book Award finalist, won the Michael L. Printz Award 2006 and was the Amazon.com Best Graphic Novel/Comic of the Year as well as garnering a host of other prizes.
© 2006 Gene Yang. All Rights Reserved.