A collection of traditional stories from one of the world's oldest civilizations. Simple, often humorous, and always wise, these tales will delight readers of all ages, making Harmony a book to cherish.
For over two thousand years, the Chinese have used brief sayings known as chengyu to sum up practical wisdom and ethical principles. Most chengyu are associated with a story that illustrates their meaning, and these stories have been passed down by word of mouth over the centuries.
Gathered in this volume are twenty-four of the most popular chengyu and the stories based on them, each beautifully illustrated by one of China's foremost artists, Ji Ruoxiao. For readers curious about the cultural context of the tales, the book includes a brief overview of Chinese religious traditions as well as background notes on each story, a map, and chronology.
About the Author: Sarah Conover has written six books on world wisdom traditions and the spiritual education of families. Her interests lie in building bridges of understanding between people of differing world cultures and wisdom traditions. As a former high-school teacher, she strived to bring multicultural perspectives to her students by collaborating with other educators worldwide. She was the recipient of two U.S. State Department grants that brought U.S. teachers to the Middle East to initiate classroom collaborations between students in the two regions. Sarah lives in Spokane, Washington, where she teaches creative writing and Buddhist meditation.
Chen Hui majored in English literature and education at Hunan Normal University, in Chansha. She subsequently earned an MA in education from Harding University, in Searcy, Arkansas, and taught Chinese at St. George's School, in Spokane, before her recent move back to China.
Ji Ruoxiao is a professor of art at Sichuan Normal University, in Chengdu. She studied at Beijing's Central Institute of Fine Arts, and her paintings hang in the Chinese Art Museum, also in Beijing. The recipient of many honors, she was one of two Chinese artists whose work was chosen for the art exhibition at the Fourth United Nations World Conference of Women. She lives in Seattle and returns to Sichuan each year to teach.
