Think different

Ippo Keido (retelling) and Kazuko G. Stone (illustrations)
The Butterfly's Dream
Tuttle, 2003

Ippo Keido uses the story of Chuang-tzu's (Zhuangzi 莊子) dream to enfold a series of other stories about vision. We see by turns the vast viewpoint of the giant fish-bird and the circumscribed world of the frog sitting in the depths of the well. Although I've heard it many times, I can't help but laugh at the tale of the monkey trainer, who satisfies his simian charges by reversing the daily regimen of 3 chestnuts in the morning and 4 chestnuts in the evening. Keido rounds out the stories with the "wooden" rooster whose power is hidden behind stealthy discipline; the useless tree, which thrives because it is too crooked, too heavy, and too hard for commercial use; and Hui-tzu's giant gourds, which outgrow conventional purposes. The lesson is to think differently. Kazuko Stone's illustrations are occasionally awkward, as when an emperor hovers at odd corners near the rooster-training exercises or when the so-called useless tree looks not at all crooked. But, the color and charm will be engaging for readers young and old, just as these Daoist tales continue to offer relevant, trenchant lessons.