Guji Guji

If you like Guji Guji, I STRONGLY recommend finding Chen's earlier works. He has a book called "XiangNian"(translated in English as "Longing" or "Missing") which is simply brilliant. A great story told entirely with pictures. Look for it, you won't regret it.

Credit little known but awfully influential Kane/Miller Book Publishers with what may well be called the nicest Taiwanese picture book discovery of the century. We're all familiar with that overused idea of how no-matter-how-different-we-look-from-one-another-we-can-all-be-friends. This thought has inspired some of the vilest treacle imaginable and has undoubtedly poisoned the tender little minds of our youth for years. This isn't to say that the message shouldn't be taught, though. It just needs to be taught well. Enter, "Guji Guji". The book looks at first like an overworn idea done to death yet again. Then you actually read it through. Rather than overworn, the book is raucously original. It's sweet and funny and even reading its name aloud to small children causes them to squeal with laughter. Few books can claim half so much. Our story begins with an egg. An egg in transit. As mother duck sits reading a book, she does not notice that a particularly large brown egg has rolled down the hill and into her nest. When the eggs hatch beneath her, she names each baby accordingly. The last and largest egg hatches and a baby crocodile emerges (hands triumphantly over his head) with a cry of "Guji Guji". And that becomes his name. Lest you think this is some slight adaptation of the "Ugly Duckling" story, you couldn't be further from the truth. Not only is Guji Guji accepted into society, but he's a whiz at everything. "Guji Guji always learned more quickly than the others. He was bigger and stronger too". Such bliss cannot remain entirely uninterrupted, however, and one day the little crocodile is confronted by big, mean, hungry, adult crocodiles. They attempt to convince Guji Guji to sacrifice his duck family to them since he is truly a bad crocodile at heart. Such arguments fall flat with the canny youngster, however, and by the tale's end he and his adopted family have defeated the crocodiles and for Guji Guji, "every day he became a stronger and happier 'crocoduck'". In an afterword placed on the book's back cover, author/illustrator Chih-Yuan Chen mentions that he was inspired to write this story after witnessing a friend of his who was Korean yet adopted into a non-Korean family in America. Says Chen, "The birth of every single child is a miracle, worthy of our respect". If "Guji Guji" is an ode to such thinking, then it is quite an effective ode indeed. The story (who's translator is left unknown and only the mysterious Hsin Yi Publications is credited) is a wonderful one. Just the same, it would have been easy enough to ignore had it not been accompanied by Chen's remarkable illustrations. These are light-hearted and fun pictures. Guji Guji, toy duck on a string forever in tow, is so good natured and adorable and you understand the ducks' acceptance of him completely. There are remarkable little details in this book as well. Ones that you might miss even on a second or third reading. These include the black

This is a story that is what I think is a modern version of the Ugly Duckling. This is a story about a Mama duck and her 4 children which includeds 3 that are ducklings and one who is a crocodile. You see, one day while Mama was sitting on her nest reading a book another egg rolled into her nest and Mama didn't even notice... it must have been a really good book and so the story begins and ends on a lovely note surrounded by is Mama and 3 sibling ducks. Author & illustrator Chih-Yuan Chen wrote: " This story was inspired by a friends of mine. My friend is American. but of Korean ancestry. He was adopted as a baby by a non-Korean family, and he sometimes felt a bit isolated and alone, growing up in a communnity where he was noticeably "different" looking. The same thing happens in Taiwan, too. It is my hope that the children from all over the work can learn to accept different people and things, and see the world with broader views and minds. The birth of every single child is a miracle, worthy of our respect!" Wow, not only is this a terrific book, but after reading the above on the back of the dust jacket, Chih-Yuan Chen now has a new admirer happily waiting for his next terrific books! This is just one of those book that everyone should have a well worn & beloved copy in their home!

Gugi Gugi is a wonderful story about acceptance and love in families. All kids of all ages could benefit from reading this tale! Truly written straight from the heart of an adult for kids. My 3-year-old son loves for us to read this story to him!

I first heard of this book when it was reviewed on NPR's Weekend Edition, by Daniel Pinkwater (himself a well-known children's book author). I completely trust his opinions. It was he, for example, that first let me know about the marvelous "Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type". He was so enthusiastic about this book that I purchased it immediately. Once again, he recommended a winner. Some children's books have great "shelf appeal"; they look cute, but they don't stand the test of time. By contrast, this one will be passed down by your kids to their kids! It has fantastic art that never gets old, and a charming story that, while it ends happily, has some genuine tension that preschool and early elementary kids (and adults) will love. It's a marvelous story of family values. I think this book would be extra-special for families with adopted children, step-children, or blended families of any kind. It reinforces the message that a family is about love, not genetics. But it isn't preachy or moralizing at all. Most highly recommended.