Starry River of the Sky Kindle Edition

I read and absolutely loved "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon" and was very excited to pick up another book by Lin. This book was very similar to “Where the Mountain Meets the Moon” theme wise. I didn't like this book quite as much as that book, but it was still very good.This book follows a young boy named Rendi who has run away from home and is working as a chore boy in a small village. A mysterious lady arrives and, through stories, helps both the village and Rendi find their way.There is excellent storytelling in here and interesting folklore. I continue to really enjoy the way the book is put together with beautiful illustrations and full color plates throughout.I didn’t think this story was as engaging and fluid as “Where the Mountain Meets the Moon”. This book does weave a lot of stories within stories but they weren’t as adventurous..Overall I enjoyed this beautifully done Asian-themed folklore story. Although not as stunning as “Where the Mountain Meets the Moon” it still has a lot of the qualities that made me love that book. I recommend to those who enjoy folklore and fairy tales.

In my review of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, I asserted that it comes as close to high art in children's books as you can find. That is still my opinion. Starry River of the Sky is advertised as a companion book, but it is really a prequel to the earlier book. I didn't realize that this was the case until about a quarter of the way into the book when Rendi, an angry boy forced to be a “chore boy” at a small town inn, tells a story about Magistrate Tiger, who plays a prominent role in Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. The main plot centers on Rendi who has run away from home and has a secret past that he hopes none of the other people at the inn discover. It also the case that he is the only one who seems to notice that the moon is missing. At night he is tormented by a crying, wailing sound that keeps him awake. He is resentful and goes out of his way to be cruel to others, especially the inn keep’s daughter, Peiyi. As with Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, Lin interweaves a number of stories told by various characters which begin to merge with the main plot line. We learn, for example, that the inn is located in the Village of Clear Sky because the Mountain Spirit moved the Never Ending Mountain out of fear that Peiyi’s great grandfather would dig up and carry it away so that it would no longer block his view of the sky. As the plot progresses, we meet new characters and learn about various conflicts among the town’s residents. We also slowly learn about Rendi’s past and admit to the source of his anger. Eventually, the missing moon is found and Rendi puts his anger aside, with an ending that anticipates several objects and events in Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. Other reviewers have noted that this is a story about forgiveness. But for me, it is more than people saying “I’m sorry” or “I forgive you.” It is how forgiveness can come from resolving problems to the satisfaction of both parties who feel wronged and how the aid of others is vital to this process. Although I did not find Starry River of the Sky as moving or memorable as Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, it is an excellent, inspiring story, with great artwork. Another gem by Grace Lin. I recommend it without reservation.

There are some authors that the minute I know they have a new book coming out, I immediately pre-order it. Grace Lin is one of those authors. Not just because I love her gorgeous illustrations (I love those bright colors she always uses), which I do, but also because her stories always draw me in and make me want to be a part of her characters lives. So, when I heard about this book, I knew I would love it and I did.Rendi is an interesting character from page one. While he is not particularly likeable at first, one quickly realizes that the reason he is such a jerk is because he is desperately unhappy. But it isn't until the arrival of Madame Chang that we slowly start to find out why. I also enjoyed the way the other characters lives slowly blend together with Rendi's to create a story of stories and their importance in our lives. I especially liked it when Madame Chang tells Rendi that the reason she asked him to tell stories of his own was because she wanted to know him better and that when we tell stories we reveal something of ourselves.I loved the way the different threads of the story came together at the end. Rendi's story, Madame Chang's story, Peiyi's and her father's and brother's stories as well as that of the missing moon all come together at the end revealing the underlying theme of forgiveness. If you haven't yet read this book, I highly recommend that you do. It's definitely going on my favorites shelf.

My boys 8 and 12 both loved Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. So I bought the other two books Starry River and When the Sea Turned to Silver. They both were very good. Still Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is the best, but these other two books are not bad too. So if you enjoyed the first one, you should give these two a tried too.

'Where the Mountain Meets the Moon' is perhaps my favorite children's book of all time. So when I heard Grace Lin was writing a companion novel in the same style (folktales and artwork interspersed), I knew I had to get my hands on it immediately, and I hoped it would live up to 'Where the Mountain...' To be brief, yes, it did live up to my expectations. Once again Lin gives us interesting characters, many of whom are more than meets the eye. The folktales told by these characters throughout the book intertwine with the main plot line at the end of the story. The main difference between this and 'Where the Mountain...' is that the setting remains constant. It is not a physical journey for our protagonist, Rendi, but rather an emotional journey as he discovers what is important to him. Overall, really enjoyable and beautiful. I hope Lin creates another one!

My daughter is almost five and she asks me often to read from this book even if the pictures are black and white and there is more text than image.

I bought this for my 9 year old son after he read 'Where the mountain meets the moon'. This is his review.I really like this book because it makes you want to read on find out what is going to happen.There were little stories to which explained later on what was happening .I really liked this book because for another reason it was exiting and adventourous.

Beautifully written magical story. Both my daughters love this book, not will to lend to friends.. Love Grace Lin's work..

No es una segunda parte de "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon", pero si comparte alguno de los personajes con este y por tanto recomiendo leerlo antes de "Starry River of the Sky". En el primer libro Minli hacía un viaje y corría aventuras mientras los personajes con los que se iba encontrando le iban contando historias, al final todas esas historias acababan formando una sola. En este segundo libro sucede lo mismo pero la autora arriesga más: no hay viaje ni aventuras, el personaje principal (Rendi) permanece en un pueblo y los habitantes de este son los que le van contando esas historias, esto puede hacer que quien no haya leído la primera parte pudiese aburrirse. El final tiene varias sorpresas que tendrán sentido sólo para los que leyeron la primer parte, ya que descubrimos que algunos de los personajes que parecían nuevos ya estaban en el primer libro (si os fijais en When the Montain meets the Moon salían muchos personajes pero no nos decían su nombre).

We are reading a chapter from this book, in the evening with my almost 8 years old son. He already read the book to himself but he also, enjoys are bedtime ritual. We read the Mountain Meets the Sky one first and we are actually, reading chapters from the Silver*... one as well. Sorry, I forgot the title. But usually all books show the other 2 on the last page. So the whole "trilogy" is great.When The Sea Turned To Silver*I assume, kids my son's age, watch much more violence than he does. For him, Howl's Castle is the maximum. I am saying this because Magistrate Tiger, one of the key figures can be extremely cruel. He hasn't been very violent in this particular book yet.. we are at chapter 26 but I thought I would mention this.