Book Review - 'Kai and the Monkey King' by Joe Todd-Stanton

'Kai and the Monkey King' - part of the 'Brownstone's Mythical Collection' picture book series for children. I have read 'Marcy and the Riddle of the Sphinx', and now this. And let me tell you: It is a wonderful, wonderous, mystical, adventurous, fantastic, fantabulous, and heartfelt journey.

This adventure book/lesson and teaching guide is about Chinese mythology, Buddhism and Taoism; specifically the legend of the Monkey King, or Sun Wukong, from 'Journey to the West'. But mostly, it is a story about a mother and daughter. It is about learning things like patience, focus, research and knowledge from your elders, and learning things like listening to the next generation.

The female-focus-and-generational aspect of 'Kai and the Monkey King' is laudable and beautiful. The ending to the story is especially, enchantingly, endearingly, glisteningly tearful.

There are, of course, globetrotting and mythological beings, and also a library, scrolls, dragons, a nimbus cloud, fireworks, and peaches.

And it doesn't sugarcoat how much of a giant, greedy, power-hungry, self-centred, egotistical, prideful, thoughtless, narcissistic idiot the Monkey King is, and how Kai, the restless, reckless, rebellious young girl protagonist, and her mum Wen, a sagely adventurer, reader and documenter, are the real heroes in this tale.

Beauteous, marvellous, dynamic, and even tense, with gorgeous illustrations. I highly recommend 'Kai and the Monkey King' to any child, and any child-at-heart. To anyone, everywhere.

Now I must travel forth, on a quest, onto one more, surprise 'Brownstone's Mythical Collection' adventure.

Final Score: 4/5

P.S. It's funny how, in my review of 'Marcy and the Riddle of the Sphinx', I described the main character there as like Hilda, when it seems that each book in the 'Brownstone's Mythical Collection' series contains bit cameos of tiny green elf-like creatures that resemble the elves in the 'Hilda' series. 'Kai and the Monkey King' could be described as like 'Hilda' set in ancient China, too.