Tags
Summary
A childhood rich in culture is a gift that lasts a lifetime. Read the "Palace Cat" picture-book series, and a three-year-old becomes a little culture expert in no time. In The Night Travels of the Palace Cat (10 volumes), the full lineup of the Hall of Supreme Harmony roof beasts takes the stage, perfectly blending coming-of-age stories with history and culture, turning the great Forbidden City into a small picture book. Written by Chang Yi, winner of the Bing Xin Children's Literature Award, and heartily recommended by experts and celebrities from many fields including Huang Bo, Lin Junjie, Vincent Fang, Zhu Yongxin, Wang Zhigeng and Li Yiman, The Night Travels of the Palace Cat has been reported and recommended by authoritative mainstream media such as Xinhua, China Daily and China Youth Daily. This is a Forbidden City picture-book series created especially to give Chinese children a cultural childhood. The stories are attuned to children's psychology, grounded in classical sources and carefully crafted, with easy-to-grasp little lessons in literature and history, letting children build cultural knowledge imperceptibly through the stories; the books come with a 24-page knowledge booklet detailing the legends of the roof beasts, Forbidden City culture and traditional lore, guiding children to meet 10 roof beasts, step into more than 20 ancient books, discover 15 Forbidden City objects, tour 25 real Forbidden City scenes and learn over 50 historical allusions. As hundreds of exquisite hand-drawn illustrations unfold, readers roam among the Forbidden City's every plant and tree, the beauty of its architecture and the beauty of its culture in imaginative stories, gaining such fine inspirations as love and imagination, kindness and justice, responsibility and faith. Volume introductions: 1. The Dragon's Toy: I am Fat Orange, the palace cat, master of the Forbidden City. Mama says there are divine beasts in the Forbidden City who appear at night when the stars blink, and that they can do very powerful magic. But I don't believe it—they look cold and hard—until one night I meet the dragon... The dragon truly lives up to being the most capable monster in the Forbidden City; no magician can compare with a dragon. 2. The Secret of the Phoenix's Song: I am Fat Orange, the palace cat, master of the Forbidden City. Every day I only need to do three things: eat, stare into space and sleep—but lately I have something on my mind. One dusk, when I was especially unhappy, I met the phoenix in the Garden of the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility. You know what? The phoenix's song is so lovely, and I had such a beautiful dream that my whole cat self became happy. 3. The Bronze Lion's Hairdresser: I am Fat Orange, the palace cat, master of the Forbidden City. I have never been a picky eater, and I like trying new foods. But who would have thought eating could get me into trouble? Because I was greedy, I accidentally got chewing gum stuck to my head, and I had to ask Cracking, the mouse with the best hairdressing skills in the Forbidden City, for help. When I finally found Cracking after much trouble, he was doing up the lions of the Forbidden City—45 buns per lion. Looking at the long line, I queued all night. I will never eat carelessly again. 4. The Seahorse's Stone Steps: I am Fat Orange, the palace cat, master of the Forbidden City. I fear nothing—not heaven, not earth, not even people—but I am afraid of water. As spring was ending, I finally made up my mind to lose weight. Being too fat, I could only do simple exercise, like circling the Hall of Central Harmony—but an annoying owl kept watching. So I decided to jump the imperial stone steps, and when I leaped onto the third step, I fell into water that came from who knows where. Luckily the monster Seahorse saved me. I'll exercise tomorrow. 5. The War-God Pegasus: I am Fat Orange, the palace cat, master of the Forbidden City. By day the Forbidden City is a palace, but at night it is a place for great adventures. That day I was dozing in the Shrine of the Four Gods when a weasel set its eyes on me. I did not fatten myself up to be food for a weasel. But though I tried my utmost, I could not escape—luckily the monster Pegasus came down from the sky and saved me. With the war-god Pegasus here, the Forbidden City is the safest place. 6. The Yayu Family: I am Fat Orange, the palace cat, master of the Forbidden City. Among us cats there has always been a rule: whether it's canned meat or fish bones, whoever sees it first owns it. I hid the live fish and fresh shrimp I got, but who should I run into but a "thief"—my fish and shrimp were gone. This "thief" was the leader of the aquatic clan, the monster Yayu, and to make it up to me he took me to a feast. I am just such an easily satisfied cat! 7. Suanni Builds a Maze: I am Fat Orange, the palace cat, master of the Forbidden City. Rather than the lively Imperial Garden, I prefer the quiet Garden of the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility, and every day after dinner I take a stroll there. Today I met the monster Suanni here. Where is he going? I followed him all the way and before I knew it stepped into a maze. The maze was so beautiful, with fish growing on the trees. Just as I was enjoying myself, I suddenly fell from the tree, and the moment I hit the ground, the maze vanished! 8. Xiezhi's Hat: I am Fat Orange, the palace cat, master of the Forbidden City. When we were all little kittens, Mama would always scare us with the monster Xiezhi! I had never seen Xiezhi and was so curious. One day, the palace cat Big Yellow told me he had not only seen Xiezhi but that Xiezhi had given him a hat. Now Big Yellow passed the hat on to me. Wait—why won't the hat come off?! 9. Douniu's Trouble: I am Fat Orange, the palace cat, master of the Forbidden City. I love looking up at the sky and watching the clouds. Their various shapes remind me of delicious food. One day I found clouds that really looked like ice-cream cones floating in the sky! When I went closer, it turned out to be the divine beast Douniu hiccuping. Whenever it rains, Douniu can't stop hiccuping, and it troubles him greatly. Clever me came up with a great idea for Douniu and helped him stop hiccuping. 10. Hangshi's Joke: I am Fat Orange, the palace cat, master of the Forbidden City. Because I eat a lot, I am bigger than ordinary palace cats, so they all listen to me. But today someone actually broke into my territory and is snoring away here! I went closer and saw it was the monster Hangshi. Hangshi is so mischievous—he played a joke on me that scared me running in all directions. I got angry, and to apologize Hangshi used his ritual object to conjure a gift for me. We made up, and so I, Fat Orange the palace cat, have one more monster friend.
Editor's review
This is an original picture-book series that blends the roof-beast culture of the Forbidden City with coming-of-age stories for children, an ideal first stop for kids encountering traditional culture. Its most striking feature is "visible culture": the full lineup of Hall of Supreme Harmony roof beasts appears one by one, the stories follow children's psychology, and ancient books, allusions, real scenes and Forbidden City objects are woven naturally into the plots, letting children build cultural knowledge while chasing the story. The accompanying knowledge booklet organizes the legends of the roof beasts, Forbidden City architecture and little lessons in literature and history separately, making it easy to pause and explain during parent-child reading. The hand-drawn art is full of imagination, combining fun with high knowledge density; it suits bedtime stories, holiday parent-child reading or culture-themed introductory classes. For families who want their children to read happily and learn about the Forbidden City and traditional culture along the way, it is a worry-free and rewarding choice.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Parents of children aged 3 to 8, for parent-child reading and bedtime stories
- Parents hoping their children will encounter the Forbidden City and traditional culture in an easy way
- Kindergarten or lower-grade teachers looking for culture-themed picture-book materials
- Preschool readers who love stories about divine beasts and animal protagonists
Not a good fit for
- Adult readers seeking systematic history textbooks or in-depth architectural explanations
- Very young children with limited literacy who are unwilling to read with a parent
- Readers with low tolerance for knowledge picture books built mainly on fiction
Reading tips
- Read the stories in volume order first, then turn to the corresponding chapters of the knowledge booklet to avoid overloading on facts at once
- During parent-child reading, pick one or two historical allusions per volume to discuss rather than explaining every item
- After reading, compare with real photos or maps of the Forbidden City to help children place the story scenes in real space
- For younger children, let them retell the story from the pictures first, then have parents add the cultural and historical tidbits
About the publisher
Dunhuang Literature and Art Publishing House
China · Founded in 1958
Dunhuang Literature and Art Publishing House is a professional literary and art publisher. It focuses on modern and contemporary literature and art books as well as Dunhuang-related art books, while also covering fine classical literature and art, foreign literature and art, and cultural anthropology. Judging from the 297 titles in the database, its publishing areas include modern poetry, mystery and detective fiction, world history, inspirational growth, classic works, and popular science. Representative titles include Wang Guowei's Renjian Cihua, Arthur Conan Doyle's The Complete Sherlock Holmes (4 volumes), Athens: 3000 Years of European Civilization in One City, and Yataro Matsuura's Partners in Creating Life and other inspirational growth books. Its authors include Chinese and foreign writers such as Wang Guowei, Arthur Conan Doyle, Yataro Matsuura, and Jacques Bersani, along with several active writers in inspirational and popular science fields. Because public information is limited, this introduction focuses on the publishing characteristics reflected in the database's titles and does not elaborate on other aspects.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
FAQ
What age is this series suitable for?
Judging by the content and art, parent-child reading can begin around age 3, and children aged 5 to 8 can try reading on their own. The stories follow children's psychology, but the cultural and historical parts need some parental explanation; younger children are better off looking at pictures and listening to stories.
Should the knowledge booklet and the picture books be read separately?
No need. It is best to read a volume's story first, then turn to the corresponding content in the knowledge booklet as an extension; with the plot as groundwork, children will more easily understand the roof beasts, ancient books and Forbidden City scenes, and are less likely to be overwhelmed by too much at once.
Are the stories fictional or about real history?
The main body is fictional coming-of-age stories built around Fat Orange the palace cat and the Forbidden City roof beasts, but the writing is carefully crafted and grounded in classical sources, weaving in ancient books, allusions and real Forbidden City scenes and other cultural and historical knowledge—a picture-book series that blends story with history and culture.
Comments
Find this book
This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.
About the author
李明华
Author
Publicly available information about Li Minghua is limited, and basic details such as nationality, dates of birth and death, and English name cannot currently be confirmed. Judging from the five works held in the collection, Li's writing interests span several fields, including industrial technology, medicine, popular science, inspirational personal growth, and health. Representative works include Scientific Outlook and Methodology of Chief Commanders of Aerospace Models, First Responder: A Basic On-site First Aid Implementation Course, A Guide to Planning Campus Cultural and Arts Activities, A Guide to Campus Game Activities, and Night. These works range from professional discussions on aerospace engineering management to practical handbooks that popularize on-site first aid knowledge and guide campus cultural and game activities, combining theoretical discussion with operational guidance. Overall, Li Minghua's writing leans toward knowledge dissemination and practical instruction, addressing professional practitioners, educators, and general readers, and reflects an interdisciplinary outlook and a pragmatic orientation toward serving readers.
