Plum Rain Monster

Name: Plum Rain Monster
ISBN: 9787201110202

熊亮Tianjin People's Publishing House · ChinaMar 2022

4.0

Word count: 450 words
Chapters: 3
ISBN: 9787201110202

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Summary

Meiyu Monster says, "I never complain about things that can't be changed." Meiyu Monster was born in Rain Mountain on the outskirts of the city. In Rain Mountain it rains heavily day and night, and it has never stopped for a single second. And so Meiyu Monster lives in the rain every day. Except for the last day of the year...

Editor's review

Meiyu Monster builds a quiet yet powerful story out of an almost endless rainy day. Meiyu Monster lives in Rain Mountain on the outskirts of the city, where heavy rain falls day and night, yet it says, "I never complain about things that can't be changed." This line is both the character's nature and the emotional anchor of the whole book. Xiong Liang's text is restrained, and the illustrations keep humor and poetry within a damp, gray-toned palette, making a seemingly gloomy premise readable and moving. For children, it is a picture book about acceptance and everyday patience; for adults, it reads more like a short fable, a reminder of how to settle oneself in circumstances that cannot be changed. It suits a rainy day or a low mood, and is also good for parent-child reading followed by a talk about "what can't be changed, and what can still be done."

Who it's for

A good fit for

Children aged 4 to 9, especially readers beginning to be sensitive to emotions and circumstances
Parents who want to discuss acceptance, patience, and complaining with their children
Picture book readers who enjoy quiet atmospheres and poetic illustrations
Adult readers seeking a sense of ease under pressure or dissatisfaction

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting strong plot and fast-paced adventure
Parents who need clear moral lessons or behavioral guidance
Young children sensitive to rainy atmospheres and gray-toned images

Reading tips

Choose a rainy day or a quiet time to read, and afterward ask the child what Meiyu Monster does every day.
During parent-child reading, pause at "I never complain" and ask the child what they would do when facing something that can't be changed.
On a second reading, pay attention to the rain, the mountain, and everyday objects in the pictures, and observe how emotions are drawn.
Adult readers can treat it as a short fable: read it once through, then return to the beginning to feel the shift in tone.

About the publisher

Tianjin People's Publishing House China · Founded in 1950

Tianjin People's Publishing House publishes across such fields as classic works, foreign literature, architecture, social culture and social sciences, with 749 relevant titles in the collection. In the areas of classics and scholarship, works such as Wang Guowei's Renjian Cihua and Fei Xiaotong's From the Soil and Fertility and Reproduction reflect a sustained attention to social culture and classic texts of thought. Architectural books are represented by Liang Sicheng's Annotated Yingzao Fashi and A History of Chinese Architecture, showing an emphasis on architectural heritage and building traditions. In foreign literature, translations of Sholokhov's And Quiet Flows the Don and Tolstoy's War and Peace and The Death of Ivan Ilyich, through the work of translators such as Li Gang and Yu Dawei, form a substantial series of translated works. Overall, the press combines classic texts, scholarly works and fine translations, with a publishing character oriented toward humanistic depth and the dissemination of knowledge.

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FAQ

Is this book about the lesson of "don't complain"?

The book does include Meiyu Monster's expression of not complaining, but it does not turn this into stiff moralizing. The story focuses more on presenting a way of living and an attitude: how a person keeps going when facing things that can't be changed. Readers may take away acceptance, or something else entirely.

Will children feel it is too depressing after reading?

The overall atmosphere is quiet and damp, but the pictures retain humor and poetry; it is not a heavy or sad story. Most children will accept it as a strange rainy-day world. If a child is sensitive to gray-toned images, parents can read along first and observe their reaction.

Is it suitable for bedtime reading?

It can be, depending on the child's state. The pacing is slow and the mood is steady, which suits quiet times; if a child tends to associate rainy atmospheres with loneliness, it is better to read together during the day and talk more.

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About the author

熊亮 Author

Xiong Liang is an author active in the field of Chinese picture books and illustrated books. Public information about him is limited: his nationality, dates of birth and death, and educational background are not clearly recorded. Five of his works are included in the collection—Zaowang Ye (The Kitchen God), Xiong Liang's Chinese Picture Books, Changbanpo, Jingang Shi (Master Jingang), and Meiyu Guai (The Plum Rain Monster)—and they are commonly classified under social sciences. Judging from their subject matter, he often draws on traditional Chinese folk customs, popular beliefs, and classical stories, such as the worship of the Kitchen God and the Changbanpo episode from the Three Kingdoms, retelling them through visual narrative with both traditional flavor and personal imagination, while works such as Jingang Shi and Meiyu Guai show a stronger fantastical vein. Overall, his creations use the picture book as a medium to bridge traditional culture and children's reading, emphasizing the interplay of text and image and visual storytelling, and are representative of explorations of indigenous themes in original Chinese picture books.