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kristenremenar's review against another edition
3.0
Quieter and heavier than the typical picture book. This book is based on the actual Sparrow War in 1958 in China, when Chairman Mao declared that all people were to make noise for three days to kill off the sparrows who were eating too much wheat. Of course, when the sparrows died, the locust population exploded and did even more damage. In "Sparrow Girl", Ming-Li rescues some sparrows and hides them in the barn, ensuring that there will be sparrows in the future. The art is appropriately dark, but didn't grab me. The whole book just made me feel sad - and I get that that's the point, but even the kind of hopeful ending didn't lift the mood.
marpesea's review against another edition
3.0
This book reads like a fairy tale, but sheds light on a corner of Chinese history that is rather sad.
bet27's review against another edition
4.0
I'd never heard of the Four Pests Campaign in China (1958-1960), but this fictional tale highlights what happens when humans take action without considering the environmental consequences. I love that the hero is a little girl following her heart.
sean67's review against another edition
3.0
Quite an interesting little book, with a fascinating story and nicely illustrated. It doesn't always work, but it does for most of the time, and then it is a great little book.
csd17's review against another edition
3.0
Intriguing tale based on a real time in China's history. Chilling.
emkoshka's review against another edition
2.0
The sparrow massacre of China's Cultural Revolution basically epitomises the shortsightedness and sheer stupidity and cruelty of Chinese policymakers of the time (remember, these people also gave the world the One Child policy). In picture book form, the story is distressing and not for sensitive young children. And although it ended on a note of hope, it also made me feel very sad.
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