Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
Ages: 7-12
- ★★★★★
- ★★★★☆
- ★★★★★
- ★★★★☆
- Courage
- Generosity
- Complaining
- Consumerism
Values
Struggles
Why Should My Child Read This Book?
In a world driven by consumerism and materialism, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon helps children understand what it means to live with contentment and cultivate a sound heart. During a quest to change her family’s fortune, a young girl discovers the change that will bring happiness is not related to their financial circumstances but her own heart. She ultimately realizes that she and her family already possess what matters most—each other.
Unlike much of modern children’s literature, in this story parents play a central role: the father’s stories and quiet contentment anchor the family through hardship, while the mother undergoes a profound transformation from dissatisfaction to contentment.
Although Chinese mythology and folklore provide the framework for the story, its moral lessons are universal, inviting young readers to reconsider what it truly means to live a rich and meaningful life, earning this book our Gold Star. We highly recommend it as a read aloud.
How Can I Use This Book?
- Characters journey to the Never-Ending Mountain to find the Old Man of the Moon so he can change their fortune. As Muslims, we believe in Allah’s ﷻ qadr (divine decree). Allah ﷻ teaches us in the Quran that everything has been written and that nothing happens except by His will, according to His perfect knowledge and wisdom. The Prophet ﷺ said, “What has come to you could not miss you and that what has missed you could not come to you” (Al-Albani). This does not mean we do nothing. We make good choices, take action, and ask Allah ﷻ for help through dua. Dua is itself part of Allah’s ﷻ decree, and Allah ﷻ alone has the power to answer it, protect us, and change our circumstances in the way He knows is best.
- The goldfish man’s grandmother was a famous fortune-teller. We know only Allah ﷻ knows the unseen. We should not seek guidance or knowledge of the unseen from anyone else, such as fortune tellers or palm readers. Instead, we turn to Allah ﷻ in dua, asking Him to fulfill our needs, and place our trust (tawakkul) in Him, knowing that His plan is always best. (end of ch. 12)
- Why did Minli feel uneasy as she prepared to leave for her journey? Was leaving without her parents knowledge and permission the right thing to do? Every action has three parts: WHAT we do, WHY we do it, and HOW we do it. WHAT does Minli do? She leaves home on a quest to change her family’s fortune. WHY does she do it? She wants to change the fortune of her family. This is thoughtful and noble. HOW does she do it? She leaves home without the knowledge and permission of her parents. That is wrong. For an action to be right all three components (WHAT, WHY, and HOW) must be right. (end of ch. 5) With this framing, discuss the actions of A-Fu and Da-Fu as they left to take care of the Green Tiger without the knowledge or permission of their elders. (ch. 32)
- Discuss the following: “You only lose what you cling to.” (pp. 141–142). What does this mean? When we hold on too tightly to worldly things, they can begin to control our hearts. The more we cling to something, the harder it is to let go.
- Greed is a disease of the heart. It is an excessive desire for more, born from a heart that is not content with what one has. The monkeys’ greed consumes them, leaving them in a constant state of insatiable, indiscriminate hunger for more. Ultimately, their greed clouds their judgment and completely ensnares them.
- In contrast, the king realizes that the preserved page from the Book of Fortunes is not a treasure, but a reminder of his ancestor’s greed and wrongdoing. Even though it is considered a treasure which has been in his family for many generations, he chooses to let it go. His actions teach us that true treasure is not found in possessions, but in having a heart that is content and free from greed.
- Anger is a natural emotion that can be used to motivate us to stand up for truth or help the oppressed but when we allow it to control us, it becomes a disease of the heart. What harm can come from being angry? Discuss the natural consequences of anger.
- Why does the Green Tiger jump into the well? What does his anger prevent him from seeing? The Green Tiger’s rage clouds his judgment, blinding him to the fact that the reflection in the well is only himself. Consumed by his anger, he leaps into the well, leading to his own demise. We later learn that the Green Tiger was once the spirit of the magistrate, who had spent much of his life consumed by rage.
- Discuss the following hadith: The Prophet ﷺ said “The strong is not the one who overcomes the people by his strength, but the strong is the one who controls himself while in anger” (Bukhari)
- Discuss the virtue of selflessness. What does it mean to put someone else’s needs before your own? Despite having very little, each villager joyfully gives a piece of their own clothing to make a warm jacket for Minli’s journey (p. 208). What made it possible for the villagers to give so freely even though they had so little? Why was each person’s small sacrifice important? The villagers teach us that generosity is not measured by how much we have, but by the condition of our hearts.
- Discuss the following hadith: the Prophet ﷺ said, “None of you believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” (Tirmidhi). How does this hadith help us understand the villagers’ actions?
- What does it mean to be content? What is discontent? What can happen to a heart diseased with discontent? Discuss the actions of the Magistrate Tiger. What causes the Magistrate Tiger to act as he does? He suffers from a diseased heart, a heart riddled with discontent. His discontent gives rise to other diseases of the heart—greed, anger, cruelty, corruption, and even the willingness to murder. His discontent ultimately leads to his downfall.
- Discuss the story of Wu Kang (pp. 239–243). What were the consequences of his discontent? Is it possible to change? Which characters changed? At the very moment Minli could have asked the Old Man of the Moon to change her family’s fortune, she remembered the beauty of the people she had met on her journey—the buffalo boy, the king, and young Da-A-Fu, who cheerfully asked, “Why would we want to change our fortune?” Despite having very little, each of them was content. What did Minli finally realize? Did her circumstances change, or did her heart change?
- Why didn’t she use her one question to change her family’s fortune? What had changed in her heart?
- What about Minli’s mother? What had changed in her heart? Her heart had been filled with discontent and envy, leaving her bitter, resentful, harsh, and blind to the blessings she had all along. Her discontent even affected Minli. Although Minli set out to change her family’s fortune, it was her heart that changed. As Minli journeyed to the Never-Ending Mountain and her mother journeyed in search of Minli, the hearts of both mother and daughter were transformed, allowing them to finally see the blessings they had all along.
- Was Minli’s family poor? Were they poor in every way? What made Minli’s father different from Minli’s mother? They lived in the same home, worked the same land, and faced the same hardships, yet each saw their circumstances very differently. How can two people live the exact same life yet have two completely different hearts? Her father was able to share stories, filling their home with wonder and imagination, joy and hope.
- Discuss the following hadith: The Prophet ﷺ said, “How wonderful is the case of a believer; there is good for him in everything and this applies only to a believer. If prosperity attends him, he expresses gratitude to Allah and that is good for him; and if adversity befalls him, he endures it patiently and that is better for him.” (Muslim). Throughout this story, we see that the condition of a person’s heart shapes the way he or she acts. The great scholar, Imam al-Ghazali, may Allah ﷻ have mercy on him, teaches us that we have two hearts—a physical heart that pumps blood and a spiritual heart that shapes our character. Although we cannot see our spiritual heart, we see its effects through our words, actions, and choices. A heart filled with discontent becomes envious, greedy, and angry, producing harmful words, actions, and character. A heart filled with contentment gives rise to patience, generosity, and selflessness, producing beautiful character. Just like we exercise to strengthen and maintain the health of our physical heart, we must also care for our spiritual heart. How do we strengthen our spiritual heart?
- Chinese mythology and folklore is woven throughout the many stories embedded within the novel. What is mythology? What is folklore? Why do people tell stories? Stories can entertain us, preserve a culture, and, more importantly, impart wisdom.
- The Quran tells us “We relate to you ˹O Prophet˺ the best of stories through Our revelation of this Quran” (12:3). Allah ﷻ reveals the stories of those who came before us—not as myths or legends, but as true accounts filled with guidance and wisdom. At the end of the same surah, He reminds us of their purpose: “There is a lesson in the stories of such people for those who understand.” (12:111). Throughout this novel, stories have the power to shape the hearts of those who hear them. As Muslims, Allah ﷻ, in His infinite mercy, has given us an even greater gift: the stories of the Quran. Revealed by Allah ﷻ Himself, they are true accounts filled with timeless guidance, wisdom, and lessons for every generation. By reflecting upon them, we come to know Allah ﷻ, grow in understanding, and strive to develop hearts that are sound.
What’s This Book About?
In the valley of Fruitless mountain, a young girl named Minli lives in a ramshackle hut with her parents. In the evenings, her father regales her with old folktales of the Jade Dragon and the Old Man on the Moon, who knows the answers to all of life’s questions. Inspired by these stories, Minli sets off on an extraordinary journey to find the Old Man on the Moon to ask him how she can change her family’s fortune. She encounters an assorted cast of characters and magical creatures along the way, including a dragon who accompanies her on her quest for the ultimate answer.
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Anything I need to be aware of?
VIEW FLAGSGenres: Fantasy, General Fiction
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
*This review applies only to ISBN number noted above.
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