Five Chinese brothers (who look exactly alike) manage to fool the executioner by using the extraordinary abilities of each.  The Five Chinese Brothers by Claire Huchet Bishop (1938) has a tall tale quality blended with wonderful pattern.  And without being didactic, it has volumes to say about guilt and responsibility. 

To counteract the potentially stereotypical illustrations by Kurt Wiese, I use the first illustration of the brothers to point out that this is a story set a long time ago.  I explain that, just as we ladies in America no longer wear long dresses and bonnets, Chinese men no longer wear robes and pigtails.  (My intention is not to discuss stereotypes with the students, just to avoid them!) 

Students easily accept the fantastic abilities of the five brothers.  With second and third graders I compared them to The Fantastic Four.  There is some vocabulary that should be discussed in context while reading this book aloud:

• indefinitely
• promptly
• smother
• innocent

With the younger students I supply the definitions; with the older students I use questioning to help them discover a definition.  A good technique is to use the word in another sentence, such as, “babies shouldn’t sleep with a pillow because it could cover their face and mouth and, unable to turn over alone, they would smother.”

When we finish the book I ask the students whether the first Chinese brother truly was guilty of the little boy’s death.  “Was it his fault the little boy drowned?” I ask them.  Not all students automatically view the boy’s death as his own fault, so we discuss it. 

• Was the boy clearly told what to do? (Yes, not once but twice!)
• Did the boy understand?  (Twice he said, ‘yes, yes’)
• How many times was the boy told to come back?  (Three – which he deliberately ignored and then flaunted.)
• How hard did the Chinese brother try to hold back the sea? 
• Was there anything else the Chinese brother could have done?

This book allows great discussion about blaming others rather than taking responsibility for our own choices. (This is a growing problem throughout our society, I believe.)  It is rare that I follow a book with such a serious discussion, but with increasing emphasis on social and emotional learning and making wise choices this makes a perfect opportunity.  

However, I’m certain this book was not one of my childhood favorites because of lessons in accountibility.  The appeal is in the clever way the brothers use their abilities, working together to set the innocent first brother free.    Justice is served and that IS a happy ending!