East Baton Rouge Parish Library

Little monk and the mantis, a bug, a boy, and the birth of a kung fu legend : the story of the young Shaolin monk who created China's most famous martial art, John Fusco ; with art by Patrick Lugo

eng

illustrations

no index present

fiction

Little monk and the mantis

746836882

John Fusco ; with art by Patrick Lugo

a bug, a boy, and the birth of a kung fu legend : the story of the young Shaolin monk who created China's most famous martial art

In ancient China, a young monk at the Shaolin Temple develops a new style of self-defense after spending the summer alone in the Song Mountains and observing a small praying mantis battling a much larger beetle. Based on the seventeenth-century legend of Wong Long and the founding of praying mantis kung fu. A young boy, abandoned on the steps of the Shaolin Temple, is adopted by mysterious Kung Fu monks. Raised in a place where the powers of animals are studied and practiced, Wong Long tries to fit in and learn kung fu. Forever bested by the exotic animal styles of the other students, Wong Long runs away from the temple. That summer, he discovers and befriends a small praying mantis. Naming the mantis "Teacher," Wong Long is inspired to create an entirely new style of self-defense. When he returns to Shaolin Temple with his own unique style, the young monk is redeemed, history is made, and a kung fu legend will live on forever. Little Monk and the Mantis is the thrilling tale of one boy's search for self-expression, courage and the peaceful, non-violent teachings that are at the root of true martial arts

juvenile