Minh and the Magic Grains of Rice

PreS-Gr 3–In Vietnam, rice is such an important staple that folkloric stories have emerged documenting the beloved grain they grow and eat. Songs have been written to celebrate rice and are even used as lullabies. In this story, Minh is a young boy who is sick to death of eating rice, and he finally refuses it. When he knocks a bowl of rice from his father’s hands, he is made to clean it up. It is there that he encounters some of the grains of rice walking away from him. He follows them and learns all the work that goes into making the rice. The grains of rice tell him the history of rice in Vietnam and help him learn about its place in the food chain and the varied ways they are grown. This narrative move to the fantastical is not smooth or convincing storytelling for the five-and-under set, but children in primary grades will view these events with interest and curiosity. The addendum provides information that will help children understand all that goes into the propagation of this crop and the extent of the folklore based upon it.