Education Insights • 2024 • Volume 2 • Issue 1 28 The girl shares that in her Amah’s eyes “I see Guanyin with the Monkey King sitting on a lotus, serene.” Guanyin is considered a goddess of mercy or compassion with features that demonstrate feminine beauty.1 This figure, who is white-robed in the illustration, is traditionally worshipped by women, making the presence in this female-only book about physical features significant. On the last page, the girl’s mom is even wearing white and seen holding her hand in the same position as Guanyin. While it could be merely a presentation of what the family believes, it is important to be cautious about what is embedded within the pages of a book for children. Scripture clearly states that God alone is to be worshipped (Exod. 20:3-6; Luke 4:8). This small addition swerves from that command. The other elements on that page and in the image are the lotus (representing the greatest level of spiritual enlightenment)2 and the Monkey King (an individual found in folklore who brought Buddhism to China).3 All of these elements combined create a challenging portrayal for a Christian reader to unpack when reading. Additionally, Ho presents the girl’s desire to be accepted for her eye shape throughout the book through the girl’s personal ability to overcome her world by her own Buddhist strength (“my eyes that kiss in the corners and glow like warm tea are a revolution”) and the collective strength of her family (“[my eyes] are Mama and Amah and Mei-Mei. They are me”). The Bible teaches that identity comes from God alone (Gen. 1:27). As his image-bearers, people must come to him for their beauty and assurance of who they are in the world. While this book presents a lovely picture of diversity in a simple way and stresses the importance of family, there are a few elements included that point to a strong Buddhist understanding. Readers must be prepared to identify these elements and critically analyze their presence in comparison to the truth of Scripture. While this book should not be avoided completely, it should be carefully used as a helpful picture of different beliefs and experiences. 1 Yuhang Li, Becoming Guanyin: Artistic Devotion of Buddhist Women in Late Imperial China (Columbia University Press, 2019), 11. 2 Allan Baillie, “The Lotus,” Tricycle: The Buddhist Review (Spring 1999), https://tricycle.org/magazine/the-lotus/. 3 Haiwang Yuan, “Monkey King,” Haiwang Yuan. Western Kentucky University, March 20, 2004, https://people.wku.edu/haiwang.yuan/China/tales/monkey.html.
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