The Great Voyages of Zheng He by Demi


The great voyages of Zheng He. (2012). Walnut Creek, CA: Shen's Books.

This YouTube Video explains the life of the Muslim merchant Zheng He:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPxUZOUUMLI

Published on Jun 9, 2012

"Zheng He from 1405 to 1433 made 7 voyages with over 1000 soldiers and crew to India and Africa. The great explorer. Their voyages were hidden from history and the records burned. The information of "Zheng He" and his voyages were discovered in 1930. The Chinese invented a magnetic compass giving them the ability to navigate in hostile environments."

According to Shen Books, Demi has written many biographies, folk tales, and stories: "Demi is the author and illustrator of more than one hundred children’s books, including biographies of Jesus, Buddha, and the Dalai Lama, as well as folktales such as The Empty Pot and Liang and the Magic Paintbrush. Her work has received many awards and accolades, among them the Christopher Award, which recognizes individuals whose work makes a positive difference in the world, and the Middle East Book Award. Her titles have been designated American Library Association Notable Children’s Books, New York Times Best Illustrated Books, Notable Books for a Global Society, and American Bookseller Pick of the List Books."

The work of Demi and other authors and illustrators working for Shen Books exposes children to multicultural literature and many world concepts. The illustrations include the one-dimensional style of miniature portraits and scenes.  The colors and details of these miniatures easily capture the imagination of children as they trace the life of Zheng He and travel the world in the book. 

Activities:

1. Divide students into three groups of advisers to the Chinese Emperor to debate the question "Should China end the treasure ship voyages?" One group should argue for ending the voyages.  The second group should argue for continuing them.  The third group should  be undecided.
2. Have students trace the routes of the seven voyages on a map of South Asia.
3. Ask students to keep a Captain's Log of the events recorded in the biography.
4. Have students research world treasures that they would like to see and make a list of places and sights.

Reflection Questions:

     1. What would it be like to grow up in a palace? 

     2. Why were the records of Zheng He's voyages burned?

     3.  How many ships were built to form Zheng He's fleet?

     4.  What are the job duties of an Admiral?

     5.  What other countries sent ships out to discover and take back treasures to their country?