Age Range: 4 and up

The latest installment in Li Jian’s beloved Ming series, Ming’s Adventure in the Mogao Caves opens as a sandstorm blows over the Gobi Desert. Xiao Ming and his parents are on their way to the Mogao Caves when they become separated in the chaos. Huddling in the sand with another group of stranded travelers, Ming sees a light flashing through the thick dust. The light moves closer, until finally Ming sees it is a deer with nine shades of color in his fur. Soon, he notices that there are many lights, each one leading one of the lost travelers. Ming and the others follow the lights toward distant cliffs lined with hundreds of caves. Inside, he finds beautiful murals, colorfully painted with various themes. He also notices blank spaces shaped like animals, including one identical to the nine-colored deer that saved him. As Ming learns his savior’s story and the cave’s millenia-old history, he sees two people enter the cave: his parents. A former middle school art teacher, Jian turned his talents toward writing and illustrating children’s books. Containing text in both English and Chinese, his latest work will bewitch readers of every age.