A long time ago, in one of the many hills and valleys in the beautiful mountains of China, there was a lively village of lovely people, all of whom knew each other by name and family.

And within this village, there lived Mulan, the eldest child of her father, who was greatly admired throughout the village 

Mulan was a very thoughtful and brave girl, and she and her father were incredibly close. She looked up to him and strived to be respected in the same ways her father was in their village.

However, Mulan’s homeland was under attack, and the fighting approached nearer and nearer to her village each passing day, and China’s army was in great need of soldiers to defend their home 

Because of this, China selected one man from each family to serve in the military. And due to a lack of sons, Mulan’s elderly father was drafted to fight and likely die in battle.

Mulan, being the clever and courageous girl she was, could not allow her father to fall to such an inevitable and horrid fate 

So she cut her hair, dressed in mens attire, purchased a horse, and enlisted in the army as replacement for her father under a made up name

Mulan was trained to be a soldier alongside hundreds of men with no suspicion of her identity 

She excelled amongst her ranks and quickly became on of the most competent and impressive soldiers in the military

Mulan fought with unparalleled pride and valor not only for her country, and not only for her father, but to prove her worth as a soldier and most importantly as a woman

After years of fighting, the Chinese suppressed their enemies, and the soldiers were finally permitted to return home. On the journey home, Mulan revealed her identity to her comrades, who were astounded to learn that Chinas steadiest soldier was a woman

Mulan returned to her village and her father not only as a war hero, but as an inspiration to all the girls of China as well

Author’s Note

The story of Mulan is a tale of sheer bravery, acceptance, and love. Mulan cared so deeply for her father that she laid her life on the line to prevent her father dying in battle. And not only that, she had to throw her identity away just to even be eligible to serve in the military. Mulan had to defy Chinese tradition and do something that had never been accomplished or even attempted in the country’s rich history. Her courage and unprecedented creativity not only saved her father, but it also saved China from inevitable invasion.

I chose to make this book for children around the ages of seven or eight so that they wouldn’t be “babied” by a diluted story. Even though the story is greatly summarized, it still contains every important value that Mulan exuded while emphasizing the cultural, political, and historical relevance of Mulan’s story.