Parents' Guide to

Sagwa's Storybook World

By Joly Herman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 4+

Delightful treat based on Amy Tan's kids' book.

Movie NR 2003 60 minutes
Sagwa's Storybook World Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 3+

Based on 2 parent reviews

stodda
stodda Parent of 2 and 4-year-old
April 9, 2011
age 2+

Fun for all ages

Our sons like to talk about life in China, life as a cat, and the cultural differences between the Imperial family in China, and our family's lifestyle. Only they didn't use those big words.

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
tikimark
tikimark Parent of 2-year-old
August 20, 2009
age 3+

Beware the ads!

There were ads for cereals in the middle of this. On a DVD?! Frosted Flakes type things, come on! It might have been great, but I saw that and stopped the DVD immediately.

This title has:

Too much consumerism
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Based on Amy Tan's children's story, SAGWA'S STORYBOOK WORLD features six episodes of the PBS Kids animated series about the titular kitten, who lives with an Imperial Chinese family in ancient China. Each story celebrates Chinese culture: mythological creatures like dragons are described, as are customs, meals and language. Along with Sagwa, the series features her colorful friends and family. Fu Fu, Sagwa's best friend, is a sweet but clumsy bat who wears glasses and forever bumps into walls. Sagwa's Yeh Yeh (her grandfather) walks deliberately and enjoys spinning a tale for his grandchildren. Sheegwa is Sagwa's baby sister who though innocent, is opinionated and sensitive. Cook is a human who somehow understands the language of cats, dropping bits of shrimp into bowls for them as he prepares the Magistrate's meal.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (1):

The story behind Amy Tan's children's book is an interesting one. According to pbskids.org, Ms. Tan indeed had beloved a cat named Sagwa, who was diagnosed with a severe illness. The news troubled Ms. Tan, who became very worried about the impending loss of her dear feline friend. One night, she had a vivid dream about Sagwa -- not as a cat who lives in a contemporary American city, but as a kitten among cats living in an Imperial Chinese family in ancient China. When she awoke, she jotted down the dream and was moved enough to mention it to her friend, illustrator Gretchen Schields. Thus the story of Sagwa the Chinese Siamese Cat was born -- and the real Sagwa was so happy with the story that she lived to a ripe old age.

Ms. Tan's passion for her subject is evident in the attention paid to detail and the care with which each character is shaped. Obviously, this series is crafted with love and attention to detail by a master storyteller. This DVD is sure to enrich any home viewing library.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the things they learned about ancient China from these six episodes. What customs did you learn about that are still practiced today?

Movie Details

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