Hai Li Bu is a good hunter, but not even he can find enough food for his village when the drought comes. The people grow thin and weak, the children stop laughing, and they begin to argue and stop listening to each other.
While out hunting one day Hai Li Bu saves a small snake from the beak of a crane. He is surprised to learn that he has rescued the daughter of the Dragon King of the Sea. The Dragon King offers Hai Li Bu the reward of his choice. Hai Li Bu asks to know the language of animals, which will make him a better hunter. The wish is granted with one restriction: he must never reveal the secret of his gift.
The village is saved from famine, but when the animals warn of an impending flood, the villagers do not believe Hai Li Bu. How can he keep his secret?
Author, Mary Casanova first heard this story from a foreign exchange student. The illustrations by Caldecott winner Ed Young bring the story to life. The book won the Minnesota Book Award in 2001.
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