The Magic Horse of Han Gan

The Magic Horse of Han Gan is a children's historical fiction book written by Chen Jiang Hong who is a famous Chinese author and illustrator.  Throughout the story of The Magic Horse of Han Gan, the author tells the story of Han who was a famous painter but only liked to paint pictures of horses.  His paintings were extremely vivid and his horses that he painted were always tied up to prevent them from coming to life as Hans proclaimed.  However, the story tells the tale about the day that one of his horses was brought to life and went out to fight in battle until many years later the horse was gone and magically returned in one of Hans' paintings.  This story introduces children to the idea of cultures and traditions within the Chinese community.  At the end of the story there is a note for readers to read that describes the horse as an old Chinese legend that was believed by Han Gan himself.  Although it is up to reader interpretation to decide whether they believe the story is true or not, the story serves as way for the reader to understand a culture other than their own.