Su Dongpo: Chinese Genius [Hardcover]

Demi (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7–Starting with the endpapers, Demi's style is instantly recognizable, with richly detailed illustrations and a profound subject that recalls her biographies of other spiritual figures. For many, this will be an introduction to Su Dongpo, also known as Su Shih, renowned as China's greatest genius. The 11th-century scholar and statesman's accomplishments read like a laundry list of humanism. His poetry is incorporated into the story, leaving readers with thoughtful images and metaphors to consider. In a poem he composed as a boy, Su Dongpo writes, To what can human life be likened?/Perhaps to a wild goose's footprint on snow…. Using a now-characteristic technique, Demi adds gold-leaf borders and details to boxed illustrations, but her images frequently extend over and beyond them. Red, like the gold, works as a spot color that adds a striking focus to the more subdued scenes. The text is spare, depicting the man's life through specific events. There are no such conventions as a time line, but the story leaves readers with the sense of an extraordinary man and enough detail to write a brief report about him.–Janet S. Thompson, Chicago Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

This handsome picture book tells the story of the multitalented Su Dongpo, an eleventh-century Chinese who rose to political prominence because of his knowledge, skills, accomplishments, wisdom, and honor. Exiled by a jealous political rival, he lived happily as a poor farmer until he was appointed secretary to the new emperor. Exiled again, he survived, but after a triumphal return to China, he fell ill and died. In the brief introduction, Demi notes that Su Dongpo is fondly remembered to this day as a "statesman, philosopher, poet, painter, engineer, architect, and humanitarian who approached everything with joy and grace." This picture-book biography portrays Su Dongpo with quiet admiration as a virtuous man who met difficulties with uncommon dignity and presence of mind. Beautifully designed and produced, the book features delicately limned, brilliantly colored paintings of scenes from Su Dongpo's life, outlined in scarlet and bordered with thin bands of gold. A visually striking introduction to the man sometimes referred to as Su Shi or Su Tung-po. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 56 pages
• Publisher: Lee & Low Books (September 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584302569
• ISBN-13: 978-1584302568
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 10.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #256,978 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #71 in Books > Children's Books > Biographies > Literary
  • #81 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Ethnic & National > Chinese

More About the Author

Demi was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and now lives in Yarrow Point, Washington. Demi is the author and illustrator of more than one hundred children's books, including picture-book biographies. Her work has received numerous awards and accolades.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A gorgeous book, December 1, 2006

By 

Kelly Herold "Big A little a" (Smalltown, Midwest) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Su Dongpo: Chinese Genius (Hardcover)

Demi's new picture book, "Su Dongpo," is an entrancing work of art.

"Su Dongpo" is a biography of "China's greatest genius." Su Dongpo (1036-1101) was "a statesman, philosopher, poet, painter, engineer, architect, and humanitarian who approached everything with joy and grace." Demi tells the story of Su Dongpo's life, illustrated with poetry about and by Su Dongpo. It's a fascinating tale in and of itself, but the poetry and the pictures are what really make this book.

Here, for example, is one of Su Dongpo's poems he wrote as a schoolboy:

"To what can human life be likened?
Perhaps to a wild goose's footprint on snow;
The foot imprint is accidentally left,
But carefree, the bird flies east and west."

Demi's illustrations are stylized, accented with gold ink, and truly breathtaking in their beauty. I had to stop myself from cutting them out and tacking them up above my desk.

"Su Dongpo" is out this month from Lee & Low Books and would be an excellent addition to any school (or homeschool) unit on China and Chinese history.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A strongly recommended addition, October 7, 2006

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Su Dongpo: Chinese Genius (Hardcover)

Written and illustrated by Demi, "Su Dongpu: Chinese Genius" is the picturebook story of a man named Su Shih in ancient China who as a boy began to write stories and versus expressing an admiration of the natural world. When Su Shih grew up to become an important scholar and influential statesman, he changed his name to Su Dongpo and risked his life by promoting justice and condemning corruption. The celebration story of a life of hardship and success lived with grace, ;humility and compassion that is designed to inspire young readers with a real-life example of dignity, ingenuity, courage, and resilience, "Su Dongpu: Chinese Genius" is a strongly recommended addition to both school and library picturebook collections.