From Publishers Weekly
Demi (The Dragons Tale) deftly adapts a story that allegedly originated in India in 550 B.C. to a Tibetan setting for this retelling, notable for its spare, repetitive language and versatile artwork. A Tibetan king known for his fair judgment must settle an argument between two good and honest men, each the father of 10 children. One of the men owns a donkey that has accidentally knocked over a jar of precious oil belonging to the other. Sagely realizing that neither fellow is at fault, the ruler instead imprisons the donkey and the rock on which the oil was set. When word of this apparent folly spreads, people come from all over the kingdom to witness the trial. The king extracts payment from each of them for their silly curiosity and thus recompenses the man who lost his oil. The absurdity of this pageantry wont be lost on youngsters, who will happily follow the antics of the 20 energetic offspring who bound across these pages. The illustrations range from spare and airy, cool-toned mountain scenes to lavish, bustling pictures of palace interiors, punctuated with brilliant reds and golds; one breathtaking spread features a sumptuous floral pattern as backdrop. Demi delivers a worthwhile message with humor. Ages 3-7.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3-In old Tibet, two poor but honest men become embroiled in a dispute that only the wisest judge can settle. An oil seller leaves his oil jar on top of a rock while he rests. His neighbor's donkey, laden with wood, knocks it from its precarious perch. (Demi meets Jackson Pollock in the spread for this scene, as paint drops spatter across the orderly page.) Who is to blame for the oil seller's loss? The king, famous for his justice, questions the men and decides to arrest both the donkey and the rock. Curiosity seekers fill the court, seeking entertainment from the spectacle of an unlikely trial, but the king has the last laugh as he resolves the conflict to both men's satisfaction. A source note traces the lineage of the ubiquitous tale, told in many ways all over Asia. Whether she paints processions of priests, a mystical god-king, children in line dances, or the crowded courtroom filled with people and animals both mythological and real, Demi's firm control over composition and pattern offer children a fresh, authentic interpretation of Tibetan art that perfectly complements this simple fable. Exterior scenes set small, brightly dressed figures against watercolor swaths that suggest the bright sky, snow, and shadows of a mountain landscape. Interior scenes are depicted in rich, colorful patterns drawn from Tibetan art. Valuable as an entertaining, well-told story, as well as an introduction to Tibetan culture.
Margaret A. Chang, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North AdamsCopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
