Amazon.com Review
Hans Christian Andersen's beloved, wise, and humorous tale about the emperor who cares more about his appearance than about truthfulness is retold here by award-winning illustrator Demi. A weaver and tailor arrive at the palace one day, promising to make the most beautiful, soft clothes the Emperor has ever seen. Furthermore, these clothes are magic--only clever people can see them. The silly, vain Emperor is soon marching about almost buck-naked (except for some magnificent royal boxer shorts and an undershirt). Will anyone risk being dubbed a fool, and call the Emperor's bluff?
This spectacular version of the story, set in ancient, provincial China, is minimal in text, but overflowing--literally--with exquisite artwork. Several of the pages fold out to 3- or 4-page spreads, lavishly decorated with metallic gold, deep, flat red, and delicate, pale green. Closer examination reveals some comical touches--mainly in the expressions of the sly "magical" tailor and weaver, and the befuddled, blustering Emperor. The people of the province manage to maintain their composure for the most part, but it's clear they're ready to burst into laughter. This truly splendid rendering deserves a place in anyone's fairy-tale collection. Demi's many other original and traditional picture books include The Empty Pot and Kites: Magic Wishes that Fly Up to the Sky. (Ages 4 to 8) --Emilie Coulter
From Publishers Weekly
Set in old China, Demi's (The Nightingale) adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen classic is as opulent as the vain emperor himself might wish for, with lots of gold ink and five foldout panels. The lean text supports the art but does not compete with it, leaving readers free to lose themselves in Demi's beguiling panoramas. As the artist explains in an endnote, her paintings incorporate traditional Chinese symbols, particularly those of purity and virtue. Readers will want to go back and scrutinize the details so harmoniously worked into each painting, from the elaborate patterns on the characters' clothing to background scenes of the springtime weaving of silk and the summertime flying of kites. The foldouts, however, are a disappointmentAmost of them interrupt rather than extend Demi's compositions. The exception is a climactic double gatefold spread chronicling the scowling emperor, dressed only in a gold undershirt and red undershorts adorned with the image of a dragon, as he stubbornly marches through the countryside in his new "garments." The more closely kids look, the more they will find. Ages 7-10. (May)
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