The Legend of the Persian Carpet [Hardcover]

Tomie dePaola (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 27, 1993 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

When King Balash's precious diamond is stolen, the grief-stricken king can no longer rule, and the country falls into chaos, until a clever young boy comes up with a scheme to bring the jewel's radiance back into the palace.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

DePaola ( Strega Nona ) retells--but does not illustrate--a legend about the origin of the jewel-patterned Persian rug. King Balash's brilliant giant diamond is stolen by a stranger who accidentally drops it onto a rocky plain, where the jewel shatters into thousands of glittering fragments. When apprentice carpet-weaver Payem leads the ruler to the "carpet" formed by the dazzling fragments, the overwhelmed king refuses to leave the beautiful sight behind. To lure their leader back to his palace, Payem and his fellow apprentices weave a silk carpet as brilliantly colored as the one made of diamond. A parable of the healing powers of art, this foray into the rich culture of the Middle East is ably recounted. Ewart's illustrations, with their unremarkable compositions and stiff, look-alike figures, are less pleasing. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-2-Although he does not cite a specific source, dePaola presents a picture-book version of a Persian legend. The story follows typical folkloric patterns as it tells of a wise and kindly king whose problems are solved by a poor but resourceful boy. In this case, King Balash's troubles stem from the theft of a large diamond that used to fill his palace with light. Payam, an apprentice weaver, finds the shards that remain where the thief dropped the gem. He persuades the king to rule for one year and a day while he, his fellow apprentices, and the master work together to create a magnificent carpet that will once again bring light and color to his home. The task, of course, is accomplished, and a happy ending is assured. Ewart's glowing illustrations in deep jewel tones are well suited to the text and capture something of the exotic flavor of ancient Persia's craftsmanship. An attractive collaboration that deserves a place in many libraries.
Lisa Dennis, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (October 27, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399224157
• ISBN-13: 978-0399224157
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #883,062 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #42 in Books > Children's Books > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > Asian

More About the Author

"Tomie dePaola was born in Meriden, Connecticut, in 1934 to a family of Irish and Italian background. By the time he could hold a pencil, he knew what his life's work would be. His determination to create books for children led to a BFA from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, and an MFA from the California College of Arts & Crafts in Oakland, California.
It drove him through the years of teaching, designing greeting cards and stage sets, and painting church murals until 1965, when he illustrated his first children's book, Sound, by Lisa Miller for Coward-McCann. Eventually, freed of other obligations, he plunged full time into both writing and illustrating children's books.
He names Fra Angelico and Giotto, Georges Rouault, and Ben Shahn as major influences on his work, but he soon found his own unique style. His particular way with color, line, detail, and design have earned him many of the most prestigious awards in his field, among them a Caldecott Honor Award for Strega Nona, the Smithsonian Medal from the Smithsonian Institution, the Kerlan Award from the University of Minnesota for his ""singular attainment in children's literature,"" the Catholic Library Association's Regina Medal for his ""continued distinguished contribution,"" and the University of Southern Mississippi Medallion. He was also the 1990 United States nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen Medal for illustration.
Tomie dePaola has published almost 200 children's books in fifteen different countries. He remains one of the most popular creators of books for children, receiving more than 100,000 fan letters each year.
Tomie lives in an interesting house in New Hampshire with his four dogs. His studio is in a large renovated 200-year-old barn.
- He has been published for over 30 years.
- Over 5 million copies of his books have sold worldwide.
- His books have been published in over 15 different countries.
- He receives nearly 100,000 fan letters each year.
Tomie dePaola has received virtually every significant recognition for his books in the children's book world, including:
- Caldecott Honor Award from American Library Association
- Newbery Honor Award from American Library Association
- Smithson Medal from Smithsonian Institution
- USA nominee in illustration for Hans Christian Andersen Medal
- Regina Medal from Catholic Library Association

"

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent intro to Persia, September 12, 2000

By 

"shahriar-from-minneapolis" (MPLS, MN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Legend of the Persian Carpet (Hardcover)

I recommend this book, and books like this one, to all parents who wish to introduce other cultures to their children. The story is simple and well told. The illustrations are absolutely fabulous and are faithful to the Persian architecture.
If I may respond to the reviewers, folk stories do not always follow the Hollywood goodguy-badguy plot. This story does have morales: We should not get attached to material things because they are not permanent, friendship is more important that diamonds, a little kid can come up with a great idea, great achievements are made by working together.
There is some truth to the legend too. A carpet dubbed as `Bahar of Khosrow' (spring of Khosrow), existed at the Palace of Ctesiphone which is referred to in Persian scripts as the `Arch Palace of Ctesiphone'. The carpet was 450 feet long and 90 feet wide, made for Sassanid king Khosrow and for this reason it was named `Bahar of Khosrow'. In the book, the king character is named "Balash", which was the name of five of the Sassanid kings.
One minor critique though, the Sassanid dynasty was pre-islamic. The illustrations in the book, both the architecture and peoples costumes, are obviously post-islamic. :-)

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Visually beautiful, engrossing tale, November 4, 1999

By 

Deirdre Macnab ([e-mail]) (Music City, Nashville, Tennessee) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Legend of the Persian Carpet (Hardcover)

This beautifully written and illustrated tale for children ages 5 to 10, shows the power of childrens' kindness and ingenuity in a cleverly written story set in ancient Persia. Told like an old folktale, this story engrossed my two boys, ages 7 and 10, who thoroughly enjoyed the rich images the story and the pictures created. A good purchase for home or the classroom studying different cultures.

4.0 out of 5 stars Very nice story of children helping a cause, June 1, 2010

By 

ChrisB "dessert queen" (New England) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Legend of the Persian Carpet (Hardcover)

Nice story, beautiful pictures, good for a lesson on how children can do important things to help their community.