Liang and the Magic Paintbrush (Reading Rainbow Book) (Paperback)

by Demi (Author, Illustrator) "Long ago in China, a boy named Liang earned money gathering firewood and cutting reeds..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Whatever a beggar boy paints with his brush comes to life, in a masterful story that glows with Demi's jewel-like art. A Reading Rainbow selection. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"Demi's telling matches her art in fantastic effects in her new book, a tale suggested by an ancient Chinese legend. Delicate shades of gold and blue contrast with fiery scarlets in surpassingly beautiful and authentic pictures showing strange happenings when a poor beggar boy, Liang, receives a magic paintbrush." --Publishers Weekly

"Beautiful full-color illustrations portray this ancient Chinese folktale in which Liang's wit helps him thwart a greedy emperor's plan."--Notable Children's Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies

"The perennially popular story of Ma Liang and his magic paintbrush is here made into an attractive picture book.... Demi¿s fine line and watercolor drawings are full of elaborate details which will entice readers to look and look again." --School Library Journal
-- Review

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (July 15, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805008012
• ISBN-13: 978-0805008012
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 7.7 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #322,343 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A resourceful boy triumphs over evil..., April 21, 2000

By A Customer

In this lively tale, a poor boy in China who longs to paint is given a magic paintbrush by a mysterious visitor. Suddenly the boy has the power to bring life to things that he paints. Liang uses this gift for good, until he must use his skill to outsmart an evil emperor who wants to use the magic brush for his own greedy purposes. The ending is a bit troublesome- not as completely fair and peaceful as we might like - but then, the tale is based on an old Chinese legend which, like Grimms' fairy tales, were probably a lot more scary than story books today. Still, the story is wonderful and exciting and the illustrations, though subtle, are lovely --delicate but colorful ink and watercolor drawings with lots of detail.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but not Demi's best, January 10, 2007

By	JH (San Francisco) - See all my reviews

This is a simple story with beautiful pictures, though it's not particularly engaging. Neither my kids nor I enjoy it as much as our other Demi favorites -- One Grain of Rice, Firebird, and The Empty Pot -- which we adore. These other three not only have superlative pictures but wonderful stories, each in different ways.

3.0 out of 5 stars Didn't do much for us..., July 25, 2007

By	Nancy (West Coast FL) - See all my reviews

I read this with my little kids after seeing a fantastic HBO Story - video version. (Wish that were available for sale - NOT.) We have enjoyed other Demi, but this one just didn't generate feeling. It needs a helping hand.