Demi embroiders her retelling of this ancient fairy tale from China with richly textured words and finely detailed pictures inspired by Chinese art and fabrics. Readers will be caught up in the action and enchantment of the son's heroic quest of a magic tapestry as it unfolds page by page in dazzling gold ink. Full color.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
In this retelling of a traditional Chinese folktale, an impoverished widow with an extraordinary talent for weaving works day and night for three years to finish her most beautiful tapestry to date. Her two older sons, tired of her preoccupation with weaving, begin quarreling and lose faith in their mother. Only her youngest son understands her need, and he alone continues working to support his family. When the tapestry is finally complete, it seems to breathe with life, "Flowers shimmered with threads of brilliant sunlight and little animals danced magically throughout the woven pattern." While the two older sons argue about who will sell this work of art, a great wind blows it out the door and into the eastern sky.
Each son in turn, from oldest to youngest, is sent out to find the tapestry and bring it home. The two older sons take the easy way out and accept a bribe of valuable jewels, then flee to the city, never to be seen again. As the youngest son sets out he promises to return with the tapestry. When he meets the Fierce Guardian, he bravely faces the challenges--the Mountain of Fire and the Sea of Ice--and upon reaching his destination he finds beautiful fairy princesses weaving copies of his mother's prized possession.
The illustrations, set against a stark white background and trimmed in gold, are reminiscent of traditional Chinese art. Demi's research into Chinese fabrics and the looms on which they are woven lends an air of authenticity to this lovely tale of family loyalty and, in the end, youthful romance.
From Publishers Weekly
This fast-paced retelling of an ancient Chinese fairy tale revolves around the search for a stolen tapestry. A devoted son sets out to retrieve the work, "the most heavenly tapestry ever made," painstakingly woven by his mother over three years. But it is not with the fairies of Sun Mountain, and only an impossible journey through fire and ice will bring it home. Two older brothers have refused even to contemplate the mission but, for the love of his mother, the youngest is determined to succeed. Elaborate illustrations evoke traditional Chinese art, each painting itself like a fine tapestry abundantly worked in gold. The art is finely drawn, the compositions so well balanced as to exude a peaceful, Zen-like quality and yet sufficiently dramatic as to convey the energy of the story. Background colors are radiant--deep turquoise, indigo, scarlet--and the mother's tapestry indeed seems "heavenly." Just as the illustrations mix clean lines with opulent gilding, so too the text combines timeless wisdom with romance, magic and a dash of adventure. Ages 6-10.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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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.
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