From School Library Journal
Grade 2-4-This title, the fourth in the series, evokes the atmosphere of a trading caravan from China's Tang dynasty. Young Chuan, apprenticed to an artist, meets a family of traveling puppeteers as they journey together along a treacherous mountain trail. When they are attacked by bandits, the puppeteers are left without their means of support, so Chuan fashions a puppet head from a melon. The puppet master appreciates his work, but he says that the head is too large. He explains that Chinese puppets should be about two feet tall, and that "The ratio of the head to the body must be one to six." A graduated diagram of the puppet's proportions clearly indicates the acceptable ratio. Chuan then makes a figure from a radish, with stick limbs. Soon the boy and the artist make other puppets, and other caravan travelers donate fabric to clothe them. When the group reaches a town, the puppeteers put on a performance and Chuan encounters his warlord, who offers his protection for the remainder of the journey. The impressionist-style paintings in muted tones perfectly complement the text. The messages of friendship, cooperation, and creativity, as well as the math lesson, make this book a good choice for group sharing and individual enjoyment.
Lynda Ritterman, Atco Elementary School, Waterford, NJCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
K-Gr. 3. Chuan and the artist to whom he is apprenticed in ancient China have another adventure with a bit of mathematics thrown in. They are traveling with a company of puppeteers, but the group is attacked by robbers who steal everything of value, including the puppets. Chuan carves a puppet head from a melon for his new friends, but he discovers the ratio is wrong; the head-to-body proportions must be one to six. Soon his radish and eggplant puppets replace those lost, and at a performance Chuan and his artist mentor meet up with the warlord, who is their protector. Very simple (though not very satisfying) instructions for making a sock puppet end the book. The concept of proportion may be a bit challenging for the age group, but the oversize illustrations, which use block geometric shapes and a desert-colored palette, offer a visual explanation. This intriguing idea doesn't quite come to fruition, but the book will be useful when introduced by an adult. Children familiar with the characters from the earlier titles, such as
The Warlord's Puzzle (2000), may enjoy this the most.
GraceAnne DeCandidoCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
