The Lotus Seed (Paperback)

~ (Author), Tatsuro Kiuchi (Illustrator) "My grandmother saw the emperor cry the day he lost his golden dragon throne..." (more)
Key Phrases: Bao Dai

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The "spare simplicity" of this tale about a Vietnamese refugee is "richly amplified by arresting, light-filled paintings," said PW in a starred review. Ages 6-10.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-5-- A nameless Vietnamese narrator tells of her grandmother who, as a girl, accidentally sees the last emperor cry on the day of his abdication. She surreptitiously enters the palace gardens and takes a lotus seed as a remembrance of that day and her ruler. She keeps the seed with her through vicissitudes of war, flight, and emigration until one summer a grandson (the narrator's brother) steals it and plants it in a mud pool near the family's American home. Grandmother is inconsolable when the exact spot cannot be found. The following spring, a lotus grows from the mud puddle and in time the elderly woman gives a seed to each of her grandchildren, reserving one for herself. The narrator vows to plant hers one day, give the seeds to her own children, keep the tradition, and share her grandmother's memories. This tale of hope and continuance is told with disarming simplicity. Interesting oil paintings, largely in earth tones, are slightly mannered, yet culturally accurate, and often moving in their amplification of the text. A warm addition to school and public library collections. --John Philbrook, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Voyager Books (February 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152014837
• ISBN-13: 978-0152014834
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.3 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #17,719 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #7 in	Books > Children's Books > Educational > Explore the World > Fiction > Asia
  #9 in	Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Multicultural Stories > Asian & Asian American

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simple, Yet Great Story!, August 17, 2000

By	Paul Martin (Waukesha, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lotus Seed (Hardcover)

This story is easy for young children to understand and is good enough for them to ask for repeat readings, again and again. It contains a few factors that make for a great childrens book. It's relatively short, the illustrations are exceptional, it's easy to understand and it's a compelling story.

Follow the life of Ba, a young Veitnamese girl, who collects a lotus seed from the imperial garden of her emperor to serve as a momento of a time in her childhood. She takes the seed with her through her tumultous life, as she grows, and moves to a new country, and to a new life. The seed seems to serve as a symbol of her past and her endurance.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully sentimental., January 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Lotus Seed (Hardcover)

An exceptional story with outstanding illustration. A girl wanting something to remember the Emperor by takes a seed from a lotus pod from the Imperial Garden. Throughout all of the trials and changes in her life she cherishes that seed until one day it is taken and planted by her grandson. Finally it grows to be beautiful and strong, "It is the flower of life and hope, no matter how ugly the mud or how long the seed lies dormant, the bloom will be beautiful. It is the flower of my country." A superb book that looks at families and Vietnamese culture. (explained further in author's note)

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a beautiful book!, January 1, 2002

By A Customer

I can't get over how beautiful this book is. I can't wait to share it with my Vietnamese students and those who are war refugees. I would like to see if they can relate to the story.