Overview
Named a Best Picture Book by San Francisco Chronicle and Book LinksSelected for California Collections by California Readers, 2000
*"A wonderful read aloud, with great sound effects . . . a tale of artistic integrity told with artful simplicity . . . accessible to young children."
-- Kirkus Reviews starred review
"Yacowitz's thoughtful adaptation of a traditional Chinese folktale explores the theme of truth in art." --Booklist
* "With its rhythm and sounds, this adaptation of a Chinese folktale begs to be read aloud. Visually it advances like the unrolling of an oriental scroll . . . A satisfying tale, whether read aloud or pored over alone to pick up the whimsical humor of the illustrations." --School Library Journal starred review
Chan Lo is a humble stone carver who is given a perfect piece of green and white jade to carve by the Great Emperor of All China. Is there a dragon in the stone, as the Emperor demands? What does Chan Lo hear the stone say? What does it want to be?
When Chan Lo finally succumbs to the stone's true wishes, the emperor is furious and throws him in prison. Can the spirit of the jade stone save the stone carver's life?
Warmly illustrated by painter Ju-Hong Chen, this Chinese folktale offers a clear and gentle message of artistic truth and a lesson in staying true to one's self.
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Author Caryn Yacowitz lives in Palo Alto, California. She has published eleven children's books, including a series of books on Native Americans, and her poetry and plays have appeared in several anthologies. She holds a master of arts degree in creative writing from San Francisco State University and an undergraduate degree in history/political science from Rutgers University. Ms. Yacowitz teaches writing at several colleges and universities in northern California. Her picture book Pumpkin Fiesta was named to the California Collections in 2005.
Illustrator, designer, and painter Ju-Hong Chen was born in Shanghai, China. Since moving to America in 1982, he has illustrated a number of children's books. He lives in Beaverton, Oregon, with his wife and daughter.
When the Great Emperor of All China commands him to carve a Dragon of Wind and Fire in a piece of perfect jade, Chan Lo discovers the stone wants to be something else.
Synopsis
When the great emperor of China demands that Chuan Lo carve hm a dragon of wind and fire, Chan Lo is overwhelmed. No matter how hard he listens to the perfect jade stone, he dos not hear the dragons. This Chinese folktale is warmly illustrated evoking the majesty of ancient Chna and the gentle message of artistic truth.
Publishers Weekly
This solid retelling of a traditional Chinese folktale concerns artistic integrity. A stone carver can't carve the dragon out of the ``perfect piece of green and white jade stone,'' as the Great Emperor of All China has commanded, because a dragon is not what the stone innately ``wants'' to be. The entire kingdom is in an uproar, and still the craftsman insists on following his creative instincts--to his death, if necessary. Though this moral tale has a timeless--and somewhat timely--quality, its visual presentation is weak. Chen's authentic drawings, while subtle, lack dramatic power; the overall design of the book is bland and does not set off the illustrations; and the interior typeface does not complement the art. The story will read aloud well, and perhaps children will not notice the lack of artistry in the book's overall appearance. Ages 4-8. (Apr.)
Editorials
Publishers Weekly -
This solid retelling of a traditional Chinese folktale concerns artistic integrity. A stone carver can't carve the dragon out of the ``perfect piece of green and white jade stone,'' as the Great Emperor of All China has commanded, because a dragon is not what the stone innately ``wants'' to be. The entire kingdom is in an uproar, and still the craftsman insists on following his creative instincts--to his death, if necessary. Though this moral tale has a timeless--and somewhat timely--quality, its visual presentation is weak. Chen's authentic drawings, while subtle, lack dramatic power; the overall design of the book is bland and does not set off the illustrations; and the interior typeface does not complement the art. The story will read aloud well, and perhaps children will not notice the lack of artistry in the book's overall appearance. Ages 4-8. (Apr.)Children's Literature
This story is based upon a Chinese folktale, and the illustrations are ink and watercolor paintings on handmade rice paper. The artist writes that he "tried to evoke the look of ancient hand-colored oriental wood-block prints" and he has succeeded beautifully. The text and illustrations combine to present a story which captures the sense of the old folktale while piquing the interest of the contemporary young reader. The tale is of a talented stone carver named Chan Lo who listens to each stone until the stone tells him what it wants to be. The Great Emperor of All China has Chan Lo brought to the Celestial Palace where he is presented with a magnificent piece of jade. The Emperor commands Chan Lo to carve a dragon of wind and fire. Chan Lo promises to do his best, but as he listens to the stone he realizes the stone is not meant to be a dragon. Chan Lo must pay attention to his dreams and to the voice of the stone. The resolution is satisfying and the book is a pleasure to read. 2005 (orig. 1992), Pelican Publishing Company, Ages 5 to 8.—Carolyn Mott Ford