Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.
Overview
"This lively story reads like a folktale with a scientific twist. . . . Debon's paintings, in pleasing earth tones and primary colors, reflect the book's humor and adventure."-School Library Journal
"Children will enjoy both the satisfying story and the distinctive paintings, which are at their dramatic best as the wagon races down the road."
-Booklist
Visually stunning and intellectually stimulating, this sixth book in the Warlord's Series encourages young children to use their imaginations and mathematics to find the best solution for the characters' dilemmas.
The warlord's presence is requested at the emperor's banquet in just two weeks, but he is sixteen days away by horseback. Faced with a situation that threatens the warlord's honor, Chuan and his friend Jing Jing must reach him in time to assure the warlord's punctuality. Using their math skills, ingenuity, and the wind, the children devise a sailing cart and reach his camp two days ahead of the emperor's messenger. They arrive just in time to deliver the invitation and save the warlord from dishonor.
Like each book in the series, The Warlord's Messengers includes instructions for a math-related craft. Following Chuan and Jing Jing's sailing adventures, kids are encouraged to make their own windsock to measure wind speed.
(Back Flap)
Together, Virginia Walton Pilegard and illustrator Nicolas Debon have earned great praise for the highly acclaimed Warlord's Series, which includes The Warlord's Puzzle, The Warlord's Beads, The Warlord's Fish, The Warlord's Puppeteers, The Warlord's Kites, and The Warlord's Alarm, all published by Pelican.
Virginia Walton Pilegard completed both a B.A. and M.A. in education with a mathematics emphasis. She has worked as an elementary-school teacher and is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and the California Mathematics Council. The author of Pelican's The Emperor's Army, Pilegard resides in California.
Nicolas Debon is a freelance illustrator based in France. In addition to the Warlord's Series, he has illustrated several other award-winning books, including two nominations for the Governor General's Literary Award, presented by the Canada Council for the Arts. His paintings from The Warlord's Puppeteers have been displayed in La Maison des Contes et des Histoires, Paris, France.
Synopsis
the warlord's presende is requested at the emporer's banquet in two weeks, but he is sixteen days away by horseback. Using their math skills, ingenuity, and the wind, Chaun and Jing Jing reach the warlord's camp and encourage him to use their sailing cart to travel to the feast. This is the sixth in the Warlord's Series and includes directions for making your own windsock as well as suggestions for velocity-related math activities. Ages 5-08.
Marilyn Courtot - Children's Literature
Debon and Pilegard have teamed up again for another story with a touch of history and science packed into an adventure story with a hero and heroine that will appeal to picture book readers. The setting is ancient China where a young boy named Chuan and his friend Jing Jing live in the palace of an important warlord. A messenger has arrived with an invitation from the Emperor for their master to attend a banquet. The warlord is out in the countryside and it would take three days travel by horseback to reach him. He would never be able to return to his palace and then reach the Emperor in time for the feat. The two children come up with an idea—they attach a sail to a cart and use the power of the wind to propel them much faster than a horse could travel. They arrive, save their master from embarrassment, and in turn are rewarded with an opportunity to go to the palace of the Emperor. The story is based on a real invention by the Chinese nearly 1500 years ago. The part of the story that may be a stretch historically is that two children could succeed in undertaking such an adventure and, even more, that a young girl would be involved. The breezy art shows plenty of open spaces, and you get a real sense of the speed at which the cart is moving. The characters are loosely sketched, as are the elements of the Warlord's palace. The part of China that is depicted looks rather dry and hilly—perhaps like the steppes where the winds would be blowing with some force. There is an activity page for students and teachers to create a windsock, which is also a Chinese invention. 2005, Pelican Publishing, Ages 5 to 8.
Editorials
Children's Literature
Debon and Pilegard have teamed up again for another story with a touch of history and science packed into an adventure story with a hero and heroine that will appeal to picture book readers. The setting is ancient China where a young boy named Chuan and his friend Jing Jing live in the palace of an important warlord. A messenger has arrived with an invitation from the Emperor for their master to attend a banquet. The warlord is out in the countryside and it would take three days travel by horseback to reach him. He would never be able to return to his palace and then reach the Emperor in time for the feat. The two children come up with an idea—they attach a sail to a cart and use the power of the wind to propel them much faster than a horse could travel. They arrive, save their master from embarrassment, and in turn are rewarded with an opportunity to go to the palace of the Emperor. The story is based on a real invention by the Chinese nearly 1500 years ago. The part of the story that may be a stretch historically is that two children could succeed in undertaking such an adventure and, even more, that a young girl would be involved. The breezy art shows plenty of open spaces, and you get a real sense of the speed at which the cart is moving. The characters are loosely sketched, as are the elements of the Warlord's palace. The part of China that is depicted looks rather dry and hilly—perhaps like the steppes where the winds would be blowing with some force. There is an activity page for students and teachers to create a windsock, which is also a Chinese invention. 2005, Pelican Publishing, Ages 5 to 8.—Marilyn Courtot