THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA

by Leonard Everett Fisher ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 1986

The Great Wall of China is so large that it's the only man-made structure visible from the moon with the naked eye. Here, in a visit 2200 years into the past, Fisher (recipient of a Pulitzer Prize for his painting in 1950) both shows and tells the compelling historic drama of how the Great Wall came to be. Around 221 B.C., King Cheng of Ch'in conquered many surrounding kingdoms, and tiny Ch'in became the huge empire of China. The unwieldy territory posed new problems, however, since each kingdom had its own system for weights, measures, money, and writing. Order was brought to the vast lands by standardizing systems, but the worst problem was yet to be solved. Fierce Mongols from the north ruthlessly attacked and raided Chinese villages. How to protect them? The emperor's answer was to build a long wall--all the way across the top of China. One million people labored day and night for 10 years. Rest was forbidden, and complaints or escape attempts resulted in death. Many workers lived out their lives building the wall; some are buried within. Even though the means of constructing the wall seem every bit as barbaric as the attacks it was meant to prevent, its payoff was great. The wall saved China from the Mongols' threat for more than 1000 years, and it remains today as testimony to the strength and will of the Chinese people. The book is clearly and simply focused on a single dramatic episode that will capture readers' imaginations. The artist's bold and sweeping black-and-white paintings convincingly portray the agony of the workers and the victory of the emperor, after a job well done. Vertical captions in Chinese characters are beautiful to look at and enhance the overall design. An excellent vehicle for introducing China to children.

Pub Date: March 1, 1986

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Macmillan

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1986

Categories: CHILDREN'S