EYES OF THE DRAGON

by Margaret Leaf ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 21, 1987

Young's artwork, executed in brilliant colors, makes this fable based on the life of an itinerant 13th-century dragon painter into a stunning picture book. The inhabitants of a little Chinese village have built a wall to keep their village safe. When the children are caught decorating the vast blank expanse, it gives the magistrate the idea of hiring the famous dragon painter, Ch'en Jung. The elders agree to pay him 40 pieces of silver for his work and to accept his dragon without argument. But when they find that the dragon has no eyes, the magistrate insists that they be added--and the dragon comes to life and flies away, leaving the wall in rubble. Leaf's story is simply and gracefully told, with suspense carefully built as it becomes clear that terror may be unleashed. Young, a Caldecott Honor winner. here works in pastels on broad double spreads, each of his vistas a symphony of colors and dramatic forms, a vivid contrast to the page that preceeds it, yet linked through movement, subject and color. Whether exploring the vibrant effects of complementary hues or creating a somber scene in subtle earth tones, he gives these illustrations the life force that an ancient Chinese painter (quoted here in an editor's note) said a dragon painting must have.

Pub Date: April 21, 1987

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1987

Categories: CHILDREN'S