HOW THE ROOSTER GOT HIS CROWN
adapted by Amy Lowry Poole & illustrated by Amy Lowry Poole
A great combination: a cryptically amusing, ancient Chinese tale retold with verve and respect for the original, accompanied by stunningly beautiful, transporting artwork. Poole tackles the folktale about the rooster and how he got the funny-looking red thing on his head, setting it in the Miao Kingdom of western China. It all comes about because there are too many suns in the sky (which Poole represents with ancient icons, e.g., yin-yang, the spiral, the maze-like symbol for long life, the raven, a star). When the rains fail, the suns start to parch the earth. Wise men gather to debate a course of action and a clever and skillful archer is called from distant lands. He remedies the problem by shooting the suns’ reflection in a pond, but the one sun that survives is so scared it hides in a cave. Six suns were five too many, but the last one is essential. After others fail to coax the sun from the cave, the lowly rooster gives it a go, and the sun, bewitched by the rooster’s singular song, appears. Once the sun hears the peoples’ cheers, it relaxes and takes its place in the heavens. This story, with many gratifying elements to explore, and exquisite illustrations—folk-art paintings on textured paper—to behold, will keep on giving with each reading. (Picture book/folklore. 3-9)