The cruelties attending the building of the Great Wall are dramatized in a powerful story. After her scholar husband is enslaved to work on the Wall, Meng goes on an arduous journey to search for him, only to find that he has died as a result of unremitting toil. Meng summons supernatural powers to topple the Wall in order to reclaim his bones. Enthralled by her beauty, the Emperor begs her to marry him, which she agrees to do on condition that her husband first receive a sumptuous burial—but when the period of mourning is complete, Meng escapes the tyrant by plunging to her death in the sea. Even though the Emperor's vengeance pursues her after death, she triumphs over him yet again as her courage is remembered. The author relates this moving tale with quiet dignity, while the Chinese-born painter conveys Meng's sorrow and determination with elegant simplicity in his lovely ink and watercolor illustrations. A fine contribution. (Folklore/Picture book. 5-10)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1991
ISBN: 0-8037-0895-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1991
At ``Step 2'' in the useful ``Step into Reading'' series: an admirably clear, well-balanced presentation that centers on wolves' habits and pack structure. Milton also addresses their endangered status, as well as their place in fantasy, folklore, and the popular imagination. Attractive realistic watercolors on almost every page. Top-notch: concise, but remarkably extensive in its coverage. A real bargain. (Nonfiction/Easy reader. 6-10)
Pub Date: April 1, 1992
ISBN: 0-679-91052-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1992
BOOK REVIEW
Trickling, bubbling, swirling, rushing, a river flows down from its mountain beginnings, past peaceful country and bustling city on its way to the sea. Hooper (The Drop in My Drink, 1998, etc.) artfully evokes the water’s changing character as it transforms from “milky-cold / rattling-bold” to a wide, slow “sliding past mudflats / looping through marshes” to the end of its journey. Willey, best known for illustrating Geraldine McCaughrean’s spectacular folk-tale collections, contributes finely detailed scenes crafted in shimmering, intricate blues and greens, capturing mountain’s chill, the bucolic serenity of passing pastures, and a sense of mystery in the water’s shadowy depths. Though Hooper refers to “the cans and cartons / and bits of old wood” being swept along, there’s no direct conservation agenda here (for that, see Debby Atwell’s River, 1999), just appreciation for the river’s beauty and being. (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-9)
Pub Date: June 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-7636-0792-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2000
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