The Boy Who Painted Dragons

by Demi, Demi (Illustrator)

Overview

Smoke, fire, dragons, wisdom, fear, and bravery...All of these elements are brought to life by award-winning author and artist Demi in a story of valor in the face of overwhelming fear.

With splashes of color and dramatic detail, a boy named Ping decorates his home with paintings of dragons. While they seem to be a proclamation of his love for dragons, they are actually an expression of his deepest fear. The Heavenly Dragon visits Ping after being impressed with the boy's outward declaration of love and respect for dragons and presents the boy with three pearls of wisdom. With bold and expansive illustrations that sweep across the pages, Demi's triumphant tale proves that the greatest fear of fear itself is one that can be conquered with truth and bravery.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781416924692
Publisher:	Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication date:	09/11/2007
Pages:	52
Sales rank:	863,698
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Demi is the award-winning creator of numerous books for children, including The Empty Pot; Buddha; The Dalai Lama; The Legend of Saint Nicholas; Gandhi, which was named a New York Times Best Illustrated Book and received an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award; and Muhammad, which was named a Kirkus Reviews Editors’ Choice selection, a Booklist Editors’ Choice selection, one of the Booklist Top Ten Religion Books for Youth, and a Book Links “Lasting Connections” selection, and was cited in a Publishers Weekly starred review as a “timely, exceptionally handsome biography [that] serves as an excellent introduction to Islam.” Demi lives in Carnation, Washington.

Demi is the award-winning creator of numerous books for children, including The Empty Pot; Buddha; The Dalai Lama; The Legend of Saint Nicholas; Gandhi, which was named a New York Times Best Illustrated Book and received an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award; and Muhammad, which was named a Kirkus Reviews Editors’ Choice selection, a Booklist Editors’ Choice selection, one of the Booklist Top Ten Religion Books for Youth, and a Book Links “Lasting Connections” selection, and was cited in a Publishers Weekly starred review as a “timely, exceptionally handsome biography [that] serves as an excellent introduction to Islam.” Demi lives in Carnation, Washington.

Editorial Reviews

The titular dragons in this lavishly produced tale of ancient China are a far cry from the genial Puff-the-Magic-Dragon type. As painted by Ping, the young hero, these are fearsome creatures, with bulging eyes, tentacle-like whiskers, sinuous bodies of gleaming gold, and scary scales of flaming red. But while Ping impresses everyone with his artistry, bravery and industry (he literally covers his house with the beasts), he harbors a secret: the dragons actually represent his fears. Finally outed by the Heavenly Dragon, Ping goes on a dragon-studded quest to discover his courage and learn to bring "all the power and wisdom of the dragons inside." Demi (One Grain of Rice) may be offering too much of a great thing: her sprawling, gorgeous dragons, set against backgrounds of Chinese brocades and rendered in dazzling metallic inks, constantly threaten to overwhelm the story (and that's leaving aside the two gatefold spreads). But for those who don't mind occasionally hunting for the text when it's obscured by the visual extravagance, there is much lovely writing to savor and wisdom that the audience will recognize. Ages 7-10. (Sept.)

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

Publishers Weekly

Gr 1-4
The dragons are playing in heaven, riding clouds and creating things such as "thunder and lightning, flying comets . . . sparkling northern lights," and rain. They also look for "pearls of heavenly wisdom" that are concealed in the clouds. One day, they peer through a hole in the heavens to Earth where they spy on a boy named Ping. Although he is terrified of dragons, he keeps his feelings secret and paints elaborate pictures of the creatures. Flattered, the Heavenly Dragon visits him and-quickly realizing that the boy paints these images out of fear-promises him three treasures if he can earn them. The pearls of wisdom read "Seek Your Truth," "Find Your Truth," and "Dare to Be True." In order to attain them, Ping must overcome his apprehensions by visiting four elemental dragons: Water Dragon, Fire Dragon, Earth Dragon, and Wind Dragon. Each page contains paintings of gilt-colored creatures and swatches of delicate Chinese silk brocade. The colors range from rich purples and vibrant reds to cool blues and muted beiges, emphasizing the mood of each scene. Ping is always drawn in small scale compared to the magnificent dragons, and fold-out pages add to the book's visual impact. An elegantly told tale, enhanced by exquisite illustrations.
—Donna AtmurCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

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