Demi, . . Holt, $7.95 (32pp) ISBN 978-0-8050-7811-4
According to PW
, "Demi adopts a formal style for this opulent version of the famous Russian folktale, echoing the fine craft of cloisonne and the intricacies of Faberge in her gilded illustrations." Ages 6-10. (June)
The highlight of this portrait of Gandhi is Demi's (Buddha) artwork, featuring gold borders and accents, splashes of brilliant color and small-scale images. Continue reading »
In her typically well-researched picture-book-biography style, Demi (Muhammad) explores the man and the myths (and the red suit and sleighful of toys). She Continue reading »
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 Continue reading »
Like Demi's The Boy Who Painted Dragons
, this lavishly illustrated story tells of a child who is helped in his/her art by divine beings, but this time the Continue reading »
Demi's meticulous, expansive story highlights the achievements of Alexander the Great, who conquered much of the known world (to the Greeks) in only 12 years. One of the most successful military Continue reading »
Whatever a beggar boy paints with his brush comes to life, in a masterful story that glows with Demi's jewel-like art. A Reading Rainbow selection. Ages 5-8. Continue reading »
Ping is a Chinese boy with an emerald green thumb; he can make anything grow ``as if by magic.'' One day the Emperor announces that he needs a successor, someone who can carry on after he is gone Continue reading »
A Chinese boy with an green thumb wins the emperor's competition; PW praised the ""extraordinarily delicate Oriental landscapes."" Ages 4-7. Continue reading »
A traditional tale of India, as well as miniatures produced in that country in the 16th and 17th centuries, inspired this visually striking book. Set off by simple red and gold frames, Demi's Continue reading »
Set in old China, Demi's (The Nightingale) adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen classic is as opulent as the vain emperor himself might wish for, with lots of gold ink and five foldout panels. Continue reading »
Demi's latest folktale, The Hungry Coat: A Tale from Turkey, touched with gold foil, celebrates that nation's aesthetic with a story revolving around a wise man, Nasrettin Hoca. On his way to a Continue reading »
The Year of the Monkey begins January 22, 2004, with colorful festivities. Happy, Happy Chinese New Year! by Demi is a reissue of her 1997 book Happy New Year! Kung-His Fa-Ts'ai! She chronicles Continue reading »
In a fable similar to her The Empty Pot, Demi uses an emperor's riddle to demonstrate The Greatest Power. The boy emperor Ping asks the children of the empire to discover the world's greatest Continue reading »
Dazzling color pictures and striking drawings in mellow gray and white are the attractions in Demi's inventive alphabet-game book. Instructions on how to play precede pages where the upper- and Continue reading »
Counting from 1 to 20 is the main point of Demi's work, but there are other spreads on which readers can learn to count to 100 by fives or by twos. The book begins with a purple paisley rhino and Continue reading »
Dragon Kites and Dragonflies: A Collection of Chinese Nursery Rhymes
Demi
ting and illustrating this collection of Chinese nursery rhymes, Demi has turned out a joy-filled labor of love. Her interest in Asia has been apparent in the style of her previous work, and here Continue reading »
A mirror image is supposed to be a look-alike, but to the geese in this concept book, it's an opposite. A circle and a square are not really physical opposites but conceptual ones, which is a Continue reading »
In this adaptation of a folktale from India, a young king must find a mythical hallowed horse to aid him in his battle against a diabolical snake monster. In the meantime, a simple potter has Continue reading »
In this striking volume, Demi (The Empty Pot; The Firebird) introduces each of the Chinese zodiac's 12 animal symbols by retelling the fables associated with them. Her writing is succinct and witty, Continue reading »
Demi (The Dragons Tale) deftly adapts a story that allegedly originated in India in 550 B.C. to a Tibetan setting for this retelling, notable for its spare, repetitive language and versatile artwork. Continue reading »
""He who has heaven in his heart is never poor,"" says a farmer's wife in this simple, graceful adaptation of a Chinese folktale. Pang, a rich man, spends all his time counting his money, neglecting Continue reading »
In this story of traditional Chinese wisdom, Chen Ping, a poor and content boy, works for a rich and greedy master. He chops wood and takes loving care of all animals. When his axe falls into the Continue reading »
There is room for both the architect and the artist in the Emperor's kingdom for a time, but eventually competitiveness impels the artist to concoct a scheme to eliminate his rival. He writes a Continue reading »
In the Eyes of the Cat: Japanese Poetry for All Seasons
Demi
``In the eyes of the cat,'' the haiku explains, one can observe the sea's color ``on a sunny day / in winter.'' Thus young readers are introduced to the delicate complexities of Japanese nature Continue reading »
An opulent novelty book, this collection of poems about insects will delight Demi fans with its gilded illustrations and ornate designs that virtually burst the confines of the page. As if there were Continue reading »
Marbleized-paper beasts and other mixed-media renderings leap and dance their way across metallic gold or pastel spreads in this razzle-dazzle celebration of Chinese mythology. Demi's creatures Continue reading »
This fast-paced retelling of an ancient Chinese fairy tale revolves around the search for a stolen tapestry. A devoted son sets out to retrieve the work, ``the most heavenly tapestry ever made,'' Continue reading »
Demi adopts a formal style for this opulent version of the famous Russian folktale, echoing the fine craft of cloisonne and the intricacies of Faberge in her gilded illustrations. The surfeit of Continue reading »
The prolific author/artist brings her characteristically luxurious taste to this folktale, a Chinese equivalent of The Fisherman and His Wife. Here, it is a stonecutter who is granted his wishes to Continue reading »
Author-illustrator Demi (Rumi: Whirling Dervish) does her usual visually stunning work in this illustrated biography of the storied Joan of Arc, a patron saint of France. The outlines of Joan’s life Continue reading »
Demi turns her biographical and artistic skills to Christopher Columbus in this balanced recounting of his life, from a youth who felt "the call of sea" to the man who helped establish a European Continue reading »
The beloved saint gets colorful treatment from Demi, who retells his biography at length, beginning at the beginning, when Francis was born in a stable in Assisi in 1182. Francis’s early life gets Continue reading »
Demi’s account of 15th-century Chinese explorer Zheng He is enlivened by images of the dazzling wealth his fleet carried back to China: “Precious ambergris used for medicine, cowrie shells, Continue reading »
Illustrating in a delicate style that strongly evokes her ancient Chinese setting, Demi introduces the life and teachings of Confucius (known as Kongzi in China), blending facts and legends Continue reading »
Clare, the undead fox of Deadwood Forest, is cast as a monster by the local children who gather each Halloween around the forest’s edge to chant about how he “waits to feast/ On Continue reading »
Poet and educator Keith (How the Boogeyman Became a Poet) delivers a poignant, hip-hop-fueled collection of poetry that’s equal parts memoir, love letter, and rallying cry to Continue reading »
Sixteen-year-old Sabel is puzzled by tonight’s family meal, which seems to be a special spread of her and her four siblings’ favorite foods. Sickness and savagery have toppled Continue reading »
Willis Hudson movingly exalts the power of African American spirituals in a lyrics showcase that pairs existing verses with feelings they can evoke. On the first page, a Black Continue reading »