The Shady Tree

Acclaimed for her elegantly illustrated picture-book biographies, Demi revisits another of her signature genres—Chinese folktales—in this graceful story of generosity trumping selfishness. Tan Tan, a “very rich boy” with exquisitely embroidered clothing and a chronic scowl, lives in an imposing house, playing by himself with his “very expensive toys” underneath a nearby tree. When he finds a “very poor boy” named Ping, previously seen in Demi’s The Empty Pot (1990), enjoying the shade of the tree one day, an outraged Tan Tan insists that he owns the tree, but agrees to sell Ping its shade. Ping then follows the shade wherever it goes, including inside Tan Tan’s home, inviting his human and animal friends indoors as well, and eventually forcing Tan Tan out of the house entirely. Demi replicates the simplicity and directness of her storytelling in lovely mixed-media pictures that feature miniature-scaled images, framed by unadorned circular borders, drawing clear contrasts between the boys’ temperaments, and between the showy mansion and the simple pleasures offered by the tree. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)