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"Who knows what the gods have in store for us?" Xiao Sheng sang out to his mother every morning. "Today may not be the same as yesterday."
In spite of his hardships, Xiao Sheng is a cheerful boy who loves to sing.He works from sunrise to sunset to earn enough money to feed his family. When Xiao finds a magic pearl, everything is changed forever.
Dragon fans will hail the arrival of a cloud-breathing, rainmaking dragon of Chinese folklore, who provides a captivating (and benevolent) alternative to the European fire-breathing variety. Despite a severe drought, Xiao Sheng discovers a pearl that bestows good fortune upon his mother's land. When thieves attempt to steal the gem, the panicked boy swallows it, unleashing an ``intense heat'' that ``seared through him, as if he had swallowed a ball of fire'' and transforming him into a dragon. Far from being a curse, Xiao Sheng's new incarnation empowers him to breathe clouds into the sky, bringing rain and prosperity to all. In a polished display of verbiage, Lawson invests her colorful text with passion and drama, inspiring a fresh appreciation of the mythological beast. (Though occasionally the story's disparate elements threaten to become diffused, their focus unclear.) An absorbing explanation of Chinese dragon lore following the tale elucidates their revered status as water-gods. Morin's ( The Orphan Boy ) arresting collage illustrations incorporate scraps of painted burlap, stalks of grain, coins and pearls into lustrous oil paintings, enhancing the singular appeal of this impressive collaboration. Ages 5-9. (Mar.)
| Price | Condition | Delivery | Seller | Action |
| $99.99 | Digital |
| WonderClub |
John Milton
reviewed The Dragon's Pearl on February 15, 2020 The Dragon's Pearl
The Dragon's Pearl, by Julie Lawson, takes readers on a journey through a little boy's not-so-eventful life in China. The "Gods" based Folktale tells the story of a boy, Xio Sheng, who dreams of being able to swim or fish in the river, but instead, was to pass the river every day to go sell items in the village.
An observation I made as a reader was the determination of the little boy to help his village and his family prosper to get out of the drought. I connected to the family in the story with their support and love for each other, because my family is my biggest support system, and we all are there for each other no matter what. A question that I had throughout reading this was: How would the story change if the boy was not the one to have found the pearl? This would be an interesting topic of conversation to have if this book was being read to a primary class. I was surprised by the plot twist in the story, when Xio Sheng does something unexpected to protect the magical pearl he found - he swallows the pearl and soon the magic rushes through him and he turns into a dragon.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book because it was not at all what I had expected. The title made me initially believe the boy in the story meets a dragon, but he actually turns into the dragon himself. As a future educator, I would love to have this in my classroom library because this story has so many important messages, as well as highlights a different culture and location. The Dragon's Pearl highlights the importance of taking care of one's family and community, as well as not being greedy.
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