Greatest Power Book

The Chinese boy emperor, Ping, from Demi's earlier picture book, THE EMPTY POT, sends the children of his land on a quest. He challenges them to show him, within a year, what is the greatest power in the world. Known for his honesty and love of harmony, Young Emperor Ping is seeking a prime minister, whose wisdom he can trust, to bring the "harmony of the heavens" to his land.
The children construct creations demonstrating the greatest power. Except for one girl, Sing. She looks for patterns, remembering the emperor's words, "A wise person must be able to see the unseen and know the unknown." She thinks about power, wondering. How can anything that does not last be the greatest power?
Each child is certain he or she has the answer to Emperor Ping's quest. At the end of the parade, other children laugh at Sing for having nothing to show. However, Sing's explanation of the "nothing" she holds, which is also the greatest power in the world, brings the story to its surprising conclusion. And wins her the position of prime minister.
Although the young emperor's riddle contains the complexity of great philosophical debate, Demi's lyrical text and accompanying circular illustrations; sometimes fierce, sometimes bright, sometimes busy, always intriguing; convey the core of simplicity at the heart of life.