The Weaving of a Dream: A Chinese Folktale Book

When the beautiful tapestry woven by a poor woman is stolen by fairies, her three sons set out on a magical journey to retrieve it. A retelling of a traditional Chinese tale.

School Library Journal

Gr 3 Up The Chinese legend of ``The Chuang Brocade'' is faithfully retold in a volume of exquisite beauty. The story is of a widow who supports her three sons by selling her finely crafted brocades. At the market one day she trades her work for a painting of a lovely palace. Obsessed with the beauty of the scene, she spends three full years copying the painting in a brocade, only to have it snatched away by a wind upon its completion. As she lies grieving, her youngest son, after the two elder ones succumb to greed, searches for the brocade in a quest that leads through fire and ice to a fairy palace on a mountain top. Heyer's 15 illustrations show a masterful artistic technique. From the silken threads of the sumptuous brocade to the tiniest wrinkles in a hand, the photographic realism of a silver necklace, the touchable softness of a fur cuff, the intricate perfection of an Oriental pattern and the fine hairs of a butterfly's wings, each painting offers an experience of sensuous delight. Small red woodcut-like squares featuring animals and birds from the paintings (meant to resemble chops) are placed on each white page of text, adding to the book's attractiveness. Heyer's skillful retelling of the ancient legend and her magnificent illustrations combine to form a book of astonishing beauty. Susan Scheps, Bertram Woods Library, Shaker Heights, Ohio