Five thousand years ago in China, a cocoon fell into Empress Si Ling-Chi's hot tea. When she pulled on a loose end, it unraveled into a shiny strand "like a thread fallen from heaven." Realizing the thread's potential, she enlisted the aid of her enormous supply of servants and began collecting silkworms, feeding them the mulberry leaves they require, winding the threads onto reels, and eventually weaving them into a dazzling robe for the emperor. The story's only drama takes place at the beginning, but children will be intrigued by the idea that tiny silkworm larvae are responsible for creating silk. The flatness of Hong's airbrushed gouache and acrylic paintings can't capture the sheen of silk, but the pictures are streamlined and uncluttered, with sweetly simple faces peering out from billowing garments. A final note gives further information on the history of silk. Ages 4 -8.
By Lily Toy Hong, Hardcover, English, 30 Pages, 8.75'' x 12.25''
