This striking picture book, illustrated with intricately designed Chinese-style paper-cuts, includes five proverbial stories--"The Lazy Farmer," "The Crane and the Clam," "The Musician and the Water Buffalo," "An Old Horse," and "The Dragon Lover." Each tale is presented in both English and Chinese; the writing style is straightforward and direct, though the vocabulary may be a stretch for very young listeners. Xuan makes use of several color schemes and borders to vary his artwork. The most remarkable, found in "The Crane and the Clam," employs full-color paper-cuts displayed against a white textured background (meant to simulate a sandy beach) set off against a black outer frame. Source notes for each story are appended; a clear plastic jacket and carefully designed endpapers add to the book's appeal. Demi's A Chinese Zoo (1987) also offers proverbs (for a slightly younger audience), but Xuan's presentation will be welcomed, especially for its bilingual approach.
By Yong-Sheng Xuan, Paperback, 16 Pages, 9'' x 11''
