The Silk Tapestry

November 22, 2004
This slim collection of Chinese folk tale adaptations by Atangan would have made a fine first or second comic book by a newcomer, but published in a deluxe hardcover format, it collapses under the weight of its own packaging. Atangan is a charming enough cartoonist—he tells his stories in a flat, clean line style not dissimilar to that employed in Tintin
, but his writing is clichéd and his storytelling repetitive. When a bird is described as lovely, the next panel shows the bird looking, one supposes, "lovely." Though Atangan's attention to authentic clothes and architecture is commendable, he recycles tired Chinese visuals, with stereotypical dragons, wise men and postcard-derived landscapes. Nothing new is shown, and no effort is made to break out of the old, obvious ideas about the East. It's just the usual Western take on "exotic" Asia. The problems within the book stretch to its format—it's hard to imagine why such a minor, short work justifies an entire book and a disproportionate price tag. Atangan may have a solid book in him, but this isn't it.

January 1, 2005
Atangan's wonderful first graphic novel, The Yellow Jar, adapted two tales from Japan in a style based on the country's famous Ukiyo-e woodblock prints, and garnered two Eisner Award nominations. It was the first book in the publisher's "Songs of Our Ancestors" series, which adapts Asian tales. This equally fine follow-up and new addition to the series presents three stories from China for which Atangan has modified his decorative, boldly colored cartooning style to reflect the influence of Chinese art. The first story is a brief creation myth; in the second, a dying old woman saves the life of a river spirit, who in return gives her a silk cloth, upon which she can sew a wish that will be granted. In the final story, a young boy whose paintings miraculously come to life is kidnapped by the Dowager Empress. Highly recommended for teens and adults, especially fans of P. Craig Russell's work.

Copyright 2005 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2005
Gr 4 Up -The second volume in a series that began with "The Yellow Jar" (NBM, 2003), this book contains three Chinese folktales retold in graphic-novel format. The selections revolve around the theme of artists struggling to create in a world hostile to artistic endeavors. In "The Story of Pan-Gu," an old man creates the world with the hope that others of his kind will join him. Although he endures years of loneliness and eventually dies, it is from his remains that humankind is born. In the title story, a poor old woman is given a silk cloth by the river spirit of the Yangtze. If she is able to sew it into a tapestry, her fondest dream will come true. In "Sausage-Boy and His Magic Brush," a child prodigy whose paintings come to life is stolen from his family to create riches for an empress who has fallen on hard times. With fine detail and beautiful earth-tone colors, Atangan stunningly re-creates these triumphant tales for a new audience. Younger children may not fully grasp the meaning behind the theme but will enjoy the lively stories nonetheless." -Karen T. Bilton, Somerset County Library, Bridgewater, NJ"

Copyright 2005 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2004
Atangan follows his elegant adaptations of two Japanese legends, " The Yellow Jar" (2003), with this equally stylish rendition of three Chinese folktales dealing obliquely or directly with the creative struggle. The initial story relates how Pan-Gu, the first man, created a barren world and sacrificed his life to populate it. Another depicts a pudgy boy, named after a sausage, whose artistic abilities are so great that his paintings spring to life, attracting the interest of the greedy dowager empress. In "Silk Tapestry," an elderly woman races death to complete a magic tapestry so that her fondest dream will come true. All three have satisfying but bittersweet endings in the best tradition of fables from all lands. Whereas Atangan's models for " The Yellow Jar" were eighteenth-century Japanese woodblock prints, here he is inspired by Chinese scroll paintings and wash drawings. Although his drawings are painstakingly detailed, his simplified style guarantees total clarity on overly small pages, and the muted color scheme adds to the overall effect. Atangan promises to turn next to India.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)