The Silk Princess

February 1, 2008
Gr 3-5-Santore's original tale is an elaboration of the legend regarding the discovery of silk some 5000 years ago during China's ancient Middle Kingdom. The Emperor's daughter watches a cocoon fall from a mulberry tree into her mother's teacup and unravel in the hot liquid. Curious, the child finds that she can stretch the single unraveled thread through the palace grounds and up onto the nearby mountain, where she meets a very old mana silk weaverwho tells her the secret of harvesting the cocoons and weaving cloth. Santore has combined paint, black and red inks, oil pastel, and colored pencil to form detailed double-page illustrations that are clearly the focus of the book. Variations of perspective add depth to his paintings; his careful choice of color and incredible detail in clothing, buildings and structures, natural landscapes, and a wonderful dragon add an element of magic. The tiny print size further emphasizes the illustrations, but makes for tedious reading. In several jarring scenes, certain characters' facesemperor, princess, and old weaverappear to be drawn from live figures while others are painted in the same Chinese folk style as the scenery. Despite the lovely pictures, this is a marginal purchase for most collections."Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2007
Santores title retells the legend of how silk was discovered. In this version, a young princess spots a cocoon tumble into her mothers teacup. Inside the liquid, the cocoon unravels, and the princess wonders how far the thread will stretch. She ties one end to her waist, hands her mother the remaining thread, and slowly walks away, letting the string unravel as she goes. Her game turns into a wild adventure that brings her past the castle walls and into the mountains, where she meets a dragon and then a wise man, who teaches her how to weave the thread into brilliant silk cloth. At last, she returns to her mother and shares her secret, to the delight of all the court. The text, printed in a font that is too small, tells an exciting, vivid tale, but its Santores exquisitely detailed artwork, combining beautiful character close-ups with scenes resembling traditional Chinese landscapes, that is so extraordinary. As in Deborah Noyes Red Butterfly, no specific sources are cited, but an authors note gives more background about the legends of silks discovery.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)