More of her books, is what I want. Demi writes and lavishly illustrates books of ancient folktales which my daughters and I love. "The Empty Pot" tells the story of a child who, guided by his father, chooses honesty over winning a contest which will determine the next emperor. Demi's painting is in the style of chinese painting; in "Firebird", which takes place in Russia, the illustrations remind one of lacquered Palekh boxes. There is nothing cartoon-y or insipid in either the stories or the pictures. Instead, one is drawn to the intricacy and richness of detail, in both word and illustration. Before a child is reading, he is spending thousands of hours hearing words and seeing pictures. It seems to me after seven years and countless hours of reading mountains of books that goodness, truth and beauty in the spoken word and illustrations are crucial to their formation.
Beth
P.S. Not to be confused with the Hollywood version who shares the author's name.
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