Brush with Magic by William J. Brooke, Michael Koelsch (Illustrator)

Product Details

Synopsis

Liang, a poor orphan in ancient China, dreams of entering the Court of the Emperor. When the Emperor discovers that Liang can use his paintbrush to bring his canvas to life, Liang gets his invitation. However, Liang's arrival is not all he'd hoped for. He soon discovers that magic can also be used for evil, and the eye and the heart can play tricks of their own.

Annotation

Liang, an orphan boy with a magic paintbrush that brings to life whatever he paints, travels to the court of the Emperor of China to find his fortune and true love.

Children's Literature

This fantasy/adventure novel, set in ancient China, is loosely based on the Chinese folktale "Liang and the Magic Paintbrush." Although the basic plot remains the same, in this longer version the story is embellished with details relating to intrigue and romance, and the character of Liang as well as other intriguing characters like the monkey/human, Monk-Li, are further developed. The author does a very good job of recreating a semi-mythical, Chinese world where magic can bring monkeys and dragons to life. Philosophical ideas about creativity are skillfully interwoven with exciting action to form a novel that promotes introspection as well as an appreciation of adventure.