Liang and the Magic Paintbrush (Reading Rainbow Book)

By Demi

Book Overview

When a poor boy in China receives a magical paintbrush, everything he paints turns to life. But the wicked emperor wants to capture the boy when he hears the news. The story will excite readers as the ruler gets his just reward when the boy creates a masterpiece that spells his doom.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805008012
• ISBN13: 9780805008012
• Release Date: July 1988
• Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.24 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 8.0" x 7.8"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

rapid service...

the book came in the condition advertised and in an expeditious manner, very happy with this seller's promptness and professionalism!

Good, but not Demi's best

This is a simple story with beautiful pictures, though it's not particularly engaging. Neither my kids nor I enjoy it as much as our other Demi favorites -- One Grain of Rice, Firebird, and The Empty Pot -- which we adore. These other three not only have superlative pictures but wonderful stories, each in different ways.

A resourceful boy triumphs over evil...

In this lively tale, a poor boy in China who longs to paint is given a magic paintbrush by a mysterious visitor. Suddenly the boy has the power to bring life to things that he paints. Liang uses this gift for good, until he must use his skill to outsmart an evil emperor who wants to use the magic brush for his own greedy purposes. The ending is a bit troublesome- not as completely fair and peaceful as we might like - but then, the tale is based on an old Chinese legend which, like Grimms' fairy tales, were probably a lot more scary than story books today. Still, the story is wonderful and exciting and the illustrations, though subtle, are lovely --delicate but colorful ink and watercolor drawings with lots of detail.