The Seeds of Peace - Hardcover

Berkeley, Laura

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 184148007X ISBN 13: 9781841480077

Publisher: Barefoot Books, 1999

Synopsis

The merchant who lives in the mansion at the end of the rainbow sends for the hermit who lives at the other end to learn how to find peace and be happy, and even though the hermit declines the accomodations and the company the merchant offers him, he does manage to leave something behind from which peace can grow.The merchant at the end of the rainbow sends for the hermit at the other end to learn how to find peace and be happy, and even though the hermit declines what the merchant offers him, he does manage to leave something behind from which peace can grow

About this title

From Publishers Weekly:

In her first children's book, Berkeley spins a rather thin fable with a timeless if well-worn message. An old hermit who lives frugally in a rocky cave that is "colored by the end of a rainbow" receives a visit from a young traveler who lives at the opposite end of the rainbow, near a treasure-filled mansion. When the young man asks the hermit what treasures lie at his end of the rainbow, the elderly man responds, "Peace and happiness." Later, when the traveler himself moves into the mansion filled with riches, he realizes that he is still unhappy and sends for the hermit, hoping he will bring happiness. Predictably, this doesn't happen, nor does the wealthy man comprehend the hermit's wordy explanation concerning the key to contentment, which may baffle youngsters as well. Ironically, the message of the importance of simplicity gets lost in Berkeley's complicated, text-laden narrative, which ends abruptly and ambiguously. Far more effective is Dexter's (The Blessing Seed) watercolor art, in which the colors seem to flow like a hand-painted silk scarf. The lovely muted palette of teal, rust, deep rose and celadon hues at times resembles stained glass; the paintings almost seem lit from behind. The illustrations offer a fitting balance of the simple and the complexAeven if the text does not. Ages 4-12. (Aug.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews:

Less is more becomes the central theme of this preachy parable with biblical overtones from Berkeley, kaleidoscopically illustrated by Dexter (Caitln Matthews's The Blessing Seed, 1998). The author structures her didactic tale around an old hermit who lives at one end of the rainbow. At the other end resides a rich, young merchant with plenty of material wealth, who seeks elusive peace and happiness. After summoning the old hermit to teach him his secret to peace and happiness, he has difficulty understanding the hermit's simple ways. The old man keeps to himself, sleeps under a tree, and talks with the animals rather than partaking in all of the wonders of the merchant's mansion. The overriding ``peace is within'' message is heavyhanded throughout, but when the gray-bearded hermit imparts his final wisdom in a vaporous speech, children may be more perplexed than peaceful. Admirable batik-like illustrations glitter with all the colors of the rainbow, but without a strong story, they create more pattern and decorative mosaic than character and emotion. (Picture book. 4-7) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

About this edition

• Publisher: Barefoot Books
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 184148007X
• ISBN 13: 9781841480077
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Dexter Alison