The king's clever treasurer tries to clear his name when the chief minister accuses the treasurer of stealing.
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Though the exact setting is unspecified (Turkey? the Central Asian steppes? Egypt? Greece?), this tale is nonetheless imbued with very strong atmosphere. A liberal sprinkling of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern architectural elements (minarets, onion-domes, brightly tiled roofs, window moldings right out of Aladdin ) are given a postmodern twist, enlivened by Shulevitz's stained-glass-bright watercolors and crazy-quilt graphics. Impressed with the cleverness of a simple man he meets in the desert, a king appoints him treasurer. The man quickly gains the monarch's favor--as well as the envy of the chief counselor, who plots to bring him down by accusing him of embezzlement. A search of the elderly man's home reveals a secret room, but instead of containing plunder as the wicked counselor has suggested, it's empty except for some sand and a small window--a place, the man tells the king, where he can retreat to remind himself that he's still the same simple fellow he always was. The story's message--that wealth and power don't have to corrupt, and that the measure of true wisdom is humility--carries echoes of many classic fairy tales, but the fresh delivery is Shulevitz's own. All ages.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Another provocative fable from a Caldecott medalist whose most recent book was Toddlecreek Post Office (1990). When a king meets a man who explains that his beard is black while the hair on his head is white because ``my head is older,'' the king decrees, ``You must not tell this to anyone until you have seen my face ninety-nine times.'' When the king's wily counselor tries to trick the man into breaking this edict, the man asks for only 99 copper coins in return--but they bear the king's likeness. Impressed with his cleverness, the king makes him treasurer; later, after again outwitting the jealous counselor by coming up with an honest and modest rebuttal to his false charges, he's appointed counselor in his place. Shulevitz's art--richly saturated colors, simple, angular forms, strongly energetic compositions, adroit caricatures--are a particular pleasure here, while the tale's classic structure and gentle wisdom especially recommend it for storytelling. (Picture book. 4-10) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
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Hardcover. Condition: Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Good. The king's clever treasurer tries to clear his name when the chief minister accuses the treasurer of stealing. Former library book. Mylar protector included. Moderate edgewear on the boards. Moderate shelf wear. Noticable fading due to exposure to sunlight. Please note the image in this listing is a stock photo and may not match the covers of the actual item. Ex-Library. Seller Inventory # 123598856
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Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine. Shulevitz, Uri (illustrator). 1st Ed, 1st Prt. Wry, thoughtful story about an old man, a king, a puzzling question & a secret room. Jewel-tone tempera paintings. Book is fine 1st prt- DJ is "just very good" with several tears on edges. Seller Inventory # 021560
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