Night Visitors - Hardcover

Young, Ed

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0399227318 ISBN 13: 9780399227318

Publisher: Philomel, 1995

Synopsis

When his father threatens to flood out the ants that have invaded his storehouse, young Ho Kuan protests, and one night, he follows the ants to their secret kingdom, in a story based on an ancient Chinese folktale.

About this title

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3?Both the title and the wonderfully evocative jacket art hint at the inscrutable Chinese folktale within. When ants invade the family's rice storehouse, Ho Kuan's father threatens to drown the insects' nest if the boy is unable to seal the walls and floor. The ensuing events begin at midnight, when black-armored soldiers summon Ho to His Majesty's Palace, a journey of many days. The King is so impressed with the young man's kindness that he gives his daughter to him in marriage. The couple's happy days are cut short by an attack of red-armored warriors during which Ho's wife is killed. After training the King's army in the martial arts to drive away the invaders, he returns home with a promise from the King of finding a token of his gratitude under a cassia tree. Ho awakes believing the sequence was a dream until a line of ants leads him to the tree and a jar of silver coins, which he spends on sealing the storehouse. The crisp text is a perfect foil for the shadowy backgrounds and predominantly black and ivory spreads, which effectively heighten the drama as it unfolds. The Rorschach-like images created by the texture of the pastels offer smoky clues to the ant colony. The deftly crafted story concludes with a message of respect for all forms of life. An author's note cites the two sources for his retelling. Intriguing, mystical, and engaging.?Julie Cummins, New York Public Library
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly

In this ambitious but hazy picture book, Caldecott Medalist Young relies on a string of ambiguities to deliver an unequivocal message. Soon after the young scholar Ho Kuan protests his parents' plan to kill the ants that invade their rice storehouse, "night visitors" in the form of black-armored soldiers escort Ho Kuan to the king's palace, where he lives happily until an attack by an army of red ants. But perhaps the phrase "night visitors" is a metaphor, signifying a dream-which Ho Kuan's adventure seems to have been. Upon wakening, however, Ho Kuan is led by black ants to the hidden treasure promised to him in his dream. Illustrations provide further metaphors. In one spread, for example, ant-like warriors (or warrior-like ants) march along a distant field; above them, a sunset merges with an image of weeping human eyes that peer over the vast horizon. While paradoxes reign-reality vs. dreams, war for the sake of peace-the nature of Ho Kuan's heroism is never in doubt. He has respected life in all its forms, "no matter how small." Despite the worthiness of the lesson, the storytelling and the illustrations may be too sophisticated for young readers. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Philomel
• Publication date: 1995
• ISBN 10: 0399227318
• ISBN 13: 9780399227318
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 1