Kubla Khan: The Emperor of Everything - Hardcover

Krull, Kathleen

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0670011142 ISBN 13: 9780670011148

Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers, 2010

Synopsis

Always cast in a supporting role in the many books about Marco Polo, the great Kubla Khan now takes center stage in a splendid picture-book biography. He is a wonderful subject-a man who liked to live large, building the imperial city of Beijing from scratch, siring a hundred children, throwing birthday bashes for 40,000 guests. He ruled over the greatest empire of the time, one that was lightyears ahead of Western civilization in terms of the arts, sciences, and technology. With astonishingly beautiful and detailed illustrations by Robert Byrd and a clever text by Kathleen Krull, this portrait finally gives Kubla Khan his due.

About this title

About the Author

Mr. Byrd is a successful commercial artist and children's book illustrator whose award-winning picture books include The Bear and the Bird King. Robert Byrd lives in Haddonfield, New Jersey.

Reviews

Gr 3-6–Krull's clear and lively text describes Kubla Khan's life beginning with his earliest days, when he shot his first rabbit. According to legend, under his grandfather Genghis Khan's guidance, he ate a mixture of its meat and his own blood in a ritual to bring him luck and declare him “worthy of the hunt.” During Kubla's reign, he became the first Emperor of the Yuan dynasty. To keep this vast area in check, he knew he would have to live in China and built a city worthy of an emperor. This lavish capital became Beijing. Krull depicts her subject as a wise, if not beloved, ruler. She includes an adequate bibliography with materials for both adults and young readers, but what she makes clear in her note is the relatively scant availability of primary sources. Much of what we know is derived from the fairly unreliable writings of Marco Polo. The colorful and appealing artwork integrates well with the text–the illustrator has also done significant research. Some portraits of Kubla Khan exist, both Chinese and European, but whether they are accurate is unclear. Byrd relied on the work of Eastern artists to inform his art so that the illustrations themselves echo what one may find in Chinese art and Mongolian design of the period. Little has been written for young readers about Kubla Khan, and this is a worthy addition for all collections.Barbara Scotto, Children's Literature New England, Brookline, MA
© Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

It’s a tricky task to re-create the life of the famed Mongolian ruler, as reliable information on the man is scanty, but Krull assembles a convincingly grand impression of Kubla Khan and his vast accomplishments. The grandson of the warlord Genghis Khan, Kubla would eventually become the first emperor of China’s Yuan dynasty, and a remarkably enlightened one, stressing knowledge, the arts, and quality of life (though he wasn’t above resorting to some serious savagery during his ascendancy). The grandiosity of his reign is well depicted in Byrd’s Eastern-style artwork, which provides a subtle buttress to the narrative arc, from the earthy tones of Kubla’s nomadic childhood to the regal coloring and intricate designs of his luxurious reign to the husky sunset of his final years. Krull underscores Kubla’s worldwide significance by extrapolating how his meeting with Marco Polo helped spark the European age of exploration. A list of sources—with those best suited for young readers handily denoted—concludes the book, a solid choice for reports that is also scintillating enough for pleasure reading. Grades 3-5. --Ian Chipman

Edition details

• Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0670011142
• ISBN 13: 9780670011148
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Byrd Robert
• Number of pages: 48