The Ant and the Grasshopper - Hardcover

Lowry, Amy

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0823414779 ISBN 13: 9780823414772

Publisher: Holiday House, 2000

Synopsis

Stunning paintings and an expressive retelling blend Eastern and Western traditions to bring new meaning to a tale by Aesop, which is set in the Imperial Chinese Emperor's Summer Palace.

About this title

About the Author:

Amy Lowry Poole lived near the Summer Palace in Beijing, China for four years. There, she studied scroll making and worked alongside Chinese artists. Her paintings have been shown in galleries and museums in Beijing, Chicago, New York, and Maine. She now lives part of the year in Chicago, Illinois, with her three daughters and spends summers with them on a farm in Camden, Maine.

From Booklist:

Aesop's fable is transported to the Chinese Emperor's summer palace, and it is an effective move. Most versions of this fable fail to go beyond the basic message, but Poole's paintings and simple text capture the wistful nature of this story, evoking the lazy days and magical nights of summer. The ants here may be thinking in the long term, but they are so busy working that they fail to see the beauty around them; the grasshopper may be doomed but appreciates the summer more than the busy ants. Poole uses ink and gouache on rice paper in double-page spreads to capture the style, subtle colors, and mistiness of traditional Chinese paintings. Yet her pictures aren't merely imitative--they're heightened with an added layer of Western energy. And, although simple, many of the illustrations feature surprising details, such as the animals outlined in the subterranean reaches of the ants' chambers. A wonderfully refreshing spin on the familiar fable. Todd Morning
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About this edition

• Publisher: Holiday House
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0823414779
• ISBN 13: 9780823414772
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32