The Sleeper

After sleeping in a cave for two hundred years, a young monk finds that he carries sacred books that can save China in a time of crisis

Grade 2-6-- In 213 b.c. the Emperor Qin Shihuangdi (Emperor Chin here) ordered all books, except those few with which he agreed, burned. In this story, a young monk is given the task of delivering the most precious books and scrolls from the library of a great Chinese monastery to the Emperor Chin, who has demanded that all books in his empire be brought to him. But events conspire against Wu and his packhorses when he is lured into a mysterious cave where two men are playing chess. Drawn into an irresistible sleep, he awakens the next morning to find that the cobwebs are thick across the entrace to the cave; believing he has overslept, he hurries to deliver his books. Actually, he has slept for 200 years, and the books he carries are the only ones to survive the Emperor's book-burning. Through those treasured possessions, a dispute about the Emperor's successor is resolved and peace in the country is restored. The watercolor illustrations suggest Chinese landscape painting, drawing viewers deep into the scenes. Some illustrations are narrow, in the manner of oriental scrolls, while others fill the page. The brilliance of the colors and the brushstrokes combine to make powerful illustrations that support both the magic of the story and the historical setting. A book that will appeal to those who want to introduce this period of Chinese history, even while it causes readers to reflect on the power of books and the effect of censorship on societies. --Susan Middleton, LaJolla Country Day School, CA
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Day's "original" folktale is a contrived mix of elements from Chinese history and folklore with a sentimentally predictable story. Wu Wing Wong, a young Buddhist monk who loves books and reading, has trouble waking up in the morning. One day the Emperor decrees that all books must be destroyed. Directed to deliver the last of the monastery's books for burning, Wu is swept away by a flooded creek. He is sheltered by two mysterious old men in a cave and inexplicably falls into a 200-year-long sleep. When he finally awakens, he is confused, but soon one of the books he carries provides the answer to a question that has provoked 200 years of war. The conflict ends and the moral is implicit: the pen is mightier than the sword. This uninspired story is enhanced by Entwisle's strikingly fluid watercolors, which far outstrip the text with their careful appreciation of Chinese painting and landscape. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.