The Magic Tapestry: A Chinese Folktale

by Demi

Demi embroiders her retelling of this ancient fairy tale from China with richly textured words and finely detailed pictures inspired by Chinese art and fabrics. Readers will be caught up in the action and enchantment of the son's heroic quest of a magic tapestry as it unfolds page by page in dazzling gold ink. Full color.

Genres: Picture Books, Folk Tales

48 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1994

About the author

Demi (September 2, 1942) born Charlotte Dumaresq Hunt, is an award-winning children’s book author and illustrator. During her career she has published over 300 titles.

Demi was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She is the great-grand daughter of the American painter William Morris Hunt, and the great-grand niece of architect Richard Morris Hunt. Demi earned her nickname as a young child when her father started calling her demi because she was half the size of her sister.

She studied art at Instituto Allende, Mexico, and with Sister Corita at the Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles. She was a Fulbright scholar at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, India where she received her Master’s degree.

Demi is known for her biographies for spiritual figures including Buddha, Krishna, Lao Tzu, Jesus, Mary (mother of Jesus), Muhammad, Rumi, Francis of Assisi, Gandhi, and the Dalai Lama.

In 1990, Demi and her husband Tze-si “Jesse” Huang represented the United States at the First Children’s International Book Conference in Beijing.

Source: Wikipedia

Reviews

[Prabhat sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Magic Tapestry by: A Chinese Folktale by Demi- Children’s Illustrated Colour Picture Book- The narrates the story of a Chinese widow and weaver from South China. Her mother and grandmother were also weavers and they had taught the art of weaving. She starts weaves a unique and exquisite design on a tapestry. She has three sons. Two elder sons are interested in sale of the tapestry for their better living. Older sons complain about the long taken to complete the tapestry, but her youngest son understood his mother, and took care of her and her family members for three long years of continuous labor at the loom. Tapestry uses her blood and tears. Youngest son cuts wood from the forest for expenditure and for cooking food in the house. When the tapestry is finished. It is beautiful and all are impressed. Fairies from Sun Mountain are aware of magic. With the help of strong air, they whisk away the tapestry. Aim of the behind taking the tapestry is that they could weave copies of it. Without the tapestry, the widow was heartbroken. She requests her eldest son set out on a quest to get it back. He reaches a palace from where he can sit on a stone horse and reach the fairies. He gets an alternate that if can take a bag of gold and leave. Eldest son takes the gifts and leaves with the gold. Second son also follows the first son. Third and youngest son reaches the palace. He follows the directions reaches the Sun palace. Fairies request him to allow them one night to copy the design. In the morning, the youngest son returns back with the tapestry. His mother is happy to open the tapestry. His mother finds that the fairy has woven itself in the design. She marries his youngest son. Coloured illustrations are delicate, beautiful, intricate, and bold. Illustrations are integral part of the magic of this ancient Chinese fairy tale. Some illustrations on the pages are so perfect they could be framed as stand-alone works of art. It is a wonderful book. I have read the Hindi language translation of this book.

[Rachel Detzler · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember getting this book from the library years ago (I think I was 10) and really loving it. I had forgotten about this book until recently -- the vague memory of a Chinese boy knocking his teeth out with a rock (a memorable illustration, to be sure) suddenly hit me, and I was like??? I need to find this book?? I tried looking for it online unsuccessfully, only to miraculously stumble on it at the library just a few weeks later. It's probably the same book that I checked out 8 years ago, which I thought was kind of neat and so immediately checked it out again. It's not as entrancing as I remember it, but the illustrations are lovely and it's definitely a nice little folktale to check out if you have any interest in Chinese folklore.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prolific author/illustrator Demi unfolds the story of a magical tapestry of great beauty in this picture book retelling of a traditional Chinese folktale. Devoting herself ceaselessly to her work for three years, a poor weaver with three sons finally produces the most gorgeous tapestry ever seen. When this fabric is stolen by the wind, each of the three sons sets out in turn to retrieve it, with the eldest two eventually turning back when faced with the hardships of the journey. Only the youngest son persists, knocking out his own teeth and enduring the Mountain of Fire and Sea of Ice in order to reach Sun Mountain, where the fairies are busily copying his mother's work. Once there, he successfully retrieves the tapestry, and finds himself rewarded with more than just fabric upon returning home...

I enjoyed The Magic Tapestry: A Chinese Folktale immensely, appreciating both the fantastical story and the gorgeous artwork accompanying it. I had encountered this story before, in Tanya Robyn Batt's The Fabrics of Fairytale: Stories Spun from Far and Wide , where it is known as The Silk Brocade—other tellings include Sue Arengo and Nancy Lane's The Magic Brocade , as well as in Aaron Shepard and Xiaojun Li's similarly titled The Magic Brocade: A Tale of China —and was happy to see it again. Demi's telling is engaging, but it is her artwork which truly steals the show! The illustrations here, done in paint and ink, are beautifully detailed, using vibrant colors (including Demi's trademark gold motifs) and featuring charming human figures. Recommended to all young folklore enthusiasts, to those seeking picture books retellings of Chinese folktales, and to fans of the artist.

[Misbah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A woman with three sons weaves the most beautiful tapestries. Her sons support her while she works day after day for years.
Soon her eldest two sons get tired of helping her and only the youngest son takes care of her while she works.
When she finishes the tapestry after the years, the eldest two argue about who gets to sell it.
The tapestry suddenly flies away and the woman is devastated. She asks her eldest to go after it and he reluctantly complies.
A man tells him the way to the tapestry but it is very difficult. The son takes jewels instead and never returns home. The second soon does the same.
The third son accepts the difficult quest and successfully returns the tapestry. He is rewarded with riches and a beautiful wife for his honesty and hard-work.


Very interesting! Its amazing how much history is often behind simple cultural practices.

[Kest Schwartzman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a little biased towards folktales about very determined craftspeople

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Long ago in China, a widow worked for years on a loom, creating an exquisite tapestry. Her two older sons complained about how long it was taking her to complete the tapestry, but her youngest son understood his mother, and took care of her through three long years of continuous labor at the loom. The finished work, woven with blood and tears, was so magical that the fairies of Sun Mountain wanted it so they could weave copies of it. When they whisked it away with a great wind, the widow was heartbroken, so the eldest son set out on a quest to get it back.
Demi's illustrations -- delicate, beautiful, intricate, and bold -- are integral to the magic of this ancient Chinese fairy tale. Some pages are so perfect they could be framed as stand-alone works of art.
A wonderful book, and well worth purchasing for your own library. Published as a picture book, but far more elegant than what you would expect in a book for children. If you can't get hold of a new copy, get a used one! Ages 6-60.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful telling of a Chinese fairy tail. The illustrations are lovely, tho I expected them to be a bit more elaborate at times. Bit still, a lovely picture book for young readers!