In a Chinese version of Tom Thumb, Little Plum, a tiny boy no bigger than a plum seed, proves his worth by helping his father farm his land and by defeating the wicked lord and his soldiers who attack their village.
Ed Young is the illustrator of more than eighty books for children, seventeen of which he has also written. Among his books is the Caldecott Medal winner Lon Po Po, which he both wrote and illustrated. He says that his work is inspired by the philosophy of Chinese painting. He lives in Westchester County, New York.
An elderly couple wishes for a child and receive a boy no bigger than a plum seed. Despite his size he can do whatever he is called upon to do and ends up using his unusual size to save the harvest from the city officials who robbed the villagers.