The HEAVENLY HORSE - Hardcover

Grade 3-5-- A Chinese emperor is so worried about protecting his possessions and power that he loses the joy and love he once knew. A wayfarer comes to the palace and promises that the tale he offers in exchange for food will restore the ruler's happiness. He tells of a faraway place in which the son of a poor, kind farmer leaves his home in search of the ``real world.'' This young man rides a magical horse that will return him to his valley once his curiosity is satisfied. After days of exploring and nights filled with vivid dreams, he and his steed are captured and brought before the emperor. In the royal court, he meets the emperor's daughter and the two fall in love on sight. It is only then that the emperor remembers what is real, and he and his wife ride off together on the heavenly horse to the idyllic land of the farmer. The string of events that weaves in and out of a story within a story and real and dream worlds is pretty confusing on first reading and pretty boring on the second. The prose is singsong, undistinguished, and without dramatic interest or tension. Some of the watercolor illustrations are attractive, but most are cluttered and only reinforce the overly busy tone of the text. --Barbara Peklo Abrahams, Oneida City Schools, Manlius, NY
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