Authors: Demi.
Hardcover, 40 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: 1997-04-01


Reviews :

    A reward of one grain of rice doubles day by day into millions of grains of rice when a selfish raja is outwitted by a clever village girl. ...

    Exotic, beautiful, and instructive, this "mathematical folktale" by author-illustrator Demi emerged from her love of India. The narrative and the evocative illustrations combine to create a real sense of the culture and atmosphere of this romantic land.

It's the story of Rani, a clever girl who outsmarts a very selfish raja and saves her village. When offered a reward for a good deed, she asks only for one grain of rice, doubled each day for 30 days. Remember your math? That's lots of rice: enough to feed a village for a good long time--and to teach a greedy raja a lesson....

Authors:
Hardcover, 40 pages
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Publication Date: 2003-10-01
Edition: 1st

Reviews :

   

From his very first day of life, when he rises from his bath to pray to God, it is clear that Nicholas is a miraculous child with a spiritual destiny. As he grows he is deeply saddened by the sickness, suffering, and death that he witnesses every day. Looking to use his special gifts to affect change in the often desperate world around him, Nicholas dedicates his life to worshiping the Lord and helping those in need. Through his good works, Nicholas becomes the youngest man to ever become a bishop and the patron saint of seafarers, children, and prisoners. He performs more than twenty miracles, including bringing those wrongly killed back to life and going to people in need as an apparition, providing solace and inspiration.

In The Legend of Saint Nicholas, Demi describes pivotal events in the history and life of the saint, weaving a rich tapestry of luminous imagery into the story of his connection with Christmas and our modern-day Santa Claus. Demi's gilded artwork brings Nicholas to life in a way sure to mesmerize readers new to the story of this fascinating and important historical figure....

Authors:
Paperback, 32 pages
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication Date: 1996-09-15


Reviews :

    An IRA-CBC Children's Choice.

An American Bookseller "Pick of the Lists."
...

Authors: Demi.
Hardcover, 24 pages
Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 2003-11-11


Reviews :

    “In a book that is itself a celebration, Demi explains the rituals and ideas behind the Chinese New Year festival. The last 15 days of the old year are spent cleaning and preparing (‘Wash your hair and get a new haircut. Pay the debts that you owe and collect what is owed to you!’). On the eve of the new moon, a special feast is prepared. . . . The first 15 days of the new year are spent celebrating with lion dances, firecrackers, and other activities. Demi’s characteristic tiny, lively figures illustrate each page, with several spreads devoted to small, labeled pictures identifying things associated with the holiday. Infused with joy and filled with information.”—Booklist...

    Kung-Hsi Fa-Ts’Ai! Happy New Year! The Chinese New Year is all about fresh starts. Taking place during China’s springtime (usually January or February in the Western calendar), celebrations include sweeping and dusting, paying off debts, catching up on homework, cooking and eating, setting off firecrackers, and dancing. Acclaimed author/illustrator Demi’s delightful little ode to the Chinese New Year describes in intriguing detail each of these festivities and more. Accompanying the text are Demi’s intricate and vibrant illustrations featuring Chinese children and adults participating exuberantly in each event--even mopping floors and washing hair seem like joyful occasions! We learn about the symbols behind traditional foods: "Pork brings wealth," "Sweet-and-sour fish signifies surplus," "Fried rice symbolizes harmony and plenty." And we marvel at the gorgeous dragons, lions, kites, and door guardians that dance, fly, and stand guard throughout the days of the New Year.

Demi’s interest in Eastern traditional celebrations and lore are reflected in many of her other works for children: Buddha, Liang and the Magic Paintbrush, and another Chinese New Year title, Happy New Year/Kung-Hsi Fa-Ts'ai!. (Ages 5 to 8) --Emilie Coulter...

Authors:
Hardcover, 40 pages
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Publication Date: 2004-02-24
Edition: 1st

Reviews :

    Emperor Ping, the boy emperor known for his love of harmony, sets a challenge to the children of his kingdom: show him the greatest power in the world. "To know the greatest power in the world is to know the greatest peace," Emperor Ping announces. "Whoever knows this harmony will become the new prime minister."

The children get to work right away and have many bright ideas. The greatest power must be weapons! It must be beauty! It must be money!

But as a young girl named Sing reflects upon the challenge, she wonders how any of those things, which cannot last forever, could be the greatest power in the world. She is certain there is something even more powerful, and the source of this power will surprise and delight her.

A companion to Demi's stunning picture book The Empty Pot, The Greatest Power continues the story of Ping now that he has become an emperor. With striking artwork and a lovely, lyrical text, this next chapter in Emperor Ping's life is sure to enrapture young readers....

Authors:
Paperback, 32 pages
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication Date: 1988-07-15


Reviews :

    ...

Authors:
Hardcover, 48 pages
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication Date: 1996-04-15
Edition: 1st

Reviews :

    Many centuries ago, in a kingdom in the foothills of the Himalayan mountains, a miraculous child was born to the king and queen. The young prince, Siddhartha, was raised in the greatest luxury, sheltered from all pain and ugliness. But one day Siddhartha left the palace and saw, for the first time, human suffering and death. He knew then that he must relinquish everything-- his family, his wealth, his position-- to discover the Truth of life and death. With only a few humble possessions, he began a remarkable spiritual journey that ended many years later under a bodhi tree. There he finally discovered the Truth and became an Enlightened One, a Buddha. The Buddha taught the Truth and the path to inner peace for forty-five years, attracting thousands of disciples. Today millions of people around the world live by his teachings.

Demi's exquisite illustrations, inspired by the paintings and sculptures of several Asian cultures, are layered with meaning; each brush stroke has a special significance. Demi, herself a Buddhist, brings her devotion to the teachings of the Buddha and her vast knowledge of his life to this comprehensive picture-book biography of an extraordinary spiritual leader.
...

    Celebrated children's-book illustrator Demi puts the Buddha's life story into words any child can enjoy. Even more, children will love the lush, meticulously painted scenes, rendered in traditional Asian fashion yet as light and whimsical as Calvin and Hobbes. (Ages 9 to 12.)...

Authors: Demi. Lao Tzu.
Hardcover, 48 pages
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Publication Date: 2007-05-08


Reviews :

   

THIS IS THE LEGEND OF LAO TZU,

who may or may not have been born; who may or may not have founded Taoism, on of the greatest religions in the world; and who may or may not have written one of the greatest books of wisdom in the world: the Tao Te Ching, or the "Way of Heaven."

This thoughtful and thought-provoking book opens with a biography of Lao Tzu, the mysterious philosopher who is said to have been born at the age of eighty-one with snow-white hair, the ability to walk and talk, and unparalleled wisdom. Many credit him with creating the Tao Te Ching, which was written for the good of all humankind. Twenty of the eighty-one passages of the Tao Te Ching are included here, paired with stunning illustrations by the award-winning artist Demi. On topics ranging from silence to moderation, from governing to the balance of earth and heaven, these passages carry a powerful message and are sure to give each and every reader something new to consider....

Authors:
Hardcover, 52 pages
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Publication Date: 2007-09-11


Reviews :

    Smoke, fire, dragons, wisdom, fear, and bravery...All of these elements are brought to life by award-winning author and artist Demi in a story of valor in the face of overwhelming fear.

With splashes of color and dramatic detail, a boy named Ping decorates his home with paintings of dragons. While they seem to be a proclamation of his love for dragons, they are actually an expression of his deepest fear. The Heavenly Dragon visits Ping after being impressed with the boy's outward declaration of love and respect for dragons and presents the boy with three pearls of wisdom. With bold and expansive illustrations that sweep across the pages, Demi's triumphant tale proves that the greatest fear of fear itself is one that can be conquered with truth and bravery....

Authors:
Hardcover, 48 pages
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Publication Date: 2003-07-01
Edition: 1st

Reviews :

   

Muhammad
is
the messenger of Islam.

Born in Mecca in the year 570, Muhammad grew into a sensitive and thoughtful man who believed deeply in the worship of one true god.

In his fortieth year, Muhammad experienced a revelation from the angel Gabriel that he, Muhammad, was the messenger of God. Over the next twenty-three years, he received many such revelations, all of which were written down by scribes at the time of revelation to become the Koran, the sacred scripture of Islam, a religion that is practiced by nearly one-quarter of the world's population and holds as its most sacred tenet that there is no god but God.

Through a clear text and stunning illustrations based upon those of traditional Islamic expression, the award-winning artist Demi here introduces the remarkable life of the Prophet Muhammad for young readers....