cover image Bawshou Rescues the Sun: A Han Folktale

Bawshou Rescues the Sun: A Han Folktale

Junjian Ye, Chun-Chan Yeh. Scholastic, $13.95 (1pp) ISBN 978-0-590-45453-7

Vibrant illustrations highlight this retelling of an ancient Chinese folktale. Thousands of years ago, the King of Devils steals the sun, plunging the land into darkness. Bawshou sets out to rescue the sun, a task his father attempted unsuccessfully. Accompanied by a golden phoenix and guided by a shining star--the spirit of his dead father--Bawshou crosses swollen rivers, outwits evil villagers and eventually battles the King of Devils himself before liberating the sun from the devils' rocky outcropping. As retold by Baillie ( Drac and the Gremlin ) and Chun-Chan Yeh, the story unfolds gracefully in the leisurely style of oral narrative. It truly comes alive through the mixed-media artwork of first-time illustrator Powell. Though her characters' faces are rudimentary, her use of color and silhouettes--some clearly inspired by Chinese paper cutouts--is particularly striking. In a delicate ink-and-watercolor painting evocative of traditional Chinese brush-stroke, Bawshou's mother stands beneath a blossoming tree, surveying her rice paddy. Later, Bawshou is swept along by a river that is a foaming swirl of jewel-toned blues, greens and violets. These collaborators conjure up a folktale mood with plenty of child appeal. Ages 5-8. (Apr.)