The Weaving of a Dream

This is the first picture book by a woman who was previously a commercial and fantasy illustrator; it's a breathtaking debut. Using rich and pure language, Heyer retells an engrossing Chinese folktale about an old woman who weaves exquisite brocades. One day in the marketplace, she sees a painting of a palace so grand she dreams of living in it. After three years of painstaking weaving, she completes a brocade of the painting. When it is blown away by the wind, she sends each of her three sons on a dangerous quest to find it. Heyer's paintings are replete with stunning detail and lavish color. All sorts of luminous, lifelike insects, reptiles, birds and beasts populate every page, and throughout there is a perfect blending of fantasy and reality. Let's hope that this superb book is the first of many. (All ages)