PENG'S VASE

A quiet test of integrity plays out in this retelling of a Chinese folktale.

In search of an heir of good character, the emperor invites all the children to the palace, including Peng, who loves to garden. Each child is given a seed and instructed to plant and care for it for one year before returning to show the fruits of their labor. The gentle narration reveals Peng’s anguish as he diligently cares for the seed only to have nothing sprout. The whimsical, softly textured illustrations exude warmth as Peng presents an empty pot to the emperor in contrast to the other children’s thriving blooms. A smiling emperor reveals that he purposefully gave them seeds that would not sprout—Peng is the only child to prove honest and courageous. While the portrayal of now Emperor Peng is charming, there are a few curious artistic choices. Much of the clothing, especially of female-presenting characters, is more similar to traditional Japanese dress rather than the contrasting layers of period Chinese dress, and many hairstyles also seem to evoke Japanese styles—an unnecessary decision that inadvertently suggests Asian cultures are interchangeable. The illustrator’s note states that the story is “set in an imaginary ancient Chinese world” and is a “uniquely personal interpretation that pays homage to the influence of Chinese art on me,” but a faithful depiction set in a real China would have been a more respectful tribute. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A few cultural inaccuracies in the art detract from an otherwise appealing rendition.