Synopsis: This is a story told in rhyme and pictures about a magic paintbrush and the triumph of virtue over greed.

Review: The Magic Paintbrush is a delightful retelling in rhyme of what seems to be an old Chinese folk story, by Julia Donaldson who is well known for her popular ‘Gruffalo’ books amongst others. It is illustrated by Joel Stewart.

The story is about a little Chinese girl called Shen who is given a magic paintbrush by an old man and told to paint only for the poor, never the wealthy. She paints things like fish, pots and buffalo and magically they all become real as the paint dries. Eventually the Emperor hears about Shen and her magic paintbrush and demands that she paint golden coins for him. Shen refuses and is thrown into jail. Finally, she uses her gift to defeat the greedy emperor and returns to her painting to benefit the poor.

Stewart's use of watercolour and ink is beautiful, and the result is a stylised artwork that will appeal to children of all ages. The calligraphic brushstrokes are appropriate to the oriental-inspired story. I particularly liked the way the pictures breathe life into the dragon and the Emperor’s horse. Children will enjoy the story of a brave and pure-hearted child triumphing against the odds over a powerful avaricious adult, and their enjoyment will be enhanced by the rhythm and rhyme that makes it a joy to read aloud. For example:

           She draws a flower, a flying fish 

           She draws a boat at sea, 

           A hen, a hare, a dancing dog,

           A weeping willow tree. 

For me this book is visual and aural delight. I thoroughly recommend it to a quite broad age range and it will be a joy for parents to read it aloud with their children.

2008-05-17