Illustrated by Ed YoungRating: Recommended
Roaring Brook Press, 2008, $16.95
ISBN: 9781596432383
Age/Grade Level: Preschool-Gr. 3
This is a philosophically enriched story by critically-acclaimed author Dennis Haseley and Caldecott Medalist Ed Young. In ancient China, a wealthy man asked the master of horse painting, Homan, to paint his favorite horse. He waited year after year, until his hair turned gray, just like the mane of his horse. Running out of patience, the wealthy man went to Homan, demanding a finished art piece. He could not believe his eyes when Homan finished the portrait in twenty heartbeats, right in front of him. Infuriated, the wealthy man followed Homan into his studio, trying to reason why he had to wait for so many years. There, he finally understood why Homan's masterpiece took so many years of waiting.
Accompanied by Young's exquisitely layered collage work, this is a story with profound meaning that is up to your interpretation.
Reviewer: Tracy Li, Orange County Public Library/Laguna Niguel Branch
