The Warrior and the Wise Man

From Publishers Weekly This "entertaining and instructive parable," an original folktale about an emperor and his twin sons in ancient Japan, is "brought to life skillfully with dramatic cut-paper illustrations," said PW. Ages 5-up. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From School Library Journal Kindergarten-Grade 3-- An original tale based on the warrior/wise man theme. Wisniewski's research into Japanese art, culture, and religious history is revealed in the details of the illustrations. And what illustrations they are! The exquisite fine lines and perception of depth truly add new dimension to the art of paper cutting. Bold black silhouettes and multiple tones of basic earth hues accentuate these qualities and create the sense of looking into a panoramic box. The tactile quality of the work is such that one can almost feel the sharpness of the paper's edge. At the same time, these pages reflect power and a luminous quality reminiscent of a film cell. There is both continuity and dramatic contrast from page to page as seen in the color shifts from one scene to the next. On first glance it appears that very different palettes were used for different pages, but a closer look reveals that the dominant colors in some spreads had highlighted previous pages. The first double-page spread captures the essence of dramatic contrast as the warrior brother is pictured in an actively charged pose on one side and the wise brother in a quietly serene one on the other. A large tree between ties these scenes together and symbolizes the strength of the twins' relationship, which is also one of the strengths of this story. Although wrong-headed, the warrior brother is not portrayed as thoroughly evil; thus the bond between the brothers can be maintained, and finally they can live together in wisdom and harmony. A brilliant first book. --Kay E. Vandergrift, School of Communication, Information and Library Studies, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J.Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.