Eventually, the Emperor hears of her and her magic brush and orders her to paint him a tree growing coins. And so she does, painting first the supper for her family, and then things of necessity for the villagers. But the brush comes with a warning: she is never to paint for wealthy folk, and only for the poor. A mysterious man gives her a magic paintbrush: everything painted with the brush will come to life. Shen, a girl from a poor Chinese village, draws pictures in the sand when send by her family to gather oysters for supper. Magic Paintbrush retells an old folk story and does it well indeed. It is, however, a wonderful one and to be honest, I personally like it better than the other ones, though there isn't really much comparison to be made as their intentions and styles are different. Magic Paintbrush is also a Julia Donaldson's book, and it's also written in rhyme as most of her others, but it's not illustrated by Axel Scheffler and it's a different kind of book. If you have a child of pre-school or early school age it's likely you would have at least heard of Julia Donaldson, who, in her partnership with the illustrator Axel Scheffler has created several best-selling books for young children, including the most popular Gruffalo which spawned a true cult.

Highly recommended for children aged 4 to about 9, and parents should enjoy it too. Summary: This book offers rhymed retelling of a traditional Chinese folk story perfect for reading aloud, with beautiful illustrations and strong message about greed and artistic responsibilities.

Made with magic paintbrush