While I appreciate publishers trying to keep costs down, color interior paintings would have added a lot to this book. It’s clear from the results that the interior illustrations were painted with colors much like the cover. The interior illustrations are reproduced in black and white, and while some transitioned well, others lost a lot of nuance. However, I’m not entirely impressed with the way the illustrations were printed. Fantasy lovers will have to persevere through the first two chapters that introduce the characters and setting, before getting to the magic. When you add the historical setting and fantastical elements, her skill is even more impressive. The ability to convey a child’s drawing changing to real life within a drawing itself is more complicated than most illustrations. I was impressed by Wang’s artistic skill. The cover gives some idea of the black and white interior artwork.
#The magic paintbrush full#
Each has a small illustration after the chapter title, and most have a full page illustration within the chapter. Yep has a unique historical Chinese-American spin to his version though.Ĭhapters are between 5 and 12 pages long. The tale of a magic paintbrush given to a poor boy who uses it to spread happiness is a Chinese story that has been retold many times, mostly in picture books. The first chapters are all about establishing the setting – early 1960s San Francisco – and characters. The Magic Paintbrush by Laurence Yep, illustrated by Suling Wang.įor a book with magic in the title, this book takes a while to get to the fantasy part. They are so poor that after his paintbrush split in art class, he’s afraid to go home and tell his Grandfather, knowing that a new one is not possible. HarperTrophy, HarperCollins, New York, 2000.Įight-year-old Steve’s parents and all of his belongings are gone after a tragic fire, and now he shares a single room in Chinatown with his grandfather and Uncle Fong (no relation but a childhood friend of Grandfather’s). The Magic Paintbrush by Laurence Yep, illustrated by Suling Wang.
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