I did like the illustrations, which were rich in a calligraphy style. I found the text weak in comparison, both the writing and the actual typesetting, which was small and hard to read in the dim light of bedtime. I do enjoy stories of cultural art forms, and there are a growing number of picture books about Chinese calligraphy, I would check this book out again to do a homeschooling unit with others, but not a again for a stand alone story. ( )

Beautifully illustrated- I'm not familiar with 7th century artists, but the brush paintings are gorgeous. Start 'em young on art history! ( )

A beautifully illustrated tale about Wu Daozi, a real painter from the Tang Dynasty. Look puts a delightful, magical spin on this biographical story. Daozi's paintings were so realistic, they jumped right off the wall and ran away! The artwork by Meilo So is fantastically detailed and intricate and gives rich depictions of what everyday life was like in China during this time. The book has a whimsical feel and the additional information on the last page adds intrigue. Great for a unit on art or ancient China. ( )

Reminiscent of Liang and the Magic Paintbrush, but with its own lyrical prose and evocative illustrations.

A legend of the T'ang Dynasty is about a painter. Daozi was phenomenal at what he did, so the emperor paid him a visit. The emperor stated that a whole wall was for Daozi to put his creations on. By the time the painting was done, Daozi grew old. Everyone thought that Daozi walked into his painting and disappeared. ( )