my friend chrissie posted on my facebook wall, an npr article, 8 picture books that make us wish we were a kid again. lenore look and meilo so's the brush of the gods was listed as one of the eight.
the brush of the gods is a truly beautiful book. it is the story of wu daozi, a great chinese painter. as a child, he took a calligraphy class but was unable to make characters because they always turned into beautiful creatures like fish or horses. he then began painting murals and was called flying sleeves because that is what his sleeves looked like when he painted.
then one day his paintings start to become alive. the monks called him a liar and people stopped following him, but the children were still in awe of his paintings. it is then discovered that he had the brush of the gods. the emperor then commissioned him for a great masterpiece. he worked until he became an old man. he revealed his masterpiece, a painting of paradise, and then walked into it. as the epilogue explained the mystery behind the year he died only adds to the myth that he walked into his painting.
a truly beautiful tale that is matched by even beautiful pictures. here are my favorite but you should check it out to see it for yourself!
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