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sean67's review
3.0
A spin on the old tale with firstly a Chinese spin and secondly a change to make the emperor less villain and more heroic here. Nice little tale, and good to see it transcend cultural differences.
tashrow's review against another edition
5.0
This picture book is a twist on the traditional tale, this time with the emperor being part of the trick rather than solely the tailors. When young emperor Ming Da discovers that his advisors are stealing from him, he comes up with a clever way to expose their misdeeds. Enlisting the help of his tailors, Ming Da dresses in burlap sacks, telling his advisors that they only look like sacks to those who are dishonest, otherwise they look like the finest silks. The three advisors soon have their own sacks to wear in the entourage, since they can’t admit their dishonesty. With a focus on helping the poor and being honest, this picture book is an engaging twist on the original. The illustrations pay homage to the Chinese setting by incorporating more formal framing at times. Look for small creatures watching the action along with the reader and the looks of delight as the tailors trap the advisors in their lies. A great book to share aloud, with a young hero who puts others before himself.
kindredbooks's review against another edition
4.0
When I first picked up this children's book at the public library, my first thought was, I loved the original story for this - The Emperor's New Clothes! And then I realized something - I had actually never read the original Hans Christian Andersen's story. What I read when I was a child was actually another adaptation - The Penguin Emperor's New Clothes. Nevertheless, I really wanted to see this Chinese twist to the classic tale.
And I loved it. I loved the story and the elements that were used to create this clever story and the young emperor's way to help his people. This adaptation keeps the fun and intrigue of the trick that the emperor uses and it's a lovely story that portrays truth reigning over lies and deceit.
It's definitely a great adaptation and I recommend it for a little diversity in children's books.
And I loved it. I loved the story and the elements that were used to create this clever story and the young emperor's way to help his people. This adaptation keeps the fun and intrigue of the trick that the emperor uses and it's a lovely story that portrays truth reigning over lies and deceit.
It's definitely a great adaptation and I recommend it for a little diversity in children's books.
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