The Dragon's Pearl by Julie Lawson

Lawson, J. (1993). The dragon’s pearl. New York: Clarion Books.

Summary

Xiao Sheng is a young boy with hopes and dreams of what tomorrow will bring. Forced by survival, Xiao Sheng must cut and sell grass from the fields in order to help him and his mother make money. When a severe drought hits his village, Xiao Sheng finds a pearl hidden amongst some magical grass. When he takes it home, he realizes it is a magical pearl. However, when two dangerous men come looking for wealth, Xiao Sheng soon understands the magic of the pearl.

Advisory Information:

-Themes:

a. Treat Others as You Wish to be treated: Even the lowliest of villagers are helped by Xiao Sheng and his mother when they do become wealthy.

b. Cultural Tales: This book is Julie Lawson’s retelling of a Chinese myth.

c. Sacrifices: Xiao Sheng understands the life he must sacrifice at the end of the book.

-Age Recommendation:

I would recommend this picture book to readers aged 3 – 7. Younger readers will enjoy the pictures while juvenile readers will enjoy reading the text.

-Other Information:

At the conclusion of the book, Julie Lawson includes an afterword about the importance of Dragons in Chinese culture.

The book was illustrated by Paul Morin.

Awards include:
Short-listed for the Ruth Schwartz Award and the CLA Book of the Year Award
Winner of the Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Award for illustrations.
U.S. 1993 NAPPA Award for Folklore (National Parenting Publications Award)

Reaction:

I thought that this book is an interesting look at the Chinese culture. Unlike Paul Yee’s Dead Man Gold and Other Stories, this book focuses on Chinese culture with positive effects. What happens to Xiao Sheng, while somewhat tragic, becomes a saving grace for his mother and the village. He is seen with respect in the eyes of the community. I also think that the illustrations tie the morals and themes of the story well.