The Emperor and the Kite

The Emperor and the Kite

By Jane Yolen

Illustrated by Ed Young

Philomel Books 1988

ISBN 0021794871

The Emperor and the Kite is a fairy tale set in ancient China. The emperor has eight children. He had four sons who “were like four rising suns in the eyes of their father.” He also had three daughters who “were like three midnight moons in the eyes of their father.” However, his fourth daughter, Djeow Seow, “was like a tiny star in the emperor’s sight.” Djeow Seow was so tiny that no one paid any attention to her; so, she spent all of her time by herself and had very little love in her life. Her favorite thing to do was fly her kite. She would fly her kite every morning and evening and there was a monk who passed by every day. He would always say a prayer:

“My kite sails upward,

Mounting to the high heavens.

My soul goes on wings.”

Everything in the empire was not well and evil men came and took the emperor away right in front of Djeow Seow. They took him to a tall tower that had only one window and one door. The evil men bricked up the door and returned to the empire, telling everyone that the emperor was dead. All of the emperor’s children ran away except for Djeow Seow. She went to the tower where her father was held prisoner and built herself a hut. Every day she would give her father food by flying her kite up to the window. One day, the monk passed by and said his prayer; however, it was a bit different this time.

“My kite sails upward,

Mounting to the high heavens.

My emperor goes on wings.”

The prayer was a hint to Djeow Seow. She realized this and spent days weaving a rope. Once it was finished, she flew the rope up to her father and he was able to climb down from the window at the top of the tower. The emperor and Djeow Seow went back to the empire and threw the evil men in jail. From that point on Djeow Seow helped her father rule the empire and had all the love she wanted.

Jane Yolen’s tale of the Emperor and the Kite is well told and seems to be authentic to the culture it represents. She uses a large amount of figurative language, especially similes. Her use of figurative language brings to mind the imagery I associate with Asian literature. The illustrations are vibrant, colorful and representative of Asian style artwork. The colors are symbolic of the characters’ personalities. The king is always portrayed in golden yellows and oranges, implying that he is powerful and important like the sun. Djeow Seow is always depicted in shades of blue and green which implies that she is very calm and subdued.

1968 Caldecott Medal Honor Book

Horn Book Magazine: “It was after beginning his study of Tai Chi Chuan in the mid-1960s that he began to study and understand Chinese culture and art; this is reflected in books such as The Emperor and the Kite (Philomel) by Jane Yolen, where he uses an ancient Chinese paper-cutting technique” (Gauch).

This picture book could be used in a unit on fairy tales in different cultures. For older audiences this book could be part of an archetypes study. This story could also spark a discussion about accepting people the way they are and celebrating differences. It could be linked with the Aesop fable about the lion and the mouse.

Works Cited:

Gauch, Patricia Lee. "ED YOUNG." Horn Book Magazine 66.4 (1990): 430-435. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 30 Sept. 2010.