The Great Voyages of Zheng He

by Demi, Demi (Illustrator)

Overview

Imagine looking out to sea and watching over three hundred gargantuan ships, their flaming red sails caught in the wind, approaching your shore. What wonders of the world would be found on those ships?

Over 600 hundred years ago, Emperor Zhu Di of China decided to build the greatest naval fleet the world had ever seen to befriend and trade with countries throughout Asia and Africa. The admiral of this diplomatic and treasure-gathering fleet was a brilliant and peace-loving man named Zheng He.

Between 1405 and 1431, Zheng He led seven voyages of the treasure fleets, each bringing a message of friendship and peace between China and the other countries of the world. Through his leadership, these expeditions extended China s influence and brought it great treasures in trade and tribute, making China the first world superpower.

In this account of Zheng He s amazing life, award-winning author and illustrator Demi recreates the grandeur and enthusiasm of these naval voyages with her signature detailed artwork. She introduces us to this larger-than-life figure who dreamed of a world where the best of mankind was peacefully shared and celebrated, a world of intellectual growth and religious tolerance, and a world of everlasting, worldwide peace.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781885008770
Publisher:	Lee & Low Books
Publication date:	09/01/2012
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	64
File size:	44 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	7 - 13 Years

About the Author

Demi is the author and illustrator of more than one hundred fifty books for children. She is known for her perceptive texts and elegant illustrations with golden accents, and for her biographies of major historical figures from around the world, including religious figures like Buddha, Muhammad, Jesus, and Mary. Her books have been named New York Times Best Illustrated Books, recognized with ALA Notable Children's Books and Notable Books for a Global Society citations, and won the Christopher Award, which recognizes individuals whose work makes a positive difference in the world. Demi has traveled extensively and studied art in Mexico, India, and China. She lives in Yarrow Point, Washington.

Editorial Reviews

Demi’s account of 15th-century Chinese explorer Zheng He is enlivened by images of the dazzling wealth his fleet carried back to China: “Precious ambergris used for medicine, cowrie shells, sapphires, rubies, oriental topaz, and Persian carpets filled the Forbidden City.” His 62 “Treasure Ships” were the largest the world had ever seen, but Zheng He also displayed a wealth of intellect and imagination that allowed him to embrace religious tolerance and open-mindedness—an attitude that might have had its source in his status as a Muslim in China. After a war in Ceylon, a statue he erected there “addressed Buddha, Shiva, and Allah, offering thanks for their compassion and moral virtue.” Demi’s skill as a biographer is on display, with details and context that add life and clarity. Her Persian miniature–like illustrations teach, too, showing the building of one of the fleet’s ships and a portrait of Zheng He’s burial at sea. It’s especially valuable as a portrait of a hero whose adventures were driven not by the hunger to conquer, but by a desire simply to know and be known. Ages 8–up. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

Gr 4–6—This glowing tribute to the 15th-century Chinese admiral describes the seven voyages Zheng He commanded, commissioned by the third Ming emperor, Zhu Di. Overseeing a fleet of more than 300 ships, sailing on the world's largest wooden vessels, and commanding a navy of more than 27,000 men required a larger-than-life figure. Zheng He is described as not only a large man with a powerful voice but also as educated, skilled in diplomacy, and having ideas far ahead of his time. The voyages he commanded were designed to set up and reinforce diplomatic relations. Each commission returned loaded with riches and ambassadors from faraway ports. His travels are documented as sailing as far west and south as southern Kenya, but Demi hints at the theory that the fleets found their way to Australia and the New World, beating Columbus by 70 years. All records were destroyed after the emperor's death and China turned inward, leaving the ships to rot. After Zheng He's death at sea, the navy crumbled. Descriptions of the ships; details of the riches they traded, including giraffes and other animals; and battles with pirates all add interest. A map tracks the general path of all seven voyages with a single line. Done in her signature gold, finely patterned borders and Chinese red, Demi's images evoke a sense of time and place. No source information is provided. Units on explorers and China will be enriched by this offering.—Carol S. Surges, Longfellow Middle School, Wauwatosa, WI

School Library Journal