PreS-Gr 4-- A Chinese folktale with a perfect blend of humor and wisdom. One spring morning, Mr. Haktak, a poor farmer, unearths a brass pot in his garden. Placing his coin purse inside for safekeeping, he carries his discovery home to his wife. After she accidently drops her hairpin inside, Mrs. Haktak reaches into the pot and, to her amazement, pulls out two identical hairpins and two matching coin purses. Quickly deducing the magic secret, husband and wife work feverishly to duplicate their few coins, creating enough gold to fill their hut. The happy couple believes their luck has finally changed for the better--until Mrs. Haktak falls head first into the pot. Using lively yet straightforward language, Hong tells this story with an engagingly playful tone. Never ready to despair, the quick-thinking woman takes charge and imaginatively solves each problem, rapidly moving the plot to a fitting resolution. The airbrushed acrylic and gouache illustrations feature a variety of circular shapes; rounded heads, cheeks, and hats reflect the image of the pot. Painted in matte tones and outlined with darker colors, the pictures are set against a simple background appropriate to life in humble surroundings. A whimsical mix of fortune and misfortune with a distinctly Chinese flavor. --Joy Fleishhacker, New York Public Library
When elderly Mr. Haktak digs up a brass pot in his garden, he takes it home to Mrs. Haktak, who discovers its magical property: everything that goes into the pot comes out double. After a long night of duplicating coins and rejoicing in their good fortune, Mrs. Haktak leans over the pot and tumbles into it, emerging with her double. In the confusion, Mr. Haktak trips and falls into the pot as well. Their amicable solution to the inconvenience of having doubles will make perfect sense to young children. There's a pleasing wholeness about this book that's characteristic of the best picture books; the text and illustrations combine seamlessly to present a total story. Hong, who also retold and illustrated "How the Ox Star Fell from Heaven" , here paints with muted colors, defining rounded forms with broad outlines. Retold with verve and gentle humor, this Chinese folktale could become a read-aloud favorite.
Editors' Choice: Books for Youth 1993, Booklist 100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know, The New York Public Library 1995-1996 Utah Children's Picture Book Award 1997-1998 Young Hoosier Book Award List (Indiana) Kaleidoscope, A Multicultural Booklist for Grades K-8, NCTE 1997
"A Chinese folktale with a perfect blend of humor and wisdom…Using lively yet straightforward language, Hong tells this story with an engagingly playful tone…A whimsical mix of fortune and misfortune with a distinctly Chinese flavor."—School Library Journal
"Lily Toy Hong's large, simple figures are energetic and often comic, set in boldly filled pages. Children will enjoy the action and the naive perspective depicting the events…There is a rich, pleasing quality to the subdued color tones of the air-brushed acrylic and gouache paintings…The visual clarity of the presentation, along with the humor and down-to-earth sense of the old couple, make this a fine book to share."—The Horn Book
"Their amicable solution to the inconvenience of having doubles will make perfect sense to young children. There's a pleasing wholeness about this book that's characteristic of the best picture books; the text and illustrations combine seamlessly to present a total story…Retold with verve and gentle humor, this Chinese folktale could become a read-aloud favorite."—Booklist
"As she did in How the Ox Star Fell from Heaven, this talented author-illustrator here distills a Chinese folktale with style and humor. Her lucid narrative is coupled with beguiling, full-page airbrushed acrylic and gouache pictures that display a distinctive palette highlighted by sumptuous blues and greens."—Publishers Weekly
"Hong's stylized illustrations, with areas of subtly muted turquoise, purples, and earth colors outlined in magic-marker-broad lines, depict cheerfully doll-like figures in a boldly graphic style that will he fine for group sharing. A lively and entertaining offering."—Kirkus Reviews