The Emperor and the Kite

by Jane Yolen, Ed Young (Illustrator)

Largely ignored by her own family, Princess Djeow Seow spends her days playing with a kite made from paper and sticks. But when the Emperor is imprisoned in a high tower, only the Princess can save the day, flying her kite high up into the sky to rescue her father.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, China, Cultural, Family, Folk Tales, Fiction

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1967

About the author

Jane Yolen is a novelist, poet, fantasist, journalist, songwriter, storyteller, folklorist, and children’s book author who has written more than three hundred books. Her accolades include the Caldecott Medal, two Nebula Awards, the World Fantasy Award, three Mythopoeic Awards, the Kerlan Award, two Christopher Awards, and six honorary doctorate degrees from colleges and universities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Born and raised in New York City, the mother of three and the grandmother of six, Yolen lives in Massachusetts and St. Andrews, Scotland.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about size. It’s not how big or important you really are, but what you actually do as a person. The Emperor had 8 children and Djeow Seow was the smallest. So small, she was ignored by her father as insignificant. She liked to fly kites.

One day the Emperor is kidnapped and a takeover of his kingdom happens. His big children weep and are worthless, but his little daughter is able to rescue him. I love how she does this. I’m sure you can guess. The artwork is interesting and fits the story well, I think.

The kids liked the story and thought the kite the girl flew looked like fun. They didn’t think it was as great as I did, but they liked that the little girl saved the father. The nephew loves when this happens. He likes to think he can do anything. He gave this 4 stars and the niece gave this 3 stars. She thought it was predictable. She is very smart and figures most stories out.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has the kind of illustrations I wish that I had done. They’re the type that seem as though they’d be easy and fun to create but that I’d never have thought of until I saw them. They’re unlike any other art I’ve seen; the book indicates a papercut technique is used.

This book reminded me a bit of Horton Hears a Who because it’s about the importance of even the smallest person, but it’s really an entirely different type of story. It’s a modern fairy tale and it’s another winner by Jane Yolen, who writes prolifically and has many books so distinct from one another.

[Linda Lipko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in ancient China, Little Djeow is the tiny fourth daughter of the Emperor. She is the forgotten one among many brothers and sisters much older and taller, but not as wise as she.

Little Djeow passes the days alone playing with her intricate kites she fashions. Daily, a monk walks past reciting a poem he makes about Djeow and herr kites.

Unrest in the kingdom occurs and her father is kidnapped by evil men. While this tiny daughter is forgotten by her father, she does not forget him. Paying attention to a poem recited by the monk, she understands that she can make a strong kite weaving pieces of her hair into the network. Grasping the kite, the emperor is freed.

Now, his tiny one sits on a small throne next to him.

I enjoyed the story of the smallest overcoming abandonment and loneliness, still able to love those who pay no attention to her. Using her talent and intellect, she rescues one who throughout time paid her no mind.

Three 1/2 stars

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Chinese emperor had 4 sons and 4 daughters. The youngest daughter was so small that she got overlooked and wasn't given any responsibilities or love from her family. Every day she flew her kite in the morning and the afternoon. One day, the emperor was kidnapped by some very bad men. They locked the emperor up in a tower and bricked up the door. When the bad men got back to the city, they told everyone that the emperor had died and started ruling the city themselves. The littlest daughter was the only one who saw what happened. Every day, she flew her kite with a basket of food tied to the tail and delivered it to her father. Eventually, she sent a rope up to him that he could slide down. From that day forward, the emperor never overlooked anyone and made sure everyone got the love they deserved.

Good for preschool and older kid storytimes.

[Greg Gough · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a children’s book that expresses the strong ideas of needing to be wanted and loyalty to your family. The author uses a small girl as the main character. The girl is tiny and is often overlooked by everyone in the town even though she is a princess. The only person that acknowledges her is a monk that whispers wise words to her. The rest of the girl’s siblings are taller and get plenty of recognition. As evil troops invade the land, the siblings flee, but the girl stays as her father is trapped in a tall tower. The girl sends food and drink to her father by use of a kite. Eventually the monk utters words and the girl builds a huge kite to get her father down. After that, the girl lives a very happy life sitting on the throne next to her dad. The author does a great job of expressing the need for love as it was the only thing that made the little girl happy in the end. The author also illustrates what true loyalty means as the girl does not leave her family behind while her father was in trouble. The book is accompanied by many great illustrations! Overall, this was a great read.

[Luann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is great! A wonderful Chinese folktale by Jane Yolen. I love that little Djeow Seow doesn't let herself feel small and insignificant even though that's how her family treats her.

Ed Young's illustrations show the work of a true artist. They are simple yet intricate at the same time. They fit the story perfectly and showcase the setting of ancient China - yet they mostly only show the characters set on a white background. How does he do it? I would love to know more about his process. This won a Caldecott Honor in 1968.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A princess so small she is not even noticed, a father who has ignored her...all the elements for a classic sort of folk tale about someone small and insignificant doing something amazing.

[Evie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely, with a satisfying ending where all are happy with lessons learned. That sounds very pedantic and moralistic, but this really is a story with depth and beauty.

[Ms. Choi · Rating 4 out of 5]

REALISTIC FICTION - THE EMPEROR AND THE KITE is about a family of eight children and how the emperor loves and cherishes all of them, except the youngest daughter. Djeow Seow is neglected by her family and in order to fill that void, she spends time flying her kite. One day, the emperor is taken away by evil men who come when no one is around. What they didn't know though, is that Djeow Seow saw everything and that she knew where they had taken her father. In the end, the youngest daughter is the one that saves the emperor and from then on, she is highly respected and cherished by her father.

To start things off, I really loved the message of this book. Many students are ignored simply because of the fact that they are "young" or "immature." THE EMPEROR AND THE KITE illustrates that even the smallest individuals can really make a difference. While everyone was sobbing about the loss of the emperor, Djeow Seow was brave enough to go to the tower to provide her father with food and other necessities. When she finally freed him, the emperor kneels and kisses the ground below her feet. This gesture resonated with me because the father realized that he made a mistake in underestimating his youngest daughter and showed that adults, too, are human and that they can make the wrong assumptions sometimes.

This book would be ideal for a lesson on diversity or even bullying. Djeow Seow was different from her siblings who always carried this confident and princess or prince-like attitude. Teachers can talk about how students should not make assumptions about someone or judge one another because of their appearance of size. There is always more to people than the way they look. THE EMPEROR AND THE KITE could be used to help students understand character traits as well or cultural backgrounds since this book takes place in China. Themes such as love and loyalty can be discussed and teachers can assign students to write about what they got out of this book, too.

"A person's a person, no matter how small." - Dr. Seuss

[Sarah Rourke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was a cute story of how no matter how small a person is, they can also be the people with the kindest hearts. The little girl in this story was forgotten a lot by her father and siblings because of how small she was, but she ends up saving her father in the end. This story reminded me somewhat of Rapunzel because the Emperor was stuck in a tower and Djeow Seow, his daughter would fly a basket of food up there too him so he could eat. She also made a long string of leaves and branches and tied her hair into it as well to get her father down from the tower.

This would be a good book to real aloud if the students were learning about different countries and their culture. This book shows the Chinese culture as well as telling somewhat of a fairy tale story. Kids will enjoy seeing how Djeow Seow turns out to be the hero even though she is so small. Some kids might be able to relate to this because they are small or feel insignificant themselves. This book shows these kids that you can do anything you put your mind to. This is a great book to read aloud for learning about the Chinese culture as well as for enjoyment.

This book could also be read a loud for literary elements, such as theme. The theme of this book is no matter how small or insignificant you are, you can do anything you put your mind to. I think this is an awesome theme for children to learn and to realize about themselves. As young children, some kids think they aren't really worth a lot, but the truth is they are a lot smarter than they think. If the students are learning about literary elements, this would be a book to use as a great example of theme.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story would appeal to a variety of age-levels. Even very young children will relate to the main character, Djeow Seow’s position of being small and overlooked. With more advanced age-groups the story’s figurative language and deeper meaning could be explored. The story further offers an opportunity to discuss potentially new vocabulary words such as “plotting,” “loyal,” “neglected,” “insignificant,” “unyielding,” “steely,” “billowed,” and “twined.”

I was surprised by how much I liked this book and felt inspired to consider using it for the basis of an entire unit. It provides an excellent opportunity to integrate multiple subjects in a fun, creative, and cooperative way. As a class you could explore Chinese culture, the art of Chinese paper-cuts (expanding on what is introduced in the book’s illustrations) and further research original Chinese kites made of silk paper and bamboo and which constitute genuine pieces of art. Ultimately students could even build and fly their own kites! Such a unit would be perfect in the spring, both because of the ideal kite-flying weather and the fact that Chinese New Year – also known as the Spring Festival – coincides.

Whether you are an educator or parent, I would encourage you to read this book and explore some of the many paths it introduces. At the very least, the story is captivating and valuable, and the illustrations beautiful.

[Tessa Hensley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Djeow Seow is so small you may not even notice her if you were in the same room. Her father, the Emperor, ignored her due to this fact. she has brothers and sisters who the Emperor finds great favor with and loves very much, but not poor Djeow, she even eats alone. One day the Emperor is taken from the castle and put into a tall tower, everyone assumes he is dead but Djeow saw everything without being noticed due to her size. She ends up saving her father and gaining his respect and love, finally.

This is a Chinese tale with great illustrations and amazing simple depictions of the Chinese culture. The colors, clothing, and even buildings are depicted very well. The author has a nice voice and the story flows very well. This would be a good book to teach students about accomplishing their goals no matter how big or small they may be. You could also include using your assets to your advantage, Djeow used her size as an advantage, so students can write things about themselves that can be used to their advantage, like their artistic ability, quick wit, or even physical strength. At the same time as teaching these lessons this book adds a little more diverse culture into the classroom and addresses a culture not often brought up. You can mention the different areas the Chinese are present in American history as well as talk about Chinese heritage, culture, and customs; both past and present.

[Trish Hopkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Princess Djeow Seow, the smallest daughter of the Emperor of China, is ignored by her family. She is left to tend herself and spends much of her time flying her precious kite. The only person to show her attention at all is a monk whom she passes each day. The Emperor of China is kidnapped and locked in a tower with no hope of being rescued because his family thinks he is dead. Only Princess Djeow knows her father is alive. Being a sweet and kind girl, she keeps her father alive by flying food up to him on her kite. She gets a good idea from the monk about how to rescue her father. You will have to read the book to see how amazingly resourceful this little princess truly becomes.

Ed Young's illustrations accompany Jane Yolen's storytelling splendidly. The pictures are based on an intricate traditional Asian papercraft technique. The illustrations support the story and give readers a beautiful flavor of China. While the pictures are colorful, they are elegantly modest in brightness and change mood with the plot. The illustrations are necessary to the story because most children are not familiar with the Chinese culture of this era.

This book won the Caldecott Honor in 1968 because it is a timeless story with rich Chinese culture, and the combination of masterful storytelling and artwork transport readers to China. The suggested reading age is 5 to 7 years old, but I enjoyed it as an adult.

[Cassandra Gelvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, go fly a kite!

It's about an emperor in China who has eight children, one of whom is a daughter who is much younger than the rest. She is neglected because she is thought of as insignificant because she is so small and young. She plays by herself a lot and flies kites. Her father gets kidnapped, and nobody else does anything to save him, so she uses her kite flying to save him by flying a rope up to his window, and then he realizes how important she is despite her size and pays a lot more attention to her. At the end it says, "And the emperor never again neglected a person-- whether great or small. And, too, it is said that Djeow Seow ruled after him, as gentle as the wind, and, in her loyalty, as unyielding."

So it shows that even small people who are clever can be helpful. And small people are presumably the audience of this book. And they can make a difference. Everybody can make a difference. Often people who you overlook have talents you'd never expect. And everyone has their own hopes and dreams, regardless of their position in life.

Message: Loyalty and tenacity will be rewarded.

For more children's book reviews, see my website at http://www.drttmk.com.

[Megan Gavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was really interesting. It was about a tiny young princess who was the daughter of an emperor. One day, the emperor was taken hostage and kept in a tall tower in the woods. All of the emperor's children except the tiny young princess sobbed, while the tiny princess went off to save her father. The young princess saved him and reigned with him for the rest of time. This book would be perfect for a lesson on valuing everyone you meet and not overlooking other people.

[Maria Rowe · Rating 3 out of 5]

• 1968 Caldecott Honor Book •

The illustrations in this book are amazing - I really like Ed Young. I enjoyed the story and moral and really liked how Djeow Seow cleverly helped her father even though he had ignored her.

Materials used: unlisted
Typeface used: unlisted

[Mark Ace]

its so great!

[Robert Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

**** Caldecott Honor (1968) ****

Simple yet colorful watercolor line images and with a masterful use of negative space. A nice little story.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 6yo boys are always captivated by the folk tales from foreign countries. The stakes are high, so the stories stay with them and make them think. The illustrations in this one were dreamy.

[Beth Crownover · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the heroism of this book and the lesson it teaches that just because you are small does not mean that you cannot make a difference. I think this book is appropriate for second through third graders. Because the story is about another culture, teaches a lesson and there is some symbolism so think it could be read to younger children but they might not understand the symbolism as much. The book won the Caldecott Honor. The illustrations seem to be in the style of folk art because they follow the traditional style of Chinese art and culture. The medium used appears to be water colors because the paint is more transparent and the colors blur with each other. For the illustrations to be done in water color they are extremely detailed and well controlled. The artist also uses a variety of bright colors that contrast each other, in my opinion the illustrations are beautiful. One noticeable physical feature of this book is the use of white space. The illustrations include just the characters and a few objects but there is no scene pictured around them yet this use of white space adds rather than detracts from the book because it is used in a way that the reader can fill in the scenery with his her own imagination. I would use this as a read aloud book either in connection with learning about Chinese culture or emphasizing character traits.

[Prabhat sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Emperor and the Kite (Paperback) by Jane Yolen, Illustrator-Ed Young- Children’s Illustrated Colour Picture Book- The book narrates the story of an Emperor who had eight children. Out of them, his daughter named Djeow Seow was the smallest. She was so small that she was ignored by her father as insignificant. She liked to fly kites. One day when his four sons and three daughters were out and busy, the enemy kidnapped the emperor and placed him in a high tower. They took his empire and declared themselves is the new Emperor. His big 3sons and three daughters are worthless, the hide. But his little daughter uses her kite to send food to the emperor every day. A saint advices her to fly with the kite in the tower and help the emperor to fly down back to his kingdom. Thus, she is able to rescue the emperor. Message from the story is that it is not how big or important you really are, it is important what you actually do as a person. Coloured illustrations help the reader in relating to the story. I have read the Hindi language translation of this book.

[Cristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: This book goes over the life of the young princess Djeow Seow, the youngest out of her 7 siblings. Her father, the emperor, barely even notices her until he is kidnapped and she is the only one who would bring him food and drink every day. He learns her worth when she saves him and help him take back his kingdom.
Evaluation: This story does a great job in describing why we should not neglect someone, even if they seem insignificant. This person could be the one to help you when you need it most.
Teaching Idea: When reading this book, I would want my students to think about how they sometimes over look some people in their lives. I would like them to learn that everyone is important, even if they might seem insignificant. They presence has a purpose.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

_The Emperor and the Kite_ by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Ed Young is a Caldecott Honor book from the year 1968. This book was the unique story of an unlikely hero. It would be an interesting story to read in a large group or small group setting for a cultural study. The story and illustrations represent an ancient Chinese appearance and it would be interesting to have students perform a research study on how the history of a typical Chinese civilization affected the story. _The Emperor and the Kite_ would be best suited for early elementary, must likely for children ages five to eight years old due to the amount of text on the page. The artwork appears to be similar to traditional Chinese artwork. Each page consist of a double page spread with simple black text amount ranging from a few sentences to a few paragraphs. The paintings are surrounded by white space and the text, typically passing through the gutter. The color scheme is colorful with the use of watercolors to add a mixture of colors. This story would be a great addition to any child’s life. The story has an unlikely hero who solves a serious problem.

[Rayjan Koehler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this a million times as a kid, after I got it for my birthday from the school principal in kindergarten.

I thought for sure I was in trouble when called to his office, but I wasn't at all sure what I did that I'd be called in for. After I got to the office with a couple other kids; I wanted to read all of the books offered, but I ended up picking this & loving it!


I didn't remember the name, and couldn't find it in adulthood (mom always took my books & toys even when age appropriate & left them places or gave them to other kids-- even when ). I however found it a couple days ago at a LFL, and just read it to my 2 youngest nieces who both enjoyed it.


Definitely a awesome read!

[Alexis Medrano · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was anew one for me that I had never heard of. The thing I like about the book is how it is very colorful and appealing to the eyes. I also like how it represents a part of Asian culture. What i did not like about the book was that it was seemingly long and could easily cause children to become bored of it and lose interest, especially since there is no rhyming pattern and there are rather small paragraphs to read on each page

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The emperor had 4 strong sons and 4 strong daughters who helped him - all of whom he thought highly. He also had 1 tiny little daughter to whom he gave attention, so she played alone flying kites.
One day the emperor was captured and locked away by evil men. His 7 older children sighed and sobbed, but his tiny daughter came up with a plan, using her kites, to help him. Great story and wonderful illustrations.

[Gabrielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book takes place in ancient China. The Emperor had many sons and daughters. He didn't claim his smallest daughter Sjeow Seow. She was too small for the Emperor to care about. As the story goes on, Sjeoq Seow ends up saving her father from a tower and becomes the Princess. The moral behind the story is a really good one: small things are just as important as big things.

[Kristin Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Princess Djeow Seo is ignored by her family so she spends her day outside flying a kite that is made of paper and sticks. When the Emperor becomes imprisoned in a tower, the Princess is the only one who can save the. Is she able to fly her kite high into the sky to save her father? If the daughter rescues her father will she no longer be ignored all the time? Fun story with good illustrations.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one came recommended in a list of modern fairy tales when I asked for recommendations for "modern" princess books. I bought it for a birthday present for a classmate of my son's and read it. The illustrations are beautiful and the story is very sweet. It's not a traditional "princess-y" story but hopefully the little girl will like it.

[E & E’s Mama · Rating 4 out of 5]

We’ve read a few Jane Yolen books and really enjoy them. This one is set in ancient China when an emperor gets kidnapped and his youngest daughter saves him with a kite. We enjoyed it and I thought it was a great way to introduce a bit of ancient Chinese culture/history through a great story.

Recommend for preschoolers and up due to the length and complexity of the plot