The Greatest Treasure

by Demi

In this elegant retelling of a traditional Chinese tale, adorned by Demi's exquisitely detailed artwork, a poor farmer discovers that life's greatest treasure lies in his own heart. Full color.

Genres: Picture Books, China, Childrens, Fiction, Folk Tales, Asia, Friendship

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Demi (September 2, 1942) born Charlotte Dumaresq Hunt, is an award-winning children’s book author and illustrator. During her career she has published over 300 titles.

Demi was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She is the great-grand daughter of the American painter William Morris Hunt, and the great-grand niece of architect Richard Morris Hunt. Demi earned her nickname as a young child when her father started calling her demi because she was half the size of her sister.

She studied art at Instituto Allende, Mexico, and with Sister Corita at the Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles. She was a Fulbright scholar at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, India where she received her Master’s degree.

Demi is known for her biographies for spiritual figures including Buddha, Krishna, Lao Tzu, Jesus, Mary (mother of Jesus), Muhammad, Rumi, Francis of Assisi, Gandhi, and the Dalai Lama.

In 1990, Demi and her husband Tze-si “Jesse” Huang represented the United States at the First Children’s International Book Conference in Beijing.

Source: Wikipedia

Reviews

[Tricia Douglas]

Demi is one of my favorite children's authors. I used her a lot in my classroom because she made for good discussion when choosing moral values. In this story, wealth and happiness are placed together as being the most precious treasure. Which is stronger and most important? Wealth or happiness? Of course, the gorgeous pictures add to her wonderful books.

[Jason]

Powerful message simply and succinctly told. That said, Li probably should have at least bought an ox and plow before giving the money back. Oops, I don't think I learned the lesson... :P

[Ryan Visser]

A story about two very different families. The first is very rich and well off but not very happy. The other is poor and struggling but very happy. The rich man is annoyed by the poor mans happiness. The rich man decides to give the poor man a bag full of gold. The poor man loses his happiness becuase he is so focused on his gold. Read to find out if they both can find what true happiness is and what really is the greatest treasure.

[Abigail]

A wealthy man named Pang and a poor man named Li are neighbors in this picture book retelling of a Chinese folktale, the one distracted and disgruntled the other happy and content. When Li's flute-playing begins to distract him from his incessant money-counting, Pang decides that the thing to do is to give his neighbor a sack of gold. With money of his own, Li will be too busy to play. This proves true at first, as Li worries about how much money he has, where to hide it and what to spend it on. But when his distraught wife and daughters beg him to play the flute again, he realizes he has been led astray, and that he must give the money back. But what gift can he in turn give, in thanks for Pang's (seeming) generosity...?

Published in 1998, The Greatest Treasure is one of many Chinese folktales retold by prolific author/illustrator Demi, with others (that I have read) including Liang and the Magic Paintbrush , Chen Ping and His Magic Axe and The Stonecutter . She seems to be particularly drawn to Chinese lore, although she has explored the traditional tales and religious figures of diverse lands and cultures in her many picture books. In any case, I found this one engaging, and appreciated its message of joy and fulfillment coming through family and music, rather than through the possession of money. Given that many of this creator's earlier books didn't offer any source material for the tales told, I was pleased to see a reference to a traditional version of this story—Money Makes Cares in Leslie Bonnet's 1963 collection, Chinese Folk and Fairy Tales —on the colophon. The artwork here, created using a variety of paints and inks, was beautiful, with its creator's characteristic use of vibrant colors and golden motifs and her charming and expressive figures. Recommended to young folklore enthusiasts, to anyone looking for traditional Chinese folktales, and to fans of Demi's artwork.

[Sailor Clenney]

The Greatest Treasure by Demi is a classic Chinese Folktale about two fathers. One is rich (Pang) and the other is poor (Li). Throughout the story we look into the lives of each family, the poor family spends their days playing the flute, dancing and laughing together. The rich family gives the poor family a bag of money to quiet them down. In the end the poor family realizes that having money does not make them happy like playing the flute does and shares that happiness with Pang.

[Cheryl]

Cover is a spoiler. No note or back matter, so no idea whether the proverbs or tale are traditional at all. Should be set in an imaginary land, or even in a contemporary one.

Sure it's a good message, but I do hope you recognize that there are children in your classroom who are too hungry to make merry, whose parents are too stressed by real life to play with them. A little less preaching and a little more nuance would be welcome.

[Mommywest]

This beautifully illustrated and beautifully told tale is a much-needed message for people in our time. Some of the happiest people in the world don't have much in the way of material possessions, but they know what is truly important--family, love, kindness, and time spent together. Another wonderful book by Demi!

[Maia]

A long time ago in China, a very rich man named Pang spent all of his time counting money. Not far away, a poor farmer named Li spent his free time playing songs on his flute. The music disrupted Pang's counting, and so he decided to stop Li's melodies the best way he could think of: by giving him a bag of money to obsessively count. A morality tale with some surprising twists.

[Kest Schwartzman]

Honestly, i really hate this story, but it's still worth it for all the little somehow luminous birds frolicking around the edges.

[Childrens Book Medium]

Art was created using a variety of paints and inks, including white ground oyster shell and black Chinese ink made from pine soot.

[Sarah]

Art is pretty, and it is a good retelling of an old tale, But I'm not sure it's the best book about managing money.

[Hannah]

Excellent folk tale!

[Briana]

The Greatest Treasure is Family

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams]

I love how the lesson in this book - time and fun with family is more valuable than money.

[Becky B]

Pang, the rich man can't concentrate on counting his money because his neighbor Li is always playing his flute and laughing with his family. So Pang gives Li money to make him distracted. Li does become distracted but then realizes the money is ruining his happiness so he gives it back with some flutes to teach Pang's family how to have fun.

I felt like Demi overdid the moral here a little bit. While I totally agree that wealth cannot grant happiness, I don't think it would have hurt to have the two men balance each other out. Responsibility and fun are good, but instead the book depicts Pang finding happiness in totally neglecting his finances and devoting time to playing flute. Probably not the best advice. Maybe Demi was shooting for hyperbole to get his message across. Not a bad story, but definitely not my favorite of Demi's books.

[Inhabiting Books]

Inspired by a Chinese folk tale, this is the story of two fathers, a poor one who enjoys life, and a rich one obsessed with his money. Baffled, annoyed and perhaps a tad bit envious of the seemingly care-free life of the poor family, the rich man decides to give the poor man some money to worry about. This is a wonderful allegory about finding balance.

My girls were familiar with the so talented Demi from her book *The Empty Pot*, which they love and frequently request to be read.

They liked this story too, maybe not quite as much as *The Empty Pot*, but they have asked it to be read several times since we checked it out from the library.

[Leila T.]

Once again, the illustrations are vivid and refined, and I love learning folktales from other countries and cultures, but the part about how all the (main) characters are always male is wearing a bit thin. I think I'll have to employ my old change-all-male-pronouns-to-female trick again in future with these tales.

We read this during dinner again, and she did eat while the story was unravelling. I don't find that the conflict and resolution part works well for me, but M listened attentively to most of the story, her attention waning only somewhat at the end.

But I loved that she wanted to count the stars and not the "shinies" (money).

[Amy Goldstein]

Demi's folktales are beautiful in both illustrations and words. Always a quality choice. Pang, a rich man, spends all his time counting his money, with no time for his wife and five sons. Li, who is poor, often plays his flute for his wife and five daughters. When Li's playing interrupts Pang's counting, Pang gives Li a bag of money to keep him busy. the plan works, but Li soon realizes what he is missing. Although the message, money can't buy happiness, is one I believe, I do wish that this book could have found a responsible balance. After all, flute music does not put food on the table.

[Jan]

Once upon a time in China, there was a rich man named Pang who spent all day worrying about his money, and a poor man named Li who worked on a small farm and played music on his flute in his spare time. Pang hated to hear Li's family dancing and laughing to Li's flute music, so he decided to give Li a bag of money. "If Li were rich, he would not have time to make so much noise," he thought. What will happen when Li is suddenly rich?
Demi illustrates this traditional Chinese folktale picture book using Chinese brushes, paints, and inks. The fine detail enhances the simple story. Ages 3-8.

[Audrey Easley]

Yet another beautiful story with beautiful imagery by Demi.

Sharing this planet with others can lead to challenging human dynamics, and hearing a neighbor's music has led to countless disputes in our communities. Pang's reaction to hearing Li's music is no different. However, Li solved this classic dilemma with his neighbor with a bag of flutes. Naturally, I am now Li's biggest fan.

[Macklin]

This is one of my favourite childhood books my mom used to read to me. I love the tale of the poor man being happy, and the rich man learning true happiness from the poor man. Also, I love how music is intrinsic to the happiness of both families.

[Dolly]

This is a wonderful tale with a good moral, though a bit heavy handed in the ill portrayal of wealth and money. Our girls liked this book and it was fun to read aloud.

[Danielle Smith]

Love the illustrations!

[Salsabrarian]

Chinese folktale about a happy poor man who is given money by an unhappy rich man and how it affects his happiness. Moral: happiness over riches.

[Ron]

Read as part of my son's history curriculum.

[Shari]

Re-read this to go along with our virtue study of contentment.