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The Painted Fan
When a brave maiden subdues a demon using a fan that had been given to her by her mother, she brings about the downfall of the tyrannical Lord Shang and reunites the imperial houses of Li and Chen
- GenresFantasy
38 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 1994
About the author
Marilyn Singer
167 books111 followersMarilyn Singer was born in the Bronx (New York City) on October 3, 1948 and lived most of her early life in N. Massapequa (Long Island), NY. She attended Queens College, City University of New York, and for her junior year, Reading University, England. She holds a B.A. in English from Queens and an M.A. in Communications from New York University.
In 1974, after teaching English in New York City high schools for several years, she began to write - initially film notes, catalogues, teacher's guides and film strips. Then, one day, when she was sitting in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, she penned a story featuring talking insect characters she'd made up when she was eight. Encouraged by the responses she got, she wrote more stories and in 1976 her first book, The Dog Who Insisted He Wasn't, was published by E.P.Dutton & Co.
Since then, Marilyn has published over seventy books for children and young adults. Her genres are many and varied, including realistic novels, fantasies, non-fiction, fairy tales, picture books, mysteries and poetry. She likes writing many different kinds of books because it's challenging and it keeps her from getting bored. She has won several Children's Choice and Parents' Choice Awards, as well as the following: the Creature Carnival, Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award Honor Book, 2005; I Believe in Water: Twelve Brushes with Religion, New York Public Library's "Best Books for the Teen Age," 2001; Stay True: Short Stories for Strong Girls, Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, 2000 (YALSA); On the Same Day in March, Booklist's Top Ten Science Books of 2000; NCSS-CBC Notable Book, 2000; Deal with a Ghost, finalist, YA category, Edgar Award, 1998; It Can't Hurt Forever, Maud Hart Lovelace Award, 1983; The Course of True Love Never Did Run Smooth, ALA Best Book for Young Adults, 1983; Turtle in July, NCTE Notable, N.Y.Times Best Illustrated and Time Magazine Best Children's Books of 1989; Turtle in July was also a Reading Rainbow review book.
Marilyn currently lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband Steve; their standard poodle Oggi, a cousin of their beloved and recently departed poodle Easy, seen in the home page photo; a cat named August ; two collared doves named Jubilee and Holiday; and a starling named Darling. Her interests include dog training, reading, hiking, bird-watching, gardening, meditation, playing computer adventure games and going to the movies and the theatre. She's also a major Star Trek fan.
In 1974, after teaching English in New York City high schools for several years, she began to write - initially film notes, catalogues, teacher's guides and film strips. Then, one day, when she was sitting in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, she penned a story featuring talking insect characters she'd made up when she was eight. Encouraged by the responses she got, she wrote more stories and in 1976 her first book, The Dog Who Insisted He Wasn't, was published by E.P.Dutton & Co.
Since then, Marilyn has published over seventy books for children and young adults. Her genres are many and varied, including realistic novels, fantasies, non-fiction, fairy tales, picture books, mysteries and poetry. She likes writing many different kinds of books because it's challenging and it keeps her from getting bored. She has won several Children's Choice and Parents' Choice Awards, as well as the following: the Creature Carnival, Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award Honor Book, 2005; I Believe in Water: Twelve Brushes with Religion, New York Public Library's "Best Books for the Teen Age," 2001; Stay True: Short Stories for Strong Girls, Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, 2000 (YALSA); On the Same Day in March, Booklist's Top Ten Science Books of 2000; NCSS-CBC Notable Book, 2000; Deal with a Ghost, finalist, YA category, Edgar Award, 1998; It Can't Hurt Forever, Maud Hart Lovelace Award, 1983; The Course of True Love Never Did Run Smooth, ALA Best Book for Young Adults, 1983; Turtle in July, NCTE Notable, N.Y.Times Best Illustrated and Time Magazine Best Children's Books of 1989; Turtle in July was also a Reading Rainbow review book.
Marilyn currently lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband Steve; their standard poodle Oggi, a cousin of their beloved and recently departed poodle Easy, seen in the home page photo; a cat named August ; two collared doves named Jubilee and Holiday; and a starling named Darling. Her interests include dog training, reading, hiking, bird-watching, gardening, meditation, playing computer adventure games and going to the movies and the theatre. She's also a major Star Trek fan.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 24, 2013
Long ago in China, Lord Sheng ruled with wealth and power, but was hated and feared by all. He commanded that the imperial houses of Li and Chen be driven apart and never reunited. One day, Lord Sheng asked a fortune-teller how long his reign would last, and was told that a Painted Fan would be his undoing. He promptly had all fans burned, throughout the kingdom. The cleverness that finally overthrows him turns out to be a young girl who owns the Painted Fan.
Marilyn Singer created this story in the style of ancient Chinese folktales. There are several with the theme of a maiden using a magical item to succeed on a quest, or of a maiden succeeding in bringing down a bully. The watercolors by Wenhai Ma that illustrate this book are wonderful. Worth buying the book for the pictures alone! Ages 5-10.
Marilyn Singer created this story in the style of ancient Chinese folktales. There are several with the theme of a maiden using a magical item to succeed on a quest, or of a maiden succeeding in bringing down a bully. The watercolors by Wenhai Ma that illustrate this book are wonderful. Worth buying the book for the pictures alone! Ages 5-10.
May 13, 2015
Foreign fairy tales are just as riveting as the ones we grew up with, especially when they revolve around familiar themes. This one, about a simple country dweller ridding the country of a greedy tyrant, is a traditional theme with a bit of a twist. The brave peasant on a quest is a girl, she enlists the help of a demon (rather than killing him) and she doesn’t get the royal ruler as a husband.
With the usual tropes turned on their heads, this becomes a truly fetching tale, one that I found utterly delightful. The illustrations are quite splendid as well, with lovely watercolor images that spread across the page. If Beautiful Willow’s expressions are a bit unchanging, that’s in keeping with her character: a girl of calm, quiet dignity that never falters even in the face of extreme personal danger
With the usual tropes turned on their heads, this becomes a truly fetching tale, one that I found utterly delightful. The illustrations are quite splendid as well, with lovely watercolor images that spread across the page. If Beautiful Willow’s expressions are a bit unchanging, that’s in keeping with her character: a girl of calm, quiet dignity that never falters even in the face of extreme personal danger
October 1, 2014
This was a really sweet and predictable little folk tale. It was cute. I'm saving it for my kids' bookshelf. :)
August 29, 2018
Long ago in the Land of the Seven Caves, the houses of Li and Chen would not stop fighting. This paves the way for the greedy Lord Shang to take control, dividing and banishing the 2 houses and ruling the land with greed and malice. Lord Shang asks the soothsayer about his reign and learns that a Painted Fan will eventually be his undoing. He has all the fans in the land burned and a punishment of death for anyone who owns a fan. Lord Shang collects many fancy objects, but his favorite are pearls. He spends so much of the people's forced tributes on the pearls they become known throughout the land as "the people's tears". One day, as he is out gathering tributes, he spots Willow, who he immediately desires as his own. He takes her to his palace where she takes her one prized possession given to her by her mother, her painted fan. With her gentle, brave and steadfast personality, and her magic fan, she defeats Lord Shang. She becomes friends with the groom who first helps her hide her fan. Eventually her friendship turns to love, then marriage, thereby reuniting the houses of Li and Chen.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews