Liang and the Magic Paintbrush

by Demi

When a poor boy in China receives a magical paintbrush, everything he paints turns to life. But the wicked emperor wants to capture the boy when he hears the news. The story will excite readers as the ruler gets his just reward when the boy creates a masterpiece that spells his doom.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, China, Asia, Fiction, Fantasy, Art

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

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

[Ronyell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is there not anything that Demi cannot do? “Liang and the Magic Paintbrush” is a Chinese folktale by Demi that is about a young boy named Liang who receives a magic paintbrush from a magical man and every time Liang painted with the paintbrush, whatever he painted would come to life and he also must avoid the evil emperor at all costs! “Liang and the Magic Paintbrush” is truly a beautiful tale about the consequences of being greedy that many children will love for years!

Demi had made this book completely beyond amazing with her beautiful illustrations and her dazzling writing of this ancient Chinese folktale. Demi makes this book extremely exciting as Liang is immediately thrown into trouble when the Emperor forces Liang to come to his palace to do his evil biddings with the paintbrush. I loved the way that Demi made Liang into such a kind-hearted and clever character as he truly uses his magic paintbrush for good intentions such as helping out his family and friends and it is that aspect of Liang’s personality that I really enjoyed since I also love helping other people during their time of needs too. I also thought that the idea about a magic paintbrush bringing paintings to life is truly creative and amazing as I never would have read about an object that would bring drawings to life, although that does seem to be the norm for many fairy tales. Demi’s illustrations are extremely beautiful, especially the way that Demi drew the bamboo trees in luscious green colors and I also loved the image of Liang himself as he has dark hair and small eyes and he is always shown wearing a beige colored robe which clearly makes him look distinguished and innocent.

All in all, “Liang and the Magic Paintbrush” is a truly magnificent book for children who love Chinese folktales and love to learn about the consequences of being too greedy. I would recommend this book to children ages five and up since the Chinese names might be too difficult for smaller children to read through.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second favorite Demi book. Both Laurence Yep and Robin Muller also wrote versions of this story with the same title. All three are excellent. Recommended!!

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

reading rainbow project in Children's Books group
---
Demi's art very pretty, but nowadays I would prefer we focus on #OwnVoices.
And maybe the emperor got what he deserved, but the whole royal family (and presumably a bunch of servants, too)?
I wouldn't recommend this, even though Liang is mostly a good role model, both clever and kind to his peers.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m watching Reading Rainbow with my kids and this book was in today’s episode.

I remember being absolutely enchanted by the idea of the paintbrush that painted things into life.

And the pictures are so familiar. 🐉

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a magic paintbrush, a boy can make pictures come to life. Lovely Chinese style illustrations.

[Vaishali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely beautiful... and so gently rendered. A complete pleasure to read.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liang dreams of becoming a painter in this retelling of a traditional Chinese folktale, but as a poor young boy he cannot even afford a paintbrush, nor can he convince the painting master to teach him. Despite this, he continues to create art with what is available to him, using a stick to draw in the dirt and water to paint on stones. Then one day an old man on a phoenix appears, and gifts him with a magical paintbrush—one capable of creating images that would come to life, becoming the objects depicted. Liang uses this power to help the poor, until the greedy emperor discovers the existence of the paintbrush, and decides to enrich himself with it...

Published in 1980, Liang and the Magic Paintbrush is one of the earliest books from author/illustrator Demi that I have read, although it is not her very first book. Like Chen Ping and His Magic Axe , which was published in 1987, it is a smaller square picture book, compared to some of this creator's later work, and features a somewhat less ornate style of decoration. That being said, the watercolor illustrations here are still quite detailed, and are delicately and expressively done. I thought the figure of Liang, in particular, was charming. The story itself shows the rewards of sincerity and generosity—two qualities Liang has in abundance—and the pitfalls of greed and duplicity, as exemplified by the emperor. Recommended to young folklore enthusiasts, and to fans of this artist. For my part, I see the book was featured on the Reading Rainbow program—I will have to see if I can track down that episode!

[Jackie Law · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found these notes from 9/30/02 Monday afternoon/evening Watching Reading Rainbow, the featured book was Liang and the Magic Paintbrush. You said:
"I wish I had a magic paintbrush so I could paint on wings and feathers so I could fly."

"I could also draw a pony so I could ride it"

"I hope LeVar knows how to speak Chinese"

"You know what I would bring home that would be really outrageous? I would bring home a star, put it in my room for a huge night light."

"What I would like to take home that's really outrageous is a baby duck billed dinosaur."

[Jenny Hartfelder · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read or heard multiple variations of this Chinese folktale. (It's a key element of Grace Lin's "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon" series.) This variation is a nicely done picture book. I appreciated how Liang used his paintbrush to create necessary items for the poor of his village rather than just seeking to create wealth for himself. (And he actually used it as a tool to create pictures for sale to earn money, rather than just painting money itself.)

#passportaroundtheworld #china

[Cathie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this delightfully illustrated children's book in the Little Free library today and am completely charmed by the illustrations. I feel fate put this book in my hands at at time when I am feeling drawn to Buddhism, since it's author Demi has been a practising Buddhist for 30 years and she writes about entering a "beautiful land of lights" via meditation has inspired much of her creative work.

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think we've read different versions of this one before, but since we're studying Marco Polo and the Silk Road and China again, it seemed like a good idea to read this one. Liang has a magic paintbrush and it brings to life whatever he paints. He tries to use it for good, to help the poor, but an unscrupulous emperor tries to seize this power for himself . . .

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love how Liang's first instinct when learning what his magic paintbrush could do was to make things for his friends.

Grrrr to the mean art teacher who was rude to a beggar who wanted to learn.

If the emperor could take away the paintbrush, why couldn't the army?

[Matt Miles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautifully illustrated tale is a surprisingly profound meditation on the relationship between art, artists, and power. Highly recommended.

[Kest Schwartzman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lacking the luminous print quality of Demi's other books, this one is just sortof flat; something which is particularly sad for this particular story. No paintings are coming to life, here.

[Debra Golden · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Demi and her unique 'perspective', open space, and accessible stories.
What would you paint if you could make it real?
A good story to start conversations.

[Cheyanne Schlalos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Demi’s writing is so pure and enjoyable. When I first saw the title I wasn’t sure what to expect, but as your dad the story your heart fills with joy.

[Seung · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very nice. I like the part when Liang drew a boat 🥰

[Anneke Forzani · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Chinese folktale brought to life with lovely pictures. A story of a poor boy who gets a magic paintbrush which the emperor tries to take from him.

[Ashley Shepherd · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this book from my childhood days. I read it like a million times. Sad to see they changed the original picture that was there first though.

[c · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

[Marianna F. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations and a wonderful concept.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book because it is a reading rainbow book. A suggestion that I have if you want to compare than read " Ty may and the magic brush". It is a lot like this book just a little different.👍

[Sheala Henke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was one part exquisite joy and one part inspiration for my adapted novel.

[Meltha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Chinese fairy tale has a wonderful sense of the fantastic about it. It centers on the kindness and generosity of Liang through much of the story, and the illustrations, which appear to be nods to traditional Chinese art, have a lightness and simplicity to them while being fanciful and occasionally quite colorful. There are two things that detracted from my enjoyment of the book, though. The first is I would have liked some more peritext present, perhaps in the form of some background on the story. At this point, there is only a mini-biography of Demi present, which while nice, doesn't answer my question as to whether this story is traditional in China or not. The other problem that might occur is the death of the emperor and his family. While the emperor himself is certainly depicted as evil and corrupt in the story, Liang killing his whole family in the boating accident feels a touch too close to direct murder, frankly. That would be something that might need to be discussed somewhat with a class. However, certainly many European folk and fairy tales implement similar strategies for this plots, so it's not without precedent.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once upon a time in China, a poor boy named Liang loved to draw. He drew in the dirt and the sand, and even was able to draw upon rocks by using drops of water. But he couldn't do what he most wanted to do -- paint -- because he didn't have a paintbrush. One night as he slept, and old man appeared, riding a phoenix, and placed a magic paintbrush in his hand. Liang was thrilled! He soon found that whatever he painted with the magic brush became real, so he painted things that his friends and neighbors needed, such as shoes, tools, and toys. But what will happen when the greedy emperor finds out about Liang's magic brush?

Demi's lavish, finely detailed ink and watercolor illustrations give life and energy to this classic folktale. Ages 4-10.

[Lydia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of a poor boy who has a passion for painting. At first, he cannot because no one will give him a brush, but then a stranger gives him a magic brush that can bring the things he paints to life!

I don't know the "history" of this story, if it's a legend or something Demi made up, it feels like it's a bit of both. The art complements the story very well, and though the color scheme feels a little dated (very 1970's), it still works in the story.

Content notes: No language or sensuality issues. Several people die by drowning because they get in over their heads with the magic (which is what gives this the classic fairy tale feel; Grimms and co. always rack up a body count at the end).

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another lovely book from Demi. Her illustrations are always so beautiful.

An interesting story of a boy with a magic paintbrush who can create things just by painting them. The not-so-nice emperor finds out and orders him to paint things for him. Liang ends up drowning him. In a nice way.

I hesitate to recommend this to little ones because they may not like that part. My older boys were just fine with it. I suggest you read it first to see what you're comfortable with.

We will probably read this again in our study of China. Not because it contains factual information though. The illustrations and story itself are Chinese which adds a 'cultural' element to the study.

[Lde212_06 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liang and the Magic Paintbrush is a good story to read when introducing folklore to students. I think that it is important to diversify the minds of your students and explore the writings of those from other cultures. Teachers can still teach different types of writing without using text found within the dominant culture. In addition to this, I think that this book will help those from other cultures see that their backgrounds are valued within the classroom. The teacher can elaborate on the idea of folklore by having the students find a book outside of their own culture that falls within this category.

[Bonnie Chang · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a Chinese folktale about a poor boy that is desperate to become an artist. The main character, Liang, is an unselfish individual that is given a magical paintbrush and instead of being selfish and enriching himself he gives back to the community. But of course, good things are not always noticed by the people with the best intentions. The emperor see’s Liang’s brush and imprisons him. Taking full advantage that the brush is now his, the emperor tries to paint himself mountains of gold but instead being he gets a pile of stone. Eventually, Liang bests the emperor and disappears into the world to do wonders.

[Synthia Salomon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rated by Symphony (age 4)

Liang is a Chinese boy who couldn’t afford a paintbrush.
-He passes an art school
-He gets accused of being a beggar

An old man gives him a magic paint brush before flying away.

He painted a deer and it came to life.
He painted toys for poor children.
He made pictures of birds to sell in the marketplace.

He starts leaving out details so his paintings don’t come to life!