Lily Toy Hong lived most of her life in Salt Lake City, Utah. She grew up in a large Chinese-American family, the seventh of nine children. She says she always knew she wanted to write and illustrate children's books. Lily is married and lives in Utah. Lily Toy Hong lived most of her life in Salt Lake City, Utah. She grew up in a large Chinese-American family, the seventh of nine children. She says she always knew she wanted to write and illustrate children's books. Lily is married and lives in Utah.

"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

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

Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company

Pub date: 2017-03-15

Length: 32 pages