This is a traditional story from China retold by Robert D. San Souci. It is about three brothers who go in search of a magical tapestry their mother wove. Each brother seeks something different in the quest and faces a different outcome. Only the most worthy and genuine one of the three will complete the task and reunite their mother with her creation. It has a lesson about what is important to pursue in life. It is illustrated by Laszlo Gal. The pictures are colorful watercolor paintings done in a traditional Chinese style.

Summary: A woman weaves and sells tapestries in order to provide for her sons, Li Mo, Li Tu and Li Ju. One day she begins to weave a tapestry and becomes completely engrossed in it. Despite her sons urging her to work on other tapestries that they can sell, she only works on the one. Her youngest son Li Ju encourages her to work on this tapestry because he realizes it is her dream. While the sons are fighting over whether she should turn her attentions elsewhere, the tapestry blows out the window. The mother gets very sick and begs her sons to bring the tapestry back to her. Li Mo and Li Tu each take one month to come across a house where a powerful sorceress lives. She tells them that they will have to travel through lakes of fire and ice to get to Sun Mountain, where the fairies have taken the tapestry. She then offers them gold instead, which they both except and run to spend it on themselves. After the disappearance of his brothers, Li Ju begs his mother to let him go find the tapestry. He makes it to the house in half the time of his brothers and eagerly goes through the fire and ice and meets the fairies, who give him back the tapestry. One of the fairies falls in love with Li Ju, and he makes his way back to save his mother. As soon as he gets back, the mother begins to feel better and she and Li Ju are able to enter the tapestry to live, where the fairy that is love with Li Ju is waiting. Li Ju and the fairy get married and the three of them live happily in the tapestry forever.

Personal Reactions: This is great story. I love that the two unsupportive sons don't benefit from their mothers hard work in the end, but the supportive son stays by her side. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous, and there is a ton of detail.

Classroom Extensions:
1. This is a Chinese folktale, so we could learn more about China.

2. Have the children draw their own tapestries. ( )

This is a tale about a hard working mother and her ungrateful sons and the one who works hard to rescue her. ( )