"Immensely appealing."(The Horn Book, starred review)
"It's a pillar," says one. "It's a fan," says another. One by one, the seven blind mice investigate the strange Something by the pond. And one by one, they come back with a different theory. It's only when the seventh mouse goes out-and explores the whole Something-that the mice see the whole truth. Based on a classic Indian tale, Ed Young's beautifully rendered version is a treasure to enjoy again and again.
Ed Young, winner of the 1990 Caldecott Medal, has illustrated over 40 books for children, four of which he has also written.He cites the philosophy of Chinese painting as his inspiration. "A Chinese painting is often accompanied by words," explainsYoung. "They are complementary. There are things that words do that pictures never can, and likewise, there are images thatwords can never describe."Content and the telling of the tale itself provide Young with the initial inspiration for his art and with the motivation for pagedesign and sequence. Accuracy in research is essential to his work - whether he is illustrating fantasy, folk tale, or fact.According to Ed, a strong foundation in credibility must be established in order to create new and exciting images. Throughsuch images, he hopes to capture his readers and ultimately stimulate some sort of awareness in them.Challenge and growth are central to Ed's role as illustrator, and it is this quest for growth that caused him to move away fromadvertising in the 1960s. He wanted something more expansive, something more expressive. Ed found what he was looking forin children's books. "I feel the story has to be an exciting and moving experience for a child," Young explains. "Before I aminvolved with a project, I must be moved, and as I grow, I try to create something exciting. It is my purpose to stimulate growthin the reader as an active participant."Ed Young was born in Tienstin, China. He grew up in Shanghai and later moved to Hong Kong. He came to the United Statesas a young man on a student visa. A graduate of the Los Angeles Art Center, Young has since taught at the Pratt Institute, YaleUniversity, Naropa Institute, and the University of California at Santa Cruz. He currently lives with his wife in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York.
