Brush of the Gods by Lenore Look & Meilo So

Brush of the Gods by Lenore Look & Meilo So, 2013.

This is another story about a painter so talented that his works come to life.  ( See also Lord of The Cranes, Liang and the Magic Paintbrush, The Magic Horse of Han Gan and The Boy Who Drew Cats. It is the imagined story of Wu Daozi, a great Chinese painter that actually lived during the T'ang dynasty (618-907). Calligraphy was considered the highest form of art, but Wu Daozi painted lifelike figures with moment such as hair, scarves and robes swinging and blowing in the wind. Lenore Look based her tale in part on information found in T'ang poetry and essays.

In our story, young Wu Daozi tries to learn calligraphy from his monk instructor, but instead of characters, he paints plants and animals. As his canvas expands to city walls, he draws scenes with Buddhas and earns the nickname "Flying Sleeves." He paints all day long and collects food for the poor through his admirers' gifts. Until one day, when he draws a butterfly so full of life that it flies away and he has nothing to show at nightfall. Wu Daozi loses all of his followers except the faithful children, and when he has grown up, he receives a commission from the emperor himself. This allows Wu Daozi to create his masterpiece and maybe even to sidestep death itself!

Meilo So provides the book's watercolor, ink, gouache and colored pencil illustrations.

For St. Patrick's Day: Fin M'Coul by Tomie de Paola

Fin M'Coul: The Giant of Knockmanyhill by Tomie dePaola, 1981.

In honor of St. Patrick's Day and the fact that I'm somewhat Irish, let's take a look at the Celtic tale of Fin M'Coul and his clever wife Oonagh!  Although he is a fine giant himself, Fin has spent years running from the nasty Cucullin, a giant bully with magical strength provided to him by a brass finger. Cucullin has beaten every other giant in Ireland, and that is why he is coming for Fin. Luckily, Fin's lovely wife Oonagh has an ingenious plan to fool Cucullin, one that involves twenty one iron frying pans, fresh cheese, white stones and Fin all dressed up in baby clothes and lying in a huge cradle. Readers of all ages will love this funny and fantastic story of a bully's comeuppance and girls and women especially will appreciate the crafty Oonagh.

According to his website (http://www.tomie.com/) Tomie dePaola has written and/or illustrated almost 250 books and been published for 40 years. His books are classics, and this one is no exception. The art is colorful and playful, and dePaola's characters are very expressive and child pleasing. Readers will enjoy seeing the giants surrounded by smaller creatures such as tiny sheep, fairies, leprechauns and a bitty kitty cat. They will also get a laugh out of  bearded Fin dressed in his frilly pink bonnet, gown and baby booties.

Folktales of the Dragon King and His Sons

Legend of the Chinese Dragon by Marie Sellier, Illus. by Catherine Louis, Calligraphy by Wang Fei, 2006.

In ancient China, tribes lived under the protection of local animal spirits, such the bird of the mountains and the serpent of the high plains. But, because the people fought each other in the names of their spirit protectors, the children of China decided to create an animal that would watch over everyone, putting together the best qualities of each tribe's animal spirit. They came up with: a dragon! When the adults saw the beautiful creature, they vowed to end wars, and so the Chinese dragon became a symbol of peace.

Louis' art appears to be woodblock prints tinted with strong rainbow colors.

The Sons of the Dragon King: a Chinese Legend by Ed Young, 2004.

The uniting dragon mentioned above is here called the Dragon King and in this story he has nine sons who are each given a purpose. Every son has a habit that is judged to be unbecoming in the son of a king. The king is ready to scold, but then wisely finds a way that each behavior can be channeled for the benefit of the people. His noisy son Pu-Lao learns to become as musician, and his image decorates the musical instruments of China. Sixth son Ba-Sha frolicks all day in the water, but as he is a strong swimmer, the Dragon King recognizes that he can protect water travelers, and his face is used on China's bridges. Disruptively angry Ya Zi is pegged for military service and adorns the country's weapons. Therefore, the Dragon king is satisfied as each of his children learns and settles into his appropriate role.

Ed Young's illustrations of the dragon sons contrast their activities before and after parental guidance: indulging in their inappropriate behaviors and in their noble symbolic forms.

Chinese Fables by Shiho S. Nunes

Chinese Fables: "The Dragon Slayer" and Other Timeless Tales of Wisdom by Shiho S. Nunes, Illus. by Lak-Khee Tay-Audouard, 2013.

The book's preface explains that the nineteen fables in this collection were chosen from Chinese Fables and Parables by Wolfram Eberhard, an American folklorist.  In the eary 1970s, he recorded five hundred tales with a line or two. Nunes expanded the descriptions into stories such as "The Practical Bride," "Kwan-Yin, the Goddess of Mercy," and ""Sakyami and Lao-Tse," and kept the core truths and moral lessons. Many, like ""Scaring the Tigers," "The Same Difference"  and "The King of Beasts," will make readers smile. The original sources, from 500-250 BCE to 1368-1643, are listed in the back of the book.

The book's attractive  pencil and wash pictures have elements of traditional Chinese art and are inspired by Chinese folk art. To match the "rustic quality of these tales" Lak-Khee Tay-Audouard used ground tea powder, earth, pressed leaves, sackcloth, charcoal and bamboo rag paper to create her illustrations.

Chinese Tale Series: Chang'e Flying to the Moon

Chang'e Flying to the Moon Adapted by Wang Zhiwei, Trans. by Liu Yonghou, Illus. by Zhao Jing & others, 2005.

I think that this is the first Chinese folktale I've looked at that was produced and printed in China. It is part of Dolphin Books' Chinese Tale Series and is written in English and Chinese. The English translation is not always smooth, but the story is still quite interesting.
 Houyi the archer impresses a group of fairy maidens with his shooting talent and becomes charmed by the most beautiful one, Chang'e. Almost immediately, he has a chance to win her when he slays an attacking heavenly wolf. The Lord of Heaven decides that the two young ones should marry, but later, for reasons that are not explained, Houyi shoots down the nine suns, and gets himself and Chang'e thrown out of the heavenly palace and into the human world. Houyi adapts well to this life, having become a champion of the people and killing all the beasts and monsters that threaten them, such as Big Wind Bird, Three-Tailed Dragon, a nine headed monster and more. Chang'e is not having such an easy time. She misses her husband when he is gone, longs for life in the heavenly palace and frets because she and her man are now mortal.
In order to end his wife's worrying, Houyi makes the dangerous trip to Kunlun Mountain to visit the West Queen Mother and bring back the elixir of immortality. This brings about tragedy for the couple and explains why the moon is always bright and gentle on August 15th.

Learn more about Chang'e at: http://www.moonfestival.org/change.html

The Real Story of Stone Soup by Ying Chang Compestine

The Real Story of Stone Soup by Ying Chang Compestine, Illus. by Stephane Jorisch, 2007.

You've probably heard the story of Stone Soup, but this is an amusingly different version of the tale. The unreliable narrator, a somewhat self important and lazy fisherman, hires the three Chang brothers to help him with his boat. At lunchtime, he realizes they have nothing to cook in, but the boys manage without a cooking pot. They have some fun with him as they secretly introduce fish, vegetables and eggs into the soup, but tell him the ingredients come from whispering to special stones. The fisherman takes the credit for inventing stone soup, and everyone has a swell lunch. The soup recipe follows the story.

Jorisch's comical watercolor illustrations add to the book's fun. The narrator tells us one thing, but we readers see another. The fisherman claims he's doing the "hardest job" while lying back with his hat over his face, as the "lazy and...somewhat stupid" boys struggle to heave the fish-filled net into the boat. While cooking the soup, the brothers rush the gullible man off to find some salt or sesame oil, while they slyly add fish or eggs, then show him how to  listen and speak to the stones.

Apparently, stone soup really is a traditional dish in southeast China in a region called Xi Shang Ban Na. The legend is that fishermen created the recipe, which is cooked in a hole in the ground lined with banana leaves and brought to a boil by dropping in hot river rocks.These rocks bring out a unique smell and taste. Compestine visited and found that her favorite of the various soups was Egg Drop Stone Soup!

The Cricket's Cage

 

The Cricket's Cage: a Chinese Folktale retold by Stefan Czernecki, 1997.

 

This pleasing Beijing folktale is about emperor Yongle's desire to place four watchtowers at the corners of the newly built imperial palace and the humble cricket who proves to be the perfect designer. Yongle is incredibly hard to please and his minister Wu Zhong has already presented him with more than sixteen different plans, only to have each rejected. The emperor threatens to behead his minister, which causes a chain reaction as the minister in turn menaces the Master Builder with execution, who passes the ultimatum down to the carpenter, who builds the tower models. The carpenter doesn't know what to do, so he visits his friend the cricket seller, who gifts him with a cricket for inspiration and good luck. Although the carpenter is in despair, he promises the cheerful cricket that he will build it a new cage before he dies. After the carpenter has retired to bed, the cricket draws a plan for an elaborate cage that he hopes to make his home. It proves to also be perfect for a tower, saving the lives of several men and ensuring happiness for the emperor, the carpenter and the cricket!

 

In Czernecki's Author's Note, we learn that Yongle was the third emperor of the Ming dynasty and he really did restore the imperial palace at the capital. He had the royal buildings protected by a wall and created the Forbidden City. He then found his way into this tale, which was originally published in Beijing Legends by Jin Shoushen in 1957.

 

 

Czernecki's artwork is made with Chinese mineral and vegetable pigments and the pictures are bordered with dragon designs of the emperor's robe, in yellow, because only he was allowed to wear that color during his rule. The little green cricket appears at the bottom of every page of text. Overall, this is a bright and beautiful book.

 

 

 

Some charming examples of cricket cages:

 



 

 

The Magic Horse of Han Gan

The Magic Horse of Han Gan by Chen Jiang Hong, Trans. by Claudia Zoe Bedrick, 2006.

Young Han Gan loves to draw, but doesn't get much opportunity because he is from a poor family. One day, he delivers a meal to the painter Wang Wei and stops to sketch some horses in the sand. Impressed, the artist provides Han Gan with supplies and thereby launches his artistic career. The young man continues to paint horses, always showing them tethered because they are so lifelike that he fears they may run away. Like The Boy Who Drew Cats, Han Gan has a very special talent. Eventually, a great warrior comes to him, asking that he create a steed beyond any other, one the man can take into battle. Han Gan is willing to try, and makes a magical horse with no need for physical nourishment or sleep. The horse is wonderful indeed, but can such a special creature be made for a life of combat?

Although Han Gan's horse is a legend, the masterful painter lived 1,200 years ago in China. He painted his horses on silk, and an example of his work is included in the back of the book. Chiang Jiang Hong has illustrated the story using the same technique as Han Gan, painting directly on silk. Also as the fabled artist, Hong's horses look as though they might gallop off the page.

Monkey King by Ed Young

Monkey King by Ed Young, 2001.


Ed Young has provided readers with a lively introduction to the Chinese Monkey King. In his Author's Note, we learn that Monkey's story is told in the epic Journey to the West, set during the T'ang dynasty (A.D. 618-907). It describes the travels of monk Tang Tsen and his companions Monkey, Pig and Water Demon as they seek to bring Buddhist scriptures from India to China.

Young's story includes Monk Tang, the Jade Emperor, Guan Ying, the Goddess Mercy, and the Buddha himself. It begins with the "birth" of  Monkey from a rock on Flower Fruit Mountain and his fast rise to monkey royalty. An ambitious trickster, he studies with a master to learn magical tricks such as changing shape, turning cloud somersaults and dividing himself into 100 little monkey soldiers. He can defeat bandits, steal weapons and the immortal peaches of heaven and evade punishment, but he is unable to best Buddha. Hundreds of years later, he regains his freedom when he agrees to become holy monk Tang's disciple, but Monkey is not done with trouble!

Young's collage illustrations of handmade and bought paper impart pleasing color and texture. The dynamic art shows the mischievous Monkey vaulting and somersaulting through his adventures and also interestingly depicts his allies and foes. The Red Beard Bandit has appropriately fiery facial hair, along with blue skin, pink tufts of hair and some serious fangs. The Dragon King is first shown as a menacing shadow. Guan Ying is serene, clad in white and a veil of light.

This book is a great choice to expand your knowledge of tricksters and legend and may send you in search of the full epic, Journey to the West.

Why there is no cat in the Chinese zodiac!

Sob!

Turning now to Chinese folktales and legends, I begin with the story of the Chinese zodiac. There are many picture book and illustrated versions of this story for children. The basic tale goes like this: an important person/deity decides to create the first calendar and summons all the animals of China to help. He will name the first year in the twelve year cycle after the first animal that reaches him.  Rat, cat, dog, pig, rooster, ox (water buffalo), tiger, hare, dragon, snake, horse, monkey and sheep are all invited. Although cat and rat are best friends, rat schemes to be first with a trick that shuts  the unfortunate cat out of the race and destroys friendship between them and all of their descendants. Rat also takes advantage of the strength and speed of Ox (Water Buffalo) to grab a lift. Rat is triumphant, and Cat is furious.

I will be adding to this post as I find additional versions of the story.

The Great Race: the Story of the Chinese Zodiac by Dawn Casey, Illus. by Anne Wilson. 2006.

The Jade Emperor, King of Heaven, decides to create a calendar and name each year after a different animal. He holds a swimming race across the river to determine the order that the beasts should appear in the new cycle. Here, the dirty Rat actively eliminates Cat from the competition by pushing him into the river while he is asleep. He also takes advantage of Ox by riding his back across the river, but then scuttling ahead of him into first place once they arrive on dry land.

Once all the animals but cat arrive, the Jade Emperor declares that every child born in an animal's year will share the talents of that creature.

After the story, information on the Chinese calendar, its important days, and the years and characters of the twelve animals are included.

The illustrations are done in bright collage. Wilson uses repeating circles, ovals and squares, and the Jade Emperor and the animals are done with intentional simplicity, like a child's drawing.

The Cat's Tale: Why the Years Are Named for Animals by Doris Orgel, Illus. by Meilo So, 2008.

This is the same basic tale, but told in a frame story. Mao the cat and Willow the girl belong to each other. When Nai Nai, Willow's grandma, comes to watch her, the child isn't happy about it because it means that her mother has gone out. Nai Nai begins to tell the story of the Zodiac's origin, but Mao is enraged when she forgets to mention Cat, and gives her a scratch. Nai Nai is angry with Mao and Willow is mad at her Grandma, so the girl and kitty head to another room by themselves. As Willow strokes Mao, the cat tells her the real story of the Zodiac race and Rat's betrayal. The story unfolds, and Willow realizes that she has lost her stuffed pig.  Fortunately, at the tale's end, Grandma appears and has the perfect way to make up with her granddaughter and Willow's feline friend.

Meilo So, who also illustrated Tasty Baby Belly Buttons, provides cheerful illustrations. Round Mao has wide amber eyes, a dear little heart shaped pink nose, and a very large indignant mouth when Nai Nai leaves Cat out of her story.

Cat and Rat: The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac. by Ed Young, 1995.

This is the same storyline, but it also follows cat's unsuccessful struggle to reach the Emperor. The animal's years and characteristics precede the tale. In the Author's Note, Young explains that the zodiac was established 5000 years ago by Emperor Huang Di. Young's illustrations are done in charcoal and pastels on Japanese rice paper.

What the Rat Told Me: a Legend of the Chinese Zodiac by Marie Sellier, Catherine Louis and Wang Fei. 2008.

It is stated on the endpapers that this story is adapted from a Chinese Buddhist legend from the Han Dynasty (206 BCE- 220 CE). It takes place on the morning of the dawn of the world. The animals must climb the Jade Mountain to reach the Great Emperor of Heaven. Although the rat has promised to wake the cat for the journey, he fails to do so. As each creature arrives, the Emperor praises their finest qualities. The sun rises for the first time, and the beasts take their places in the wheel of time. But, not the poor cat. The dates for each sign are given following the story.

The graphics are big and bold, all done in black, white and red. The Chinese characters for each animal, plus the emperor and the mountain, are used.

The Animals of the Chinese Zodiac by Susan Whitfield and Phillipa-Alys Browne. 1998.

Buddha wants to make a calendar and the name the years, but he becomes ill and sends his Apsaras ("flying women with magical powers") to invite the animals for a visit. So, the ladies journey to a farm, the mountains, the rivers and the plains to spread the news. This story gives more detail on the animal's behavior and travel habits. Rat is given the benefit of the doubt. Is he a trickster or just forgetful?

The animals are colored fancifully: a blue horse with a red, yellow and orange mane, a tiger with green stripes and a orchid shaded monkey.

No Year of the Cat by Mary Dodson Wade, Illus. by Nicole Wong, 2013.

In this picture book version, the human emperor looks for a way for all to remember the year that the prince and heir was born.

This is my favorite telling of the story, largely because of the art. Wong brings a very playful touch to the tale. On the title page, best friends Cat and Rat are shown with Rat sitting on Cat's head and dangling some string and a bell for her to play with. Ox smiles broadly at the twosome's flattery before they cross the river. Each creature is fussed over once they arrive, and a delighted Tiger is shown getting a tummy rub from one of the emperor's advisers. The art is also full of movement, from the various beasts travels through the river to the ruler's pacing with his line of advisers following him like ducklings, to the Dog shaking water off himself as he meets the emperor.

Animal Dreaming: an Aboriginal Dreamtime Story by Paul Mori, 1998.

This is the story of the Kip-a-ara (initiation into manhood) of Mirri, who is told of the earth's origin by his friend and elder Gadurra. As they set off on walkabout, Mirri learns that the Great Ancestor War-ra-mur-run-gun-di created the animals, birds and fish and they all lived together in a watery place. Everything was fine until the birds decided they should have all of the land for themselves. A giant battle commenced, but three, Garn-dag-itj, the Ancestral Kangaroo, Bal-an-ga, the Ancestral Long-Necked Turtle and Din-e-wan, the Ancestral Emu would not fight. Instead, they looked for ways to bring peace. Each had a powerful dream and afterward, the land began to change. All the animals made their homes on earth and were at peace. From that time, when the animals dreamt, they lived their dreams. When the story ended, Mirri looked at rock paintings of the Dreamtime and knew that a time would come for him too to leave his mark.

Mori's paintings of Mirri and Gadurra are done in alkyds on canvas, while his Dreamtime images are based on traditional Dreamtime motifs and are painted in acrylics on wood. The questing boy and his surroundings are painted realistically, using deep dark colors to show a mysterious sacred space. Some of the striking Dreamtime pictures look almost like mosaics, with spirals, wavy lines and dots of earthen colors creating a night sky giving way to a dream. The backgrounds of the pictures of the emu, kangaroo and turtle are highly textured and look to be painted with natural pigments, suggesting the cave drawings that Mirri sees. Readers will enjoy the surrealistic pictures, such as the great snake coiling itself  and changing into a twisting, rock hillside.

Gidja the Moon

Gidja the Moon by Percy Trezise & Dick Roughsey, 1984, North American edition 1988.

In this legend, Gidja the Moon brings mortality to the humans of the Dreamtime and becomes a celestial body, along with his wife, the Evening Star and his daughter the Morning Star. The story describes how the (super)human Gidja courts and wins his wife, then has and loses their little daughter Lilga to death. Death has been unknown to the first people, who blame Gidja and violently chase him away when he is trying to bury Lilga's body. They go so far as to try to kill him, but he does not die. When they fling him into the air, he becomes the moon that we know, waxing and waning as the days pass. At this time, he curses the people to be mortal.

In the book's introduction, we are told that the moon symbolized death to Australian Aboriginal people, but also Nature's seasonal rebirth and the afterlife. "They believed that Gidja attends the good gate at the portal of the new horizon, the Aboriginal concept of life after death. No one passes through the good gate without Gidja's approval."

Gidja the Moon includes a map of Australia with a detail of Cape York and a glossary with pronunciation of names.

The Rainbow Serpent

 

The Rainbow Serpent by Dick Roughsey, 1975. This North American edition 1988.

 

 

This edition of The Rainbow Serpent includes an introduction and a glossary, making the story easier for American readers  to understand. From the introduction, we learn that according to Aborginal mythology, the earth was originally flat and featureless and was populated only by humans. In the story, during the Dreamtime, the Rainbow Serpent Goorialla woke up and began to search for his people, crawling over Australia from south to north and creating mountains, gorges, creeks and rivers with his body as he moved. When he found his people, he was welcomed, and he taught them how to dance and what to wear. Trouble began, however, when a storm gathered and the Bil-bil brothers came looking for shelter. This legend goes on to explain how some of the original people changed themselves into animals, birds, insects and plants and how Goorialla's eye became Halley's Comet. It emphasises that we must now look after those who changed into animals, etc. because they were once people too, during the Dreamtime.

 

 

Dick Roughsey's illustrative style is very  much like his work in The Giant Devil- Dingo, with a similiar color palette and character depiction. The Rainbow Serpent is gigantic, striped with blue, green, gold and red, with horns, a protruding tongue and a inexpressive face. 

The Giant Devil-Dingo

The Giant Devil-Dingo by Dick Roughsey, 1973.

In the Dreamtime, Eelgin the grasshopper woman has Gaiya, a giant devil dingo in her thrall, and when the butcher-bird brothers, or Chooku-chooku, run into Eelgin while they are out hunting, they know that soon they will be the hunted. They are on the run, armed only with spears. Gaiya is huge, hungry and willing to chase them for days. This legend explains the origins of regular dingos and describes them as friends and helpers of people.

Dick Roughsey (1920-1985) was an Australian Aborginal author and artist of the Lardil people of Mornington Island. (To learn more about their history and culture click here .)  In information after the story, he says that this tale comes from several tribes in the lower Cape York peninsula. He  also says that unlike other creatures in the Dreamtime, the dingo was always a dog, not a human.

Roughsey's art shows the Dreamtime animal/people as dark, thin. long and featureless, making them seem at once alien and from the earth. Everything is painted in brown, terra cotta and shades of green. The Devil-Dingo is larger than an elephant and has ruddy eyes, a lolling tongue and vicious looking teeth and claws and is a fearsome foe indeed.

Rainbow Bird

Rainbow Bird: An Aboriginal Folktale from Northern Australia by Eric Madden, Illus. by Adrienne Kennaway, 1993.

This pourquoi story tells of Rainbow Bird, who, during the Dreamtime, took fire from the selfish Crocodile Man and shared it with the people. Crocodile Man kept the all fire to himself, until watchful Bird Woman changed things and banned him from the land, telling him to make his home in the water. Then Bird Woman put some firesticks into her tail and became the beautiful Rainbow Bird.

Adrienne Kennaway has provided bright watercolor illustrations for the story. Orange is the predominant color, from the sand and rocks of Crocodile Man's original home to the flames he can shoot from his mouth to the fur of fleeing kangaroos. Humble grey Bird Woman transforms into tropical colored Rainbow Bird, flipping rainbow stripes from her tail as she flies. Crocodile Man is  large and toothy, making an impressive villain for brave Bird Woman/Rainbow Bird to defeat.

Moving on to Australian myths and folktales: Sun Mother Wakes the World

As you know, I am interested in learning about folktales and myths from all over the world, and for the purposes of this blog, especially illustrated ones for children. I am quite familiar with many English, French and German tales and have looked here at picture books about folktales from Russia, Africa and Japan. I would now like to look into the mythology and folk tales of Australia, particularly the Aboriginal stories of the Dreamtime. I am eagerly looking forward to reading up on them to assuage my ignorance.

Sun Mother Wakes the World: an Australian Creation Story adapted by Diane Wolkstein, Illus. by Bronwyn Bancroft, 2004.

From the information preceding this story, we learn that The Dreamtime is a continual process of  the creation of the world. Indigenous Australian people believe that each person's birthplace is sacred and their own Dreaming, and they go on walkabouts to look after their birthplaces and keep the earth alive.

Author Ramsay Smith attributed the original tale of the Sun Mother to a Karraru woman of the West Coast of South Australia. His collection, Myths and Legends of the Australian Aboriginals, was published in the early 1930s. Diane Wolkstein considered this, and also visited Australia three times to research the story of Sun Mother while she was creating this book.

In this story, the Sun Mother is awakened by a quiet voice, and then she wakes the sleeping earth, bringing to life vegetation and animals. After time passes, the animals begin to quarrel, so Sun Mother allows them to choose the shape that they desire. She then births her children Moon and Morning Star, so that the creatures will be comforted by their light. Together, they birth the first woman and man. Sun Mother instructs them to always return to their birthplace to look after it, and to walk the land as she does, to keep it alive.

 Indigenous Australian artist Bronwyn Bancroft provides bold visual accompaniment suitable to this tale. She uses vivid colors that provide strong contrast on each page such as yellow and orange that pop against deep blue and purple. Her abstract Sun Mother variously suggests a fetus, golden  Madonna in a stained glass window, snake woman, tree woman and pregnant bellied, radiant sun.The bright goddess contrasts the black silhouetted animals and people around and inside her. The borders that Bancroft uses on some pages teem with fish, snakes, lizards and butterflies. The lively art matches this story of the creation of all life.