Long ago in Persia, there lived a kind and generous king named Balash.  Each day he opened the doors of his palace to share with the people his most prized possession: a diamond that cast light on the walls, in every color of the rainbow.

Then one day a thief stole the jewel, and the kingdom was thrown into despair.  It was up to a small boy named Payam, an apprentice in the street of weavers, to think of a way to bring back the light of the diamond.

For the first time, Tomie dePaola’s clever storytelling has been illustrated by another artist, Claire Ewart.

Her sumptuous paintings give this tale all the warmth of the glorious Persian carpet.

A Note About the Story...

The first “strand” of this tale was handed to me on a piece of yellow typing paper by my friend Doug Duchin.

In a few sentences he sketched a Persian legend that had long been associated with a sixteenth century Mamluk carpet, explaining its pattern, which looked like a landscape strewn with jewels.  I put the tale in a drawer where it sat for many years.

Then, cleaning house one day, I came across the tale again.  Once more it piqued my interest, but this time I decided to retell and expand it for Whitebird Books, which had recently been established.  After much research and polishing, the manuscript was ready.

At about this time I happened to be at a Society of Children’s Book Writer’s conference in California, evaluating artist’s portfolios.  I saw the work of Claire Ewart and was very excited about it.  Here was a chance for me to do something I had always discussed with my editor and mentor, Margaret Frith, but had never done: ask someone else to illustrate one of my stories.  And no author could ask for a more talented interpreter.

Before even beginning her sketches, Claire spent a great deal of time learning about Persian art and history.

She studied Persian miniaturists, and even traveled overseas to see the architecture up close and witness carpets being made.  All of which gives an added richness to this tale of treasure lost, and treasure regained.

       __Tomie dePaola, Creative Director - Whitebird Books

Reviews

"Claire Ewart's paintings have a brilliance that matches the shattered stone."
-Children's Book Review Service

"A parable of the healing powers of art, this foray into the rich culture of the Middle East is ably recounted." -Publisher's Weekly

"...Ewart's illustrations are prettily evocative of old Persia..." -Kirkus Reviews

"...delightful story of a generous king who shares his wealth with his kingdom, only to be thwarted by a clever jewel thief." -The Midwest Book Review

“...Ewart’s glowing illustrations..capture..the exotic flavor of ancient Persia’s craftsmenship…”
-School Library Journal

Activities

Imagine you were like Payam and could weave a carpet.  What sort of carpet would you design?  Using graph paper design your own!

Learn about carpet weaving, how the wool is spun, how the yarn is dyed, how the knots of the carpet are tied.

Find out how to make your own natural dye from plants, from things around you like onion skins, bark, flowers.

Some carpets are made by tying knots, others by weaving yarn in and out in a flat weave.  You might even want to make your own loom and weave a carpet of your own!