‘Ling Li’s Lantern’ is a morality tale with a gentle but strong message about kindness. Da Zhi is widely respected as a village wise man. He wants his three children to lead good, kind and honest lives and sets tasks to help them achieve wisdom. On this occasion, he gives each an equal, moderate sum of money and challenges them, within a single day, to ‘fill the emptiness of one of three pagodas with anything.’ But they must spend ‘wisely.’
One son, Jingming, harvests bamboo and fills his pagoda. ‘A sound investment,’ his father declares. Son Miao purchases feathers and down and fills one of the pagodas. ‘Clever wisdom,’ exclaims his father. Ling Li, the youngest, sets out for the village to make a ‘wise choice.’ Along the way, she meets several people who need help. With her generous spirit, she buys eggs for a young boy, feeds a distressed and hungry girl, rewards a performing magician and buys handmade necklaces from a woman who has sold none. Each expenditure reveals her kindness.
Ling Li looks in dismay at her remaining two coins. How can she ‘fill the pagoda’ with only these? Will she be judged foolish? As Ling Li begins her journey home, she hears a man calling, ‘Lanterns for sale’ and spends her last coins to light her way home. Ling Li’s father has heard of his daughter’s kind deeds, and proclaims, ‘Not only have you filled the pagoda with the light from the lantern, you have also filled the village with the light from your heart. This is special wisdom.’
Lantern endpapers light the way into this satisfying story. Teachers Notes for this book reveal that both author and illustrator researched a time and place to set this story. The illustrator, Benjamin Johnston, is an architect and the background buildings, setting and dress feature the 19th century Qing Dynasty. The author, Steve Heron, received an OAM for his contribution to the social and emotional wellbeing of children through establishing the Nuture Works Foundation and offering social and emotional programs used in many schools throughout Western Australia.
Picture Books for Older Readers
