Review by Booklist Review
The tale of Zhang Heng is about a real person who lived in ancient times. As a scientist for the emperor of China, Zhang Heng is very clever, which makes other court advisers jealous. They're so envious that they set him up to fail by convincing the emperor to give him an impossible task: predict when and where an earthquake will strike. Zhang Heng goes to work, and inspired by a strange dream, he designs an earthquake detector--in a very puzzling form. It looks like an egg, and an earthquake in the kingdom causes a dragon to drop a pearl into a toad's mouth and indicate the direction of the quake. When the device is finally set off one day, Zhang Heng is sure it worked, but the emperor and advisers don't believe him. He suffers shame, though in the end he's proven right. Zhang Heng's character stands out for his passion for problem solving and improving all that's around him. Ancient legends are woven into the narrative, like one about how earthquakes are caused by powerful dragons. Most distinctive, though, are the beautiful illustrations drawn in the style of shadow puppetry, which is a Chinese tradition. The distinctness of the art contributes to the powerful feeling of reading not just a story, but myth.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3--6--In scenes that recall two-dimensional forms of the ancient art of shadow puppet, this book introduces Zhang Heng, who was goaded by envious courtiers to create the first machine to tell when and where an earthquake had struck in China. The young inventor had always enjoyed creating devices for all sorts of purposes, and came to the attention of the emperor, who invited him to come and live in the palace. The emperor's favor caused the other courtiers to become envious of Zhang Heng and plot to get him removed. They suggested to the emperor that Zhang Heng should be able to create something that could tell where an earthquake hit as soon as it happened so that help could be dispatched. In a dream, Zhang Heng found a solution, which proved correct. An author's note clarifies that although no one knows how Zhang Heng came to this idea, he did create the first successful seismoscope and that the details are lost to history. The illustrations in this book are charming and quaint; shadow puppets are usually depicted in black, but these are exquisitely colored. VERDICT A whimsical look, true in spirit, of the origins of the first seismoscope, this will have most readers longing to know more about Zhang Heng.--Cynde Suite
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