The Greatest Treasure

A wealthy man named Pang and a poor man named Li are neighbors in this picture book retelling of a Chinese folktale, the one distracted and disgruntled the other happy and content. When Li's flute-playing begins to distract him from his incessant money-counting, Pang decides that the thing to do is to give his neighbor a sack of gold. With money of his own, Li will be too busy to play. This proves true at first, as Li worries about how much money he has, where to hide it and what to spend it on. But when his distraught wife and daughters beg him to play the flute again, he realizes he has been led astray, and that he must give the money back. But what gift can he in turn give, in thanks for Pang's (seeming) generosity...?

Published in show more 1998, The Greatest Treasure is one of many Chinese folktales retold by prolific author/illustrator Demi, with others (that I have read) including Liang and the Magic Paintbrush, Chen Ping and His Magic Axe and The Stonecutter. She seems to be particularly drawn to Chinese lore, although she has explored the traditional tales and religious figures of diverse lands and cultures in her many picture books. In any case, I found this one engaging, and appreciated its message of joy and fulfillment coming through family and music, rather than through the possession of money. Given that many of this creator's earlier books didn't offer any source material for the tales told, I was pleased to see a reference to a traditional version of this story—Money Makes Cares in Leslie Bonnet's 1963 collection, Chinese Folk and Fairy Tales—on the colophon. The artwork here, created using a variety of paints and inks, was beautiful, with its creator's characteristic use of vibrant colors and golden motifs and her charming and expressive figures. Recommended to young folklore enthusiasts, to anyone looking for traditional Chinese folktales, and to fans of Demi's artwork. show less

Cover is a spoiler. No note or back matter, so no idea whether the proverbs or tale are traditional at all. Should be set in an imaginary land, or even in a contemporary one.

Sure it's a good message, but I do hope you recognize that there are children in your classroom who are too hungry to make merry, whose parents are too stressed by real life to play with them. A little less preaching and a little more nuance would be welcome.

Chinese folktale about a happy poor man who is given money by an unhappy rich man and how it affects his happiness. Moral: happiness over riches.

The Greatest Treasure is a great story with an even greater lesson, and kids should definitely learn this lesson. It is about a farmer who isn't rich in money, but learns that the "greatest treasure" is in his heart. I would recommend this book to grades 2-5.

A beautiful telling of a traditional tale. The moral of the story is that money is not the only form of wealth.

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