The Magic Paintbrush

Product Information

The big difference is that the main character is now female and so is easier for her to identify with.

In The Magic Paintbrush, Julia Donaldson's brilliant verse combines with beautiful illustrations from Joel Stewart, creator of The Adventures Abney and Teal, to bring vibrant life to a traditional tale of how a little girl's integrity can withstand the corruption of power and greed. This edition features a stunning redesigned cover, making it a must-have addition to the bookshelves of all Donaldson fans – big and small! In The Magic Paintbrush, Julia Donaldson's vibrant verse and Joel Stewart's beautiful illustrations bring fresh life to a traditional tale of how a little girl's integrity can withstand the corruption of power and greed.

I am a retired Infant Teacher and I first came across this story published as a Ladybird book, and my pupils always enjoyed it. Julia Donaldson has written some of the world's best-loved children's books, including modern classics The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo's Child, illustrated by Axel Scheffler, which together have sold over 25 million copies worldwide and have been translated into over one hundred languages.

The story is based on a traditional Chinese tale which has been retold many times across Asia and it is probably one of the most popular stories passed on from generation to generation.An enchanting tale told in catchy rhyming verses true to JD style, this story will capture the imagination of children and grown ups.

With her magic paintbrush, Shen can paint steaming pots full of fish and oysters to feed the hungry people in her village. Clever book with wonderful problem solving skills shown and a delightful tale of a little girl with a moral task to complete. Further books illustrated by Axel include Room on the Broom, Stick Man, Zog and The Smeds and the Smoos – all of which have been made into much-loved animated films by Magic Light Pictures. I now have a 5 year old grand-daughter who is half Chinese, so I was delighted to find this Julia Donaldson version, especially as she is a big fan of the author. The 103 third parties who use cookies on this service do so for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalized ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products.JD has stamped her distinctive rhythm into making this re-telling a very atmospheric book of how a little girl's life changes when she is given a magic brush which turns anything she paints into real life.