This imaginative folktale provides a rare window into the lore of the Hmong people of Laos, yet is anything but parochial or arcane in its appeal. It embraces a range of universal qualities, from loneliness to joyful anticipation to deviousness and guile, and portrays its characters with sympathy and wit. Hom's strikingly colorful paintings, modeled on the appliqued "story cloths" of the Hmong, ably capture a sense of character and landscape and extend the fable's whimsy and good humor. -- Publishers Weekly "Done with such harmonious simplicity that it deserves special attention for its amusing tale and beautiful illustrations." -- International Examiner "The colors are bright, unusual, and strikingly harmonious. A lovely, authentic book from a culture that is virtually unrepresented in children's literature." -- Kirkus Reviews "Clearly this is a superior production and an important addition to folk literature for children." -- School Library Journal ALSC Notable Children's Books - American Library Association (ALA) Approved Book - Parents' Choice Foundation.