summary:
an emperor was given a large jade rock and wanted a master stone carver to carve a powerful dragon out of it. The stone carver tried to carve a dragon but he could not carve one because he believed the stone wanted to be a fish carving. When it was brought to the emperor the emperor had the stone carver imprisoned while he dreamed of a punishment. in the end the emperor saw the beauty in the carving and realized the stone carver.
Personal reaction:
the story tells that you should do what you think is right and that things might work out in the end.
Classroom activies:
1. Have children examine different rocks.
2. Have children draw their own carving.

The emperor has tasked Chan Lo to carve a dragon from his jade stone. When Chan Lo presents his carving it is not a jade dragon, but three fish that have been carved from the stone. The emperor is furious and vows to punish Chan Lo, but first he must dream of what Chan Lo’s punishment should be.

The highlight of this book is its beautiful water color illustrations. This folktale while interesting is perhaps a little long for children to sit through, as the story is drawn out with descriptive text that could have been left to the illustrations. ( )