Description: A picture book that tells a story about human rights through metaphor and symbolism. The Lacquer Princess, more skilled than anyone else, creates beautiful lacquerware. When the king orders her to make lacquerware only for himself, she instead sends him pieces that depict the lives of his people. Enraged, the king throws her into prison — but the voice of truth cannot be silenced so easily. This book calmly portrays, with quietly powerful language, the tyranny of an all-powerful ruler, the suffering of the people beneath him, and the way a small act of resistance from the Lacquer Princess grows into a resounding echo. Compelling enough to stand as an old folktale in its own right, the story is in fact modeled on Myanmar, which endured decades of military dictatorship, and on Aung San Suu Kyi, who led the pro-democracy movement against that government. The vivid yet understated colors and distinctive pointillist illustrations beautifully capture the exotic landscapes of Southeast Asia. Though rendered in delicate, thin lines, the patterns on the lacquerware create a striking contrast against the dark background, leaving a deep impression. The way this rich narrative is distilled into metaphorical, symbolic images adds remarkable depth to the work. Created in collaboration with Amnesty International in support of freedom of conscience and expression, this picture book helps children take their first steps toward understanding human rights. The appended writings by the author and illustrator, along with an introduction to Amnesty International, also provide valuable material for children just beginning to learn about human rights issues. Author: Patrice Favaro Recent Works: The Lacquer Princess (2 titles total) About the Author: After leaving her studies in journalism and media, she worked in many different fields — as a violin maker, musician, acrobat, and actress. She has traveled widely, and her extensive experiences in India, in particular, have inspired much of her writing. As of 2006, she lives in Provence, where she writes children's books and other works and leads performance-related workshops. Her books include The Roof My Mother Made, The Cat Who Went to Heaven, and The Violin Maker's Secret. Illustrator: François Malaval Recent Works: (2 titles total) About the Illustrator: After working as a teacher for several years, he began pursuing sculpture, printmaking, and painting in earnest. As of 2006, he lives and works in Provence, and occasionally holds art workshops for children. His illustrated books include A Big Book of Small Landscapes and Sidonie and Friends. Translator: Yoon Jeong-im Recent Works: Existence and Engagement (62 titles total) About the Translator: She received her doctorate in literature from the University of Paris X and currently serves as a researcher at the Institute for Humanities Research at Yonsei University. Her major papers include "Saint Genet: An Aesthetics of Emotion and Imagination" and "Sartre and Bataille: Focusing on Genet Criticism," and her translated works include Portrait of an Era and Sartre's Imaginary.