When a somewhat eccentric paper-folding man named John comes to a little village by the sea, the residents are charmed by his lovely creations, from folded paper flowers, to a tiny fleet of paper boats (distributed to the village children), and are soon won over by his gentle, kindhearted nature. Dubbing the newcomer "Paper John," they accept him (and his extraordinary paper house - lacquered, in order to make it waterproof) into their community. When a gray demon is fished out of the water, and wreaks havoc on the village, they have reason to be thankful for this decision, as Paper John, and his house-cum-boat come to the rescue...

Although I have read quite a few children's books illustrated by the talented David Small - Sarah Stewart's The Library, and The Gardener, Elise Broach's When Dinosaurs Came with Everything, Heather Henson's That Book Woman - this is only the second title, following upon the classic Imogene's Antlers (a personal favorite!), that I have read that is both written and illustrated by him. I found the story charming, with its fairy-tale feeling - the stranger who comes to town, the defeat of the devil/demon figure, by a seemingly "simple" hero: these are common folk motifs - and charming artwork. Some of the visual details - the changing expression on the sun-face kite that Paper John is making, before and after the arrival of the demon - are really quite droll! Recommended to young readers who enjoy fairy-tales, and to fans of David Small. ( )

Paper John can make anything out of paper: a hat, flower bouquet, house, boats and more. One night a little devil is tied up outside the window; Paper John rescues him and shares food and lodging. The devil steals from the townspeople and attempts an escape on Paper John's kite. Trapped, the devil calls on the four winds to destroy the town. Paper John proves himself to be heroic, while the devil goes 'back to where he came from.' The story is complemented by the colorful illustrations. ( )