Other reviews mentioned that this author wrote another story about Emperor Ping, but this one leaves much to be desired. A boy emperor is in need of a new prime minister. To find his adviser he calls all the children in the land and asks them to find him the greatest power in the world. Many of the children set to work making weapons, frightening displays of strength, great inventions, beauty, or money, but one child sits for a long time to think about the challenge. This wise girl has the rare ability to "see the unseen and know the unknown." There are many wise ideas but the follow-though and the build-up left me wanting more.

It is a very pretty book, and the broad message might appeal to some; however, the inch deep idea that is summed up in too-short of a conclusion left me confused. The author found interesting ways to intersperse Chinese history, gods, inventions, and currency into the story as well as illustrations. Some readers might appreciate that the girl who eventually becomes the adviser to the Emperor is always pictured wearing red and that there are beautiful gold leaf details throughout the book. There are many tiny and intricate illustrations shown in round windows with subtle background design. It's a very pretty book that might be pretty to have a classroom for cultural details such as color meaning, inventions, meaning, and figures, but one that left me wishing it had been so much more. ( )

This was a cute book but i did not learn much about the Emperor Ping. All the book really told me was that he was a young emperor and he was known for his love of harmony. I enjoyed the story because it spoke of the value of life and how life is the most powerful thing. I also enjoyed the art. It did show me a lot about chinese culture and it used color, texture, and value. Some of the art even shined as if it were real gold. I would have liked to learn more about the emperor, but overall the book was well done. ( )

"To know the greatest power in the world is to know the greatest peace." Emperor Ping is in need of the wisest prime minister to bring harmony to his kingdom. He challenged the children to embark on a quest to find the greatest power in the world and whoever had the best power would become prime minister. Many brought him materialistic objects. Sing offered Ping a lotus seed, broke it in half, and told him that nothing was there and that it was the greatest power in the world...life is the greatest power in the world. Do you think she becomes the next prime minister? The illustrations are sometimes very small but add so much life into the story. I love how the Chinese culture is represented in the illustrations. ( )

Since this is by Demi, it can be taken almost as a given that the drawings are both beautiful and inventive. I did have one problem with it that would make me hesitant to read it to a child, because I couldn't explain the answer. It's a spoiler, so read no further unless you want to know the answer to the question of what is the greatest power.

SPOILER: After all the children have presented representation of money, the emperor, the empress, beauty, weapons, etc., one little girl comes along with only a lotus seed in her hand. She breaks the seed upon and show Emperor Ping the Nothing inside, and says that is the greatest power. When Ping asks how Nothing can be the greatest power, she replies that Nothing is the source of life, which renews itself endlessly. I admit to an unfamiliarity with lotus seeds, but I don't understand how it contains nothing. Maybe they are hollow. But it is the seed itself, the embryonic plant that represents life (or did until she broke it and now it might not grow.) It reminds me of the Taoist idea that usefulness arises from the void, but if someone asked me to explain how a seed is Nothing, I don't think I could.

Picky, picky, picky, or just too literal minded. ( )

Another folktale starring Emperor Ping, this one shows that the greatest power is not in money, weapons, technology, or beauty, although that is what most people think when Ping gives his people yet another challenge. ( )