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Legends
The Legend of the Persian Carpet
When King Balash's precious diamond is stolen, the grief-stricken king can no longer rule, and the country falls into chaos, until a clever young boy comes up with a scheme to bring the jewel's radiance back into the palace.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published October 27, 1993
1 person is currently reading
187 people want to read
About the author
Tomie dePaola
398Ìýbooks869ÌýfollowersTomie dePaola (pronounced Tommy da-POW-la) was best known for his books for children.
He had a five-decade writing and illustrating career during which he published more than 270 books, including 26 Fairmount Avenue, Strega Nona, and Meet the Barkers.
Tomie dePaola and his work have been recognized with the Caldecott Honor Award, the Newbery Honor Award, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, and the New Hampshire Governor's Arts Award of Living Treasure.
He had a five-decade writing and illustrating career during which he published more than 270 books, including 26 Fairmount Avenue, Strega Nona, and Meet the Barkers.
Tomie dePaola and his work have been recognized with the Caldecott Honor Award, the Newbery Honor Award, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, and the New Hampshire Governor's Arts Award of Living Treasure.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
January 15, 2020
A king loves his enormous diamond. He has it on a pedestal, in Persia long ago, so that the light will hit it and fill his royal throne room with rainbows. He’s very trusting. He has no guards and he lets any and all in his kingdom come and see the lights. As you can imagine, one day a thief rides a horse into the room and steals the diamond and off he runs until he has an accident and drops the diamond and it shatters, which really, it shatters? Diamonds are hard.
This King/emperor loves his light and when the kingdom finds the pieces the king goes out and lives in the desert to look at the diamond’s light. He loves his light.
It might come as a surprise, but this is all about carpets. It’s a good story, you should read it and find out how they connect.
The artwork is lovely, very inspired.
The nephew thought this was a little weird. He said this guy sure did like his rainbows. He thought the story was ok for not having monsters in it. He gave it 2 stars and he told me to get him some better books to read.
This King/emperor loves his light and when the kingdom finds the pieces the king goes out and lives in the desert to look at the diamond’s light. He loves his light.
It might come as a surprise, but this is all about carpets. It’s a good story, you should read it and find out how they connect.
The artwork is lovely, very inspired.
The nephew thought this was a little weird. He said this guy sure did like his rainbows. He thought the story was ok for not having monsters in it. He gave it 2 stars and he told me to get him some better books to read.
September 7, 2019
Another wonderfully told legend by Tomie dePaola! This is the first picture book that he wrote but didn't illustrate: however, Claire Ewart researched Persian art and history, and her illustrations in this book are stunning! I highly recommend this book for read-alouds!
October 28, 2019
I'm glad dePaola decided to have someone else illustrate this.
November 13, 2008
Beautiful pictures. Held my daughter's interest. There seems to be less of an emphasis on virtue than the other legends we have read retold by the same author. A king is distracted from his duty and can only be won back to fulfilling it because a boy caters to his desire for a rainbow filled room. No lesson learned; no reformation of character. The point seems to be simply to explain the origin of the Persian carpet and nothing more, but in other legends explaining the origin of various things (The Legend of the Bluebonnet, for instance), the explanation seems peripheral to the main moral of the story, which goes deeper.
November 19, 2008
Tomie dePaola founded a publishing house devoted to multicultural folktales. This one is illustrated by someone other than himself. The artist studied Persian tapestries in order to give that effect to the illustrations. It's a gorgeous book! I wonder how closely his interpretation is to the original Persian tale?
April 20, 2022
story about how persian carpet was found
February 9, 2019
Well, illustrator Claire Ewart certainly had her work cut out for her in this book. Readers from all over the globe have had a relationship with Tomie dePaola for decades, getting to know him through his works in a way that almost never happens with any author, because he is so open with his personal family history. Tomie dePaola's stories and painting style blend so comfortably together that in the eyes of many (including myself) the two are virtually married, and it's hard to imagine anyone else being able to step in and successfully take over half the controls. In becoming the first autonomous illustrator to do the work in a Tomie dePaola book, Claire Ewart was definitely under real pressure.
In my view, she came through beautifully. Some of the pictures had such glowing and unexpected tones and ideas that I came away from reading The Legend of the Persian Carpet impressed most of all by its tremendous, vivid sense of art. The story itself is an interesting one, and further continues Tomie dePaola's work in exploring folklore from distant cultures, and bringing it home in picture book form for young readers. I would grant one and a half stars to The Legend of the Persian Carpet.
In my view, she came through beautifully. Some of the pictures had such glowing and unexpected tones and ideas that I came away from reading The Legend of the Persian Carpet impressed most of all by its tremendous, vivid sense of art. The story itself is an interesting one, and further continues Tomie dePaola's work in exploring folklore from distant cultures, and bringing it home in picture book form for young readers. I would grant one and a half stars to The Legend of the Persian Carpet.
April 2, 2011
When we started to read this book, we were a bit startled. A book, written by , but illustrated by someone else? How unusual! But the note at the beginning of the story explains the rationale and it makes perfect sense. And I think that the choice was wise, as the illustrator () creates a beautiful depiction of the tale. We really enjoyed reading this story together. We are working our way slowly through 's vast collection of stories and we really love his books!
March 6, 2016
A beautiful diamond shines color and light throughout the palace of King Balash. Being a kind and unselfish king, every afternoon, when the light is just right, the king opens the doors to his palace to let the people come take a look at the diamond and its beautiful light.
But one day, a thief takes the diamond, drops it and breaks it as he is running away.
The kind king, so upset over the loss of the beautiful diamond leaves his palace to stare at the broken pieces. His people band together to make a carpet as beautiful and colorful as the diamond.
Grade: 1st Grade to 3rd Grade
Topic: Good/Bad Behavior, International Studies, Helping Others
But one day, a thief takes the diamond, drops it and breaks it as he is running away.
The kind king, so upset over the loss of the beautiful diamond leaves his palace to stare at the broken pieces. His people band together to make a carpet as beautiful and colorful as the diamond.
Grade: 1st Grade to 3rd Grade
Topic: Good/Bad Behavior, International Studies, Helping Others
June 30, 2016
When the cherished diamond of their benevolent monarch is stolen and shattered, Payam and others of Street of the Weavers, create a carpet to mimic the beauty that was destroyed.
This is a beautifully illustrated folk tale. You’ve got to wonder about what kind of monarch the king really was if he was willing to give up the kingdom to look at diamond pieces all day (or why they couldn’t just build him a new castle around the place where the diamond broke)? So the story had some flaws, but it was ok.
This is a beautifully illustrated folk tale. You’ve got to wonder about what kind of monarch the king really was if he was willing to give up the kingdom to look at diamond pieces all day (or why they couldn’t just build him a new castle around the place where the diamond broke)? So the story had some flaws, but it was ok.
October 16, 2019
I liked the character of the kind King, but I found it unbelievable that he'd stop caring for the very people he loved over broken pieces of a jewel. Also hard to believe a carpet can "light up" a room unless it's woven from shiney threads. But I did see the beauty in the carpet and the colors. Those carpets are amazing and the art was still beautiful, even if at first i wasn't sure this was a DePaola because the artstyle didn't look like his lol
But this is all me just being nitpicky, I'd still recommend it because folktales are culturally rich and interesting
But this is all me just being nitpicky, I'd still recommend it because folktales are culturally rich and interesting
March 4, 2011
The pictures are honestly what made this book a favorite for me. The illustrator does a wonderful job of showing the contrast between bright, filled rooms and empty, stark spaces.
March 12, 2015
This was a great book! It really shows that no matter how big or small you are you can always find a solution to a problem. Great lesson for children of all ages.
March 13, 2025
Generous and trusting, King Balash shared his greatest treasure—the beautiful diamond he kept in his palace, which filled his rooms with all the colors of the rainbow—with all of his subjects, who were free to visit the palace and see this wonder. When an outsider stole and then destroyed the diamond, King Balash retreated from his people, much to their worry. It fell to Payam, an apprentice weaver, to rally his fellow craftsman, and to make a new treasure that would once again fill the king's palace with beauty and color...
Published in 1993, The Legend of the Persian Carpet is one of a number of picture books that Tomie dePaola created, retelling various legends and folktales. Of these however, it is the only one (that I am aware of) illustrated by someone else—in this case, Claire Ewart. It was published as part of dePaolo's own Whitebird Books imprint, which was active in the early 1990s, and which included a number of folk tales from around the world. I found the book very enjoyable, appreciating both the story, which offers an explanation of how Persian carpets came to be, and the gorgeously colorful artwork. Given the theme, I think dePaola made the right choice in commissioning a different artist to illustrate this one. I am fond of his own illustrative work, but it has a very distinct character, one I do not think would have been in harmony with the story here. Recommended to young folklore enthusiasts, and to anyone seeking traditional tales with a Persian cultural background.
Published in 1993, The Legend of the Persian Carpet is one of a number of picture books that Tomie dePaola created, retelling various legends and folktales. Of these however, it is the only one (that I am aware of) illustrated by someone else—in this case, Claire Ewart. It was published as part of dePaolo's own Whitebird Books imprint, which was active in the early 1990s, and which included a number of folk tales from around the world. I found the book very enjoyable, appreciating both the story, which offers an explanation of how Persian carpets came to be, and the gorgeously colorful artwork. Given the theme, I think dePaola made the right choice in commissioning a different artist to illustrate this one. I am fond of his own illustrative work, but it has a very distinct character, one I do not think would have been in harmony with the story here. Recommended to young folklore enthusiasts, and to anyone seeking traditional tales with a Persian cultural background.
June 25, 2017
This story about a Persian king and his appreciation for a diamond was a bit odd for me. The book said his most prized possession was his large diamond, but that he wasn't a selfish man. I realize those aren't necessarily combined traits, but it just seems...different. In this story, a thief steals his beloved diamond and ends up breaking it by accident. The King is taken to wear the pieces are scattered and he vows to stay there, because the colors there are the only thing that brings his life happiness. This worries his people who fear an attack, so they ask the King to return in hopes that they can bring color back. He agrees and the weavers set to work. They produce a gorgeous rug of many colors. The King agrees to stay when he sees his room is once again lit with color.
Definitely an odd book, in my opinion. The illustrations are nice, but I had a hard time really getting into the story line.
Definitely an odd book, in my opinion. The illustrations are nice, but I had a hard time really getting into the story line.
August 11, 2021
Me: It's okay.
The Rabbit: *bored*
Guinea Pigs: *sleeping*
The Rabbit: *bored*
Guinea Pigs: *sleeping*
December 3, 2021
The story is fine; the illustrations have much of interest in them. However, I can’t help but wonder what dePaola would have drawn if he were the illustrator.
March 4, 2022
Read aloud to the kids. Enjoyable story.
November 7, 2016
Title: The Legend of the Persian Carpet
Author: Tomie DePaola
Illustrator: Claire Ewart
Genre: Legend
Themes: Beauty, Thievery, Persian culture
Opening line:
Many, many years ago, in the land once called Persia, there lived a kind and wise king, who was much loved by his people
Brief book summary: There was a king who lived in Persia. His most valuable possession was a large diamond he had in his palace. He was a generous king who didn’t guard the diamond because he wanted to allow anyone to come see it whenever they wanted. A thief steals the diamond, and as he is riding away on his horse he drops the diamond shattering it. The king eventually finds the shattered pieces of the diamond and refuses to leave its new location, but this meant that the people no longer had a leader. An apprentice decides to create a beautiful carpet for the king so he’ll come back. The king realizes that the carpet is just as beautiful as the diamond was so he stays in the kingdom.
Professional Recommendation/ Review #1: Publishers Weekly (Publishers Weekly)- DePaola ( Strega Nona ) retells--but does not illustrate--a legend about the origin of the jewel-patterned Persian rug. King Balash's brilliant giant diamond is stolen by a stranger who accidentally drops it onto a rocky plain, where the jewel shatters into thousands of glittering fragments. When apprentice carpet-weaver Payem leads the ruler to the ``carpet'' formed by the dazzling fragments, the overwhelmed king refuses to leave the beautiful sight behind. To lure their leader back to his palace, Payem and his fellow apprentices weave a silk carpet as brilliantly colored as the one made of diamond. A parable of the healing powers of art, this foray into the rich culture of the Middle East is ably recounted. Ewart's illustrations, with their unremarkable compositions and stiff, look-alike figures, are less pleasing.
Professional Recommendation/ Review #2: Kirkus Reviews-
Children who've been told of the diamond's legendary hardness may question the ease with which this one is shattered. A king, accustomed to dwelling in a light-filled room where a large diamond creates a million rainbows, is bereft when it's stolen and smashed, and thereafter takes his only pleasure in staring at the fragments, away from the subjects who need him. An apprentice weaver comes up with the idea of making a magnificent carpet that will lure the king back to his duties. It works. But, unfortunately, neither the words nor the art here convincingly suggests the lure of the diamond's prismatic play or the carpet's intricate patterns. Readers will have to take these on faith. Still, Ewart's illustrations are prettily evocative of old Persia, and perhaps the tale will pique interest in this ancient art form.
Response to two professional reviews: I would say the second review is incorrect with its description of the illustrations. The diamond does lure my attention to the page as the strokes of the lines from the painting make it look like the page is shining, and it is easy to see the intricate patterns of the carpet. This line from the first review, “To lure their leader back to his palace, Payem and his fellow apprentices weave a silk carpet as brilliantly colored as the one made of diamond,� would be a better description of the illustrations.
Evaluation of literary elements: The layout of the page has the text in either the lower right or left corner of one page. The illustration is displayed upon one and a half pages but stops once it reaches the text. The main character, the Persian kings, goes through an internal struggle throughout the book as he feels like he cant rule the kingdom without his diamond. He must realize that there are other things that contain beauty in the world in order to be able to take control of his kingdom once again.
Consideration of instructional application: This book contains a lot of dialogue. I could use this book in a lesson to promote the writing strategy of using quotation marks when writing dialogue. I could also teach the kids the correct way to write punctuation with the dialogue of the text such as writing the comma before the quotation marks.
Author: Tomie DePaola
Illustrator: Claire Ewart
Genre: Legend
Themes: Beauty, Thievery, Persian culture
Opening line:
Many, many years ago, in the land once called Persia, there lived a kind and wise king, who was much loved by his people
Brief book summary: There was a king who lived in Persia. His most valuable possession was a large diamond he had in his palace. He was a generous king who didn’t guard the diamond because he wanted to allow anyone to come see it whenever they wanted. A thief steals the diamond, and as he is riding away on his horse he drops the diamond shattering it. The king eventually finds the shattered pieces of the diamond and refuses to leave its new location, but this meant that the people no longer had a leader. An apprentice decides to create a beautiful carpet for the king so he’ll come back. The king realizes that the carpet is just as beautiful as the diamond was so he stays in the kingdom.
Professional Recommendation/ Review #1: Publishers Weekly (Publishers Weekly)- DePaola ( Strega Nona ) retells--but does not illustrate--a legend about the origin of the jewel-patterned Persian rug. King Balash's brilliant giant diamond is stolen by a stranger who accidentally drops it onto a rocky plain, where the jewel shatters into thousands of glittering fragments. When apprentice carpet-weaver Payem leads the ruler to the ``carpet'' formed by the dazzling fragments, the overwhelmed king refuses to leave the beautiful sight behind. To lure their leader back to his palace, Payem and his fellow apprentices weave a silk carpet as brilliantly colored as the one made of diamond. A parable of the healing powers of art, this foray into the rich culture of the Middle East is ably recounted. Ewart's illustrations, with their unremarkable compositions and stiff, look-alike figures, are less pleasing.
Professional Recommendation/ Review #2: Kirkus Reviews-
Children who've been told of the diamond's legendary hardness may question the ease with which this one is shattered. A king, accustomed to dwelling in a light-filled room where a large diamond creates a million rainbows, is bereft when it's stolen and smashed, and thereafter takes his only pleasure in staring at the fragments, away from the subjects who need him. An apprentice weaver comes up with the idea of making a magnificent carpet that will lure the king back to his duties. It works. But, unfortunately, neither the words nor the art here convincingly suggests the lure of the diamond's prismatic play or the carpet's intricate patterns. Readers will have to take these on faith. Still, Ewart's illustrations are prettily evocative of old Persia, and perhaps the tale will pique interest in this ancient art form.
Response to two professional reviews: I would say the second review is incorrect with its description of the illustrations. The diamond does lure my attention to the page as the strokes of the lines from the painting make it look like the page is shining, and it is easy to see the intricate patterns of the carpet. This line from the first review, “To lure their leader back to his palace, Payem and his fellow apprentices weave a silk carpet as brilliantly colored as the one made of diamond,� would be a better description of the illustrations.
Evaluation of literary elements: The layout of the page has the text in either the lower right or left corner of one page. The illustration is displayed upon one and a half pages but stops once it reaches the text. The main character, the Persian kings, goes through an internal struggle throughout the book as he feels like he cant rule the kingdom without his diamond. He must realize that there are other things that contain beauty in the world in order to be able to take control of his kingdom once again.
Consideration of instructional application: This book contains a lot of dialogue. I could use this book in a lesson to promote the writing strategy of using quotation marks when writing dialogue. I could also teach the kids the correct way to write punctuation with the dialogue of the text such as writing the comma before the quotation marks.
February 19, 2017
What can I say? It's a Persian fairy tale- of course I loved it <3 <3
January 9, 2013
This book was fine, but it didn't really capture my kids' (or my) attention. I found the transitions a little clunky; I kept thinking I was skipping pages when I wasn't because bits seemed like they were missing. Not major plot points or bits of dialogue, just transition sentences from one scene to another. This book did prompt me to look up whether a diamond can break/shatter or not (turns out it can).
February 17, 2013
I used this as the read aloud component for an ongoing folklore unit with second grade. It was to help show the characteristics of a legend and while my kiddos liked it- they oooed and ahhhed over the diamond and the carpet- I don't think it was the best example of a legend I could have used. Still they liked the story and it was nice to get a legend that took place in a drastically different culture.
Read
July 29, 2011I read to a second grade class. Their teacher had been doing a unit on Tomie DePaola but had missed this one. It is in our library with the fables and fairy tales, unlike many of his other books found in the easy fiction section. The students enjoyed the story. I hadn't read it before. DePaola didn't illustrate this book so that was a bit different on his part.
September 9, 2012
This was not one of my favorite books. The story didn't really catch me and I kind of became bored reading it. However, the pictures were very pretty and depicted the story very well. The children would like having the pictures so closely represent the story because they would be able to understand the whole story just by looking at the pictures.
January 29, 2014
This book was about a king who had the biggest diamond in the world. He was a wonderful king but is broken-hearted when the diamond is stolen from the palace. He finds it smashed on the rocks and sits there looking at it for days. A young peasant boy comes up with a solution. They could make a beautiful carpet to fill the palace with color and it works! The king comes back. ;Joe
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 30, 2014
How strange to read a Tomie dePaola book that he didn't illustrate! Still, it's a nice story, and the illustrations, by Claire Ewart, are lovely watercolors.
This is a good story for anyone who wants to read about Persia and/or beautiful Persian carpets. For me, this was a "once is enough" read.
This is a good story for anyone who wants to read about Persia and/or beautiful Persian carpets. For me, this was a "once is enough" read.
March 13, 2014
This a great picture book explaining the legend behind the origin of the jewel-patterned Persian carpet. And it is the first time someone other than Tomie dePaola has illustrated one of his books. Claire Ewart more than aptly handled the job. Her illustration are beautiful -- bright and bold. She selected the perfect colors to tell the story.
May 29, 2014
Not written in a way to make you engage with any of the characters. Not that interesting.
March 12, 2015
I loved the illustrations of the book. It was a great story about the upcoming of the Persian Carpet.
September 4, 2015
Good for history purposes. For older students in elementary school. Shows children a different kind of fairy tail that they are not used to.
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