The Magic Paintbrush

by Kat Zhang (Author) Phoebe Zhong (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

In this highly illustrated series launch, Amy, a Chinese American girl picks up an ancient paintbrush and unwittingly unleashes the power to make her art real--and sometimes dangerous.

Amy has always loved art, but lately her drawings have been less than impressive. There's no passion, no personality, no...magic. Until Amy visits her Lao Lao, her grandmother, and finds an ancient paintbrush that brings anything Amy creates to life! Now her creation Luna has taken over her bedroom and is running through the streets of Flushing, Queens. What awaits: an international adventure filled with an ancient Chinese legend, a greedy adversary and ghastly beasts!

Award-winning author Kat Zhang teams up with Eric Darnell, the writer and director of the Madagascar series and the Chief Creative Officer of Baobab Studios, to create a captivating highly-illustrated middle grade series debut about finding your own path, the power of imagination, and the strength of family.

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Hardcover
$17.99
This title will be released on May 20, 2024, 7:21 p.m.

Kirkus Reviews

An exciting tale of friendship, family, and embracing the magic of our imagination.

Booklist

Readers will become invested in Amy’s enchanted adventure in this exciting and imaginative story with nail-biting passages.

Publishers Weekly

A Chinese American girl embarks on a high-stakes adventure in this stimulating tale filled with Chinese folklore. Though seventh grade New Yorker Amy Li isn't thrilled about spending spring break with her Lao Lao in Flushing, the two bond over their mutual love of art. Amy learns that Lao Lao's jade paintbrushes are magical when she accidentally breaks one--and it repairs itself. What's more, her painting of her tiger-bodied, bird-headed imaginary friend Luna also becomes a living, talking creature. Meanwhile in China, university graduate Chen Wong is sent to live in Guilin by his parents because of his partying behavior. There, a painting of a monster called a taotie comes alive, and Chen resolves to find the magic paintbrush--and the reckless painter--that caused it. As Amy explores the brush's limits, a video she posted of Luna alerts Chen to the item's whereabouts, and Amy's giddy explorations take a turn when the taotie takes Lao Lao. Infused with expressive art by Beijing artist Zhong, this vibrant story by Zhang (the Amy Wu series) and debut author Darnell details a thrilling escapade via swift storytelling and moments of humor, warmth, and growth. Ages 8-12. (May)

Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"[A] high-stakes adventure in this stimulating tale filled with Chinese folklore....this vibrant story by Zhang and debut author Darnell details a thrilling escapade via swift storytelling and moments of humor, warmth, and growth." —Publishers Weekly

"An exciting tale of friendship, family, and embracing the magic of our imagination." —Kirkus Reviews

"Readers will become invested in Amy's enchanted adventure in this exciting and imaginative story with nail-biting passages." —Booklist
Kat Zhang
Kat Zhang loves traveling to places both real and fictional--the former have better souvenirs, but the latter allow for dragons, so it's a tough pick. She is the author of the novels the Hybrid Chronicles, The Emperor's Riddle, and The Memory of Forgotten Things, and the picture books Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao and Amy Wu and the Patchwork Dragon. When not writing, spends her free time scribbling poetry, taking photographs, and climbing atop things she shouldn't.

Eric Darnell is Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder of Baobab Studios, the world's leading independent interactive animation studio. Under Eric's leadership, Baobab Studios has won 5 Emmys, 2 Annie's, and first ever SIGGRAPH Immersive Best in Show Award. Baobab's latest VR piece, Baba Yaga, made its world premiere at the 2020 Venice Film Festival.

Eric's career spans 25 years, and he is the second highest box office grossing writer and director of animated feature films, and was the director and screenwriter on all four films in the Madagascar franchise and an executive producer on The Penguins of Madagascar. Previously, Eric directed DreamWorks Animation's very first animated feature film, Antz.

Phoebe Zhong is a character designer, visual developmental artist, and illustrator based in Beijing.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780593179932
Lexile Measure
630
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Crown Books for Young Readers
Publication date
May 20, 2024
Series
The Magic Paintbrush
BISAC categories
JUV037000 - Juvenile Fiction | Fantasy & Magic
JUV001000 - Juvenile Fiction | Action & Adventure
JUV011020 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States - Asian American
Library of Congress categories
Magic
Art
Fantasy
Fantasy fiction
Chinese Americans
Novels
Paintbrushes

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