The Magic Pillow

Written and Illustrated by Demi

Awards: Storytelling World Award, "Stories for Adult Listeners"

Summary:

The Magic Pillow is based on a Chinese short story; a young boy named Ping comes from a poor but very happy family. He gets stuck in a snowstorm and finds an inn to stay at until it passes. There, he meets a magician who performs amazing tricks. After seeing the diamond tree the magician created, Ping becomes sad about his family's poverty. The magician gives Ping a pillow that will make his wishes a reality. In his dream, Ping finally has all the money and fame he ever desired. All is well until others become envious and he is thrown in prison. Eventually, he is released and restored to his glory. This cycle goes on for years until Ping is 108-years-old. Ping has realized that he wasted his life chasing status; then he wakes up. Ping's dream experience helped him realize that status would not be worth it and he is happy with his life. 

Grade Level and Unit:

I would suggest this book for kindergarten through fifth-grade classrooms. This would be great to catch students' attention and get them thinking about different cultures. This could also be used for teaching about folk stories and types of literature in fourth or fifth grade. I also think this book could be beneficial to a lesson on author's purpose; I would suggest using it as an introductory text before getting into the main part of the lesson.