title: The Legend of the Persian Carpet
author:  Tomie dePaola 
description: 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. Ages 4-8. <br />Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
zlib_text: A WHITEBIRD BOOK
  
  $14.95
  ($19.50 CAN)
  (Tj ong ago in Persia, there lived a kind
  ^^^ and generous king named Balash.
  Each day he opened the doors of his
  palace to share with the people his most
  prized possession: a diamond that cast
  light on the walls, in every color of the
  rainbow.
  Then one day a thief stole the jewel,
  and the kingdom was thrown
  into
  despair. It was up to a small boy named
  Payam, an apprentice in the street of
  weavers, to think of a way to bring back
  the light of the diamond.
  For the
  first time, Tomie dePaola's
  clever storytelling has been illustrated
  by another artist, Claire Ewart. Her
  sumptuous paintings give this tale all
  the warmth of a glorious Persian carpet.
  
  \
  -•
  ;-
  Sa'eofit
  A NOTE ABOUT THE STORY
  The first "strand" of this tale was handed to me on a piece of yellow typ-
  ing paper by my friend Doug Duchin. In a few sentences he had sketched
  a Persian legend that had long been associated with a sixteenth-century
  Mamluk carpet, explaining its pattern, which look