With her magic paintbrush, Shen can paint steaming pots full of fish and oysters to feed the hungry people in her village. When the evil emperor commands Shen to paint gold for him, she is determined to keep her promise to paint only for the poor. In The Magic Paintbrush, Julia Donaldson's vibrant verse and Joel Stewart's beautiful illustrations bring fresh life to a traditional tale of how a little girl's integrity can withstand the corruption of power and greed.

Author Biography

Julia Donaldson is the outrageously talented, prize-winning author of the world's best-loved picture books, and was the 2011-2013 UK Children's Laureate. Her books include Tyrannosaurus Drip, What the Ladybird Heard and the modern classic The Gruffalo, which has sold over 13.5 million copies worldwide and has been translated into over sixty languages. Julia also writes fiction as well as poems, plays and songs and her brilliant live children's shows are always in demand. Julia and her husband Malcolm divide their time between Sussex and Edinburgh. Joel Stewart grew up in Sheffield. He graduated from Falmouth College of Arts with a first class degree and won the Macmillan Prize for children's picture book illustration in 2000. Since then he has published over 20 books and illustrated for authors such as Julia Donaldson, Carol Ann Duffy and Michael Rosen. He is also the creator and director of the hit children's TV series, The Adventures of Abney and Teal.