Multicultural Children's Book: A Parent and Child Whose Love Transcends Death and Transforms a Community
Ohio Author M. LaVora Perry's "Wu-lung & I-lung" presents an ancient Chinese legend of a master calligrapher and his equally skilled son. After the son is forced by the ruler to disobey his father's dying wish, the pair's love reaches past death to heal a suffering community.
(PRWEB) September 30, 2004
East Cleveland, Ohio…Author M. LaVora Perry’s WU-LUNG & I-LUNG is an illustrated children’s story of a love between a father and son that transcends death and transforms a community. The tale is based on an ancient Chinese legend that Perry discovered in the writings of the 13th century sage, Nichiren. The story relays how, on his deathbed, master calligrapher, Wu-lung, asks his son, I-lung, to never write the Lotus Sutra teaching. I-lung agrees, but is later forced by the ruler to break his promise. I-lung is utterly guilt-ridden—believing he has betrayed his father’s last wish—until a surprise visitor brings him wonderful news. Wu-lung & I-lung’s futuristic illustrations by Norio Saneshige received an Addy® Award from the American Advertisers Federation.
WU-LUNG & I-LUNG can be read to children ages five and up, and read by children who read on the third grade level and up.
CHINESE INFLUENCE
M. LaVora Perry first personally encountered Chinese culture when she worked as a waitress for four years at a Tina Chinese restaurant in midtown Manhattan. While there she made friends with co-workers from countries ranging from China to Haiti to Egypt to Bangladesh. Her experience at the restaurant, coupled with research on Chinese culture and history, helped shape her rendition of WU-LUNG & I-LUNG. “The father and son story was a great comfort to me during a personal time of grief,” she says. “I hope my version uplifts the children who read it—especially those who have lost someone they love.”
ENDORSED BY BILL CLINTONÂ’S FORMER DIARIST
Children’s groups in Malaysia are utilizing WU-LUNG & I-LUNG, and it received the following endorsement from U. S. President Bill Clinton’s former personal diarist, Janis F. Kearney, author of Cotton Field of Dreams: “What a beautiful book…I was mesmerized by the story.”
Scholastic children’s author, Carol Parenzan Smalley, had this to say about the book: “…delightfully intriguing and educational story. I shared it with my…daughter. It opened many new doors of discussion for us about life, death, family and community.”
MAKING MULTINATIONAL HISTORY
In 1995 Perry became the first African-American staff card writer in the world's largest publicly-owned greeting card company—American Greetings. As such her words have appeared on gift items in six countries, including in Spanish translation in Mexico.
PerryÂ’s first children's book, Taneesha's Treasures of the Heart, was warmly received by readers worldwide. The book is on the reading list for Ohio's largest school district (Cleveland), in libraries and schools across the U. S., and is requested for inclusion in the curriculum of Zambian public shools.
In 2004 Perry launched her own publishing company, Forest Hill Publishing. WU-LUNG & I-LUNG is published under the company's children's imprint, Fortune Child Books.
ORDERING INFORMATION
Wu-lung & I-lung is available as a perfect bound trade paper back in an 8.5 x 11 full color edition with semi-gloss pages ($16.00--ISBN 0-9759251-0-5); and in a 6 x 9 large print, black and white edition ($10.00—ISBN 0-9759251-2-1).
WU-LUNG & I-LUNG will be available on Amazon. com and from booksellers worldwide within the coming weeks. But why wait? Beat the holiday rush for quality gifts for the children in your life. Be one of the first to order, read and share this tender story that soars above the beaten path and is sure to become a family favorite.
A free e-book edition of the WU-lUNG & I-LUNG comes with each purchase. To order the book online, view illustrations, read excerpts, reviews and the authorÂ’s bio, visit http://www. foresthillpublishing. com/taneesha. htm#wulung (http://www. foresthillpublishing. com/taneesha. htm#wulung).
Review copies are available from the publisher.
