We’ve all seen it – the classic, beloved willow pattern china. This classic picture book takes your little one on a ride and journey through the world depicted by the iconic design. A story within a story, of true love and the forces fighting against it, this one is the perfect introduction to children of the fact that art, designs, and sometimes things as simple as the dishes we eat out of, can tell use stories beyond our wildest imaginations. A true feat of children’s literature.

Beautiful illustrations and a fascinating story about a pattern. I would recommend this for all libraries and I think kids and adults alike will be interested in this one.

Beautiful imagery which I am certain will capture the attention of many readers & will have them seeking yo read the story once again

Thirty years old and still showing all its glories superbly well, this is a telling of what might have happened in the run-up to the image used in willow pattern porcelain – the allegedly Chinese design that wasn't ever Chinese, and never really had a back-story. It didn't take long, it appears, before people had named the characters in a plot of lovers torn asunder by greedy old men, and this variant is a very nice one, bearing a lot of the classic story-telling attributes but not being too old and stiff-seeming. Chances are many young audience members turning to this now will know nothing of the design, but they should still be able to take on the drama of the telling, and the visuals – all typical China-ware blue and white but for when characters are picked out in further colours – are in excellent gouache and pencil. It's very gladdening to see this is still in print, for all its age – four and a half stars.

The Willow Pattern Story is a short children’s book about the possible meaning behind the blue and white China pattern popularized on Spode brand china. Overall the story is a bit depressing for a childrens book. My copy did not download correctly so some of the pictures were also missing I believe. What pictures were there were pretty, much like the china pattern is.

The Willow Pattern Story by Allan Drummond is such a gorgeous book. The retelling of this haunting Chinese tale is beautifully illustrated in muted tones of blues. The story is full of love and loss and the pictures paint the emotions of Koong Shee and Chang with remarkable depth. I loved the simple short story paired with the beautiful art.

What a tragic yet enchanting story! I enjoyed it to the fullest. The birds that united two young souls madly in love with each other ended up being the carriers of a cruel fate. I loved the narration and the author's note explaining the reason behind the book and the origin of this story. The illustrations were beautiful as well. I never gave the willow pattern any thoughts, partly because I don't have one. Learning about one of the many variations of the story that is guessed to inspire the elegant pattern was fascinating and delightful. Recommended!

Beautiful and breathtaking illustrations.
I am so happy that now we have plenty diverse books for the kids, fills my heart with joy.

The story was really appealing and charming. It was so beautiful it almost felt poetic.

The only qualm I have is it's rather bleak toward the end, something in my opinion isn't really fit for young kids.
Maybe kids who are a bit older will be suitable readers for this book.

All in all loved it!
I seriously want to buy a cipy for myself just for the beautiful aesthetics of this book

The Willow Pattern Story is told as a Chinese folk tale, although we find out in the afterword at the end of the book it really didn’t originate as a Chinese tale at all. The Willow Pattern was an English invention, created to copy the popular Chinese motifs and patterns of the late 1700’s, early 1800’s period. It became wildly popular and has continued to be used as a china pattern even to this day. The story in this book is based on the many tales that have been created over the years to explain the story told in the pattern’s illustrations. It is a classic story of love and a parent attempting to prevent that love from flourishing, unsuccessfully, of course, in the end.

I enjoyed this book and the story of Koon She and Chang immensely. It has all the elements of romance combined with a bit of sadness and a satisfying eternal ending you would desire in a folk tale. The text is on the longish side for a picture book, so I would recommend this for an older child, maybe one who is reading on their own but still enjoys illustrated books. It would also be a good book to share in a read aloud classroom setting, it could easily open up interesting discussions around the historical elements of the story that are shared at the end of the book.

The illustrations in this book are lovely. The overall tone is the dominant blue of the Willow Pattern, with splashes of color throughout. Some of the illustrations were a bit of a disconnect for me with the story that was being told, I appreciated the artistic nature of the illustrations but felt that younger readers might not follow the story being told in the pictures as easily.

Overall I felt this book was an enchanting and unique folk story, artfully presented and enhanced by the addition of the afterword which explores the historical beginnings of the Willow Pattern.

Thank you to NetGalley and North South Books for the e-ARC of this book to read and review. I loved the artwork, and the idea of bringing a pottery pattern to life - in the tradition of folk tales that inspired their creation - within a forbidden love story. I also got a richer understanding from the author's note at the end, explaining this history and the different countries that have willow pattern storytelling traditions. Ultimately, I didn't find the story itself to be as magical as the possibilities, but it's definitely interesting!

Thank you to Netgalley, North South Books, and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I picked this up because I too was fascinated by Chinese porcelain and patterns as a child! I was always drawn to the beautiful landscapes and delicate faces, human and animal, in the patterns. Needless to say, of course the cover of this book caught my attention. The art is beautiful; I especially love the use of pottery(?) fragments—the shape and placement give the book such a whimsical vibe. And the art relating to the story was sweet as well.

I enjoyed the story, but I came away a bit wary of a kid reading this? I'm not a parent or educator, so I can't really speak to the maturity level needed, but given the elements of stealing, imprisonment, and murder, I'm inclined to say 9/10 years old and above... I really liked the history part at the end, too! It's a good balance to the mythical nature of the preceding story.

So yes, overall, I did enjoy. Would I recommend to everyone? No. If you (the parent/teacher) have a creative job though, like pottery, interior design, painting, etc., it could be a great conversation starter and interest piquer for your little one(s)!

Pretty, delicate illustrations to go with a pretty, delicate story - fitting for the willow china theme. Better suited for slightly older picture book readers, or those with some patience.

What a sweet story! I think sharing it as a children's tea party, or as a gift for the tea lovers, would be wonderful! I've always thought the Willow pattern was Chinese. It was a surprise to learn otherwise, but I know a lot of the "Chinese" pottery from the period was actually produced elseware. Spode was surprising! Some years ago I learned that the pottery was so mass produced, it was often used as ballast in ships and paths in the Carribbean were often paved witht he broken ballast once ships were emptied! I have a few pieces of a blue and white pottery I picked up in St. Croix decades back that may well have been the blus willow pattern! Anyway, the story uses ther willow pottery motif very creatively and continues passing the tradition on to another generation. Kudos Mr. Drummond!

This book tells a folk tale to go along with the beautiful and intricate design called the willow pattern, found on china and porcelain dating back to the 1700s. The story is set in China and includes many of the pictures found in the willow pattern, including a pagoda and birds. The book ends with factual information about the willow pattern such as where and when it originates from (not China!) as well as the author's interest in the willow pattern and some of his research related to it. This is a neat book and an opportunity to learn a little about Chinese history through a story which is based on art.

I would recommend this book to families and teachers of children in the 7-11 range who might be interested in art and Chinese culture. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book!

𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐈 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: The Willow Pattern Story
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Allan Drummond
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Children's Fiction
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

𝐆𝐔𝐒𝐇:
• A charming story about forbidden love and overcoming obstabcles
• The accompanying gorgeous illustrations add to the story
• Beautiful illustrations that evoke wonder and sparks the imagination

𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐄:
• My one concern is that the story highlights that a character steals without mentioning any consequences
• This is more of a formatting issue, but the words “North South Books” are placed haphazardly on each page

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬: love

𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫: young children interested in fables

Thank you to @NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 𝐌𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠: 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐣𝐨𝐲.𝐜𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞.

Beautifully illustrated, engaging story for children and/or adults. It makes the statement that everything holds value, and everyone has a story.

Beautiful, breath-taking blue and white china patterns always attract me, so when I saw this book's illustrated cover in such hues and design, I immediately 'fell in love' and wanted to read the story! Fascinating. I'd never stopped to wonder about the story that went into the exotic composition of the art work. Reading this book has given me a peek at one version. It's really gotten my imagination thrumming.

Children and adults alike, will no doubt be intriqued with Koong Shee and Chang's story as told by Allan Drumond. Lovers, who eventually run away and get married but whose whereabouts are eventually discovered and brought back home for punishment. The end of their days turn into an interesting release.

The two kissing birds featured in this Willow Pattern have significance in this 32-page tale,which is well illustrated in, you guessed it, mostly, blue and white. See if you can figure out the meanings as you read.

One issue for caution is that he pair steal jewllery, run away and elope. However, smart children will realize the wrong of it. Other than that I found this story of interest and next time I see a Willow Pattern on a plate, teacup or saucer, I'll be sure to take a closer look and that with greater appreciation of this prized pattern piece.

~Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger~

May 2022

Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the review copy sent by NetGalley and the NorthsSouth Books Inc publisher.

This is a beautiful story of forbidden love, with masterful illustrations to go along with it. The subject matter and word count make it definitely more for the older side of children reading picture books, but because it tells such a rich story, it'll be enjoyed by kids for much longer than the average picture book.

With exquisite, intricate artwork surrounding the prose on every page, this is a truly magical children's book.

The Willow Pattern Story is a beautiful love story with delicate and intricate pictures. Koong Shee and Chang have a forbidden love but they overcome obstacles with help all around. Young children will be on the edge of their seats with the ups and downs in the story but will enjoy the happy ending for Koong Shee and Chang.

Thank you NetGalley and North South Books Inc for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.