As he did in The Imp That Ate My Homework (1998), Yep combines realistic fiction and fantasy in a story involving a young Chinese American boy growing up in San Francisco. Orphaned third-grader Steve lives with his grandfather in a one-room Chinatown tenement. There's little money for food or extras, and the boy is convinced that his grandfather resents his very presence. When Steve's school paintbrush wears out, Grandfather offers him an old one of his, and, suddenly, everything Steve paints becomes real. Quickly, life becomes easier, and with the necessities under control, Steve and his grandfather find time to gain a better understanding of their complex relationship. This story is more somber than Imp but the two books have much in common: an appreciation of traditional Chinese customs and values, a sure sense of the difficulties of living in two cultures, and the struggle to understand an inscrutable grandfather. This should be popular with young artists and Yep fans. (Reviewed February 1, 2000)

<p>1893</p> 1893.

Set in San Francisco's Chinatown, this novel mixes elements of fantasy and fairy tale as an eight-year-old boy gets a paintbrush that transforms his dreary life. "Snappy dialogue, realistic characters and plenty of wise humor keep the pages turning," wrote <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">PW. Ages 8-12. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Apr.)

Gr 2-4-Steve is a recently orphaned third grader who has been uprooted from a middle-class suburban lifestyle to live with his grandfather and his roommate, Uncle Fong, in a tenement in San Francisco's Chinatown. The lonely boy mistakes his grandfather's brusque nature for dislike and resentment. However, when Steve fails an art assignment because of a worn-out brush, his grandfather surprises him with a long-treasured magic paintbrush and the fantasy begins. Any picture the boy paints with the enchanted brush becomes real. As windows are painted on the walls of their apartment, they travel through them to the China of the old men's youth. Steve learns about his grandfather's past, about Chinese legends, and about life as a "Chinatowner." He discovers that his relative does indeed care about him, and that even though magic is enticing and exciting, its power should be used judiciously because, like nature, it cannot be controlled. Humor is evident when a greedy slumlord abuses the magic and is sufficiently humbled. Through simple yet sensitive dialogue, the author weaves a tale of alienation turning into affection, and of good prevailing over meanness. Wang's black-and-white drawings appear in every chapter and expertly capture the mood of the story.-Sharon McNeil, Los Angeles County Office of Education Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.