Christopher Sunami

I liked this book for the theme it suggested, but did not like it because of the structure. It was a story within a story within a story. I had to go back and reread certain parts because I was confused about the plot, and still did not one hundred percent comprehend what was going on. The author tried to differentiate the different stories using different colors and different fonts, but for someone who is an emerging reader, they would definitely have difficulty following the plot of the text. This complexity would not engage everyone and would discourage readers from appreciating the text. However, it was appealing because it gave readers a sense of how evil does not always prevail. The main character of the story says at one point, “Oh, it is not I who will punish you, but rather Heaven and Fate.” This tells readers how doing good and bad things contribute to something larger than themselves. People should not act selfishly for something not going their way. In fact, they should strive to pay it forward and carry on a legacy of goodness and selflessness in hopes that it will inspire others to do the same things. This message of good will was the central theme of the book. This is an important theme to focus on for primary grades because students at that age are developing a sense of wrong and right, so throwing a folktale and powerful genie into the mix of an otherwise boring rule of conduct will engage students in this message.… (mere)