Author(s): Jude Daly

Picture Books

Sivu is a stonemason who can see the potential shape in a rock before he starts to chisel it, but he has never become rich or powerful, and this makes him a disappointed man. One day he finds himself envying a wealthy businessman - and suddenly he becomes that businessman. What a life! Then he starts to envy a mayor...and becomes the mayor. What a life! When Sivu envies the sun's power, he becomes the sun...then a storm cloud...then the wind...and finally a rock. But in the end he discovers to his amazement that there is someone more powerful than any rock - the stonemason who shapes it. Using clear, elegant storytelling and exquisite illustrations, Jude Daly translates the timeless Taoist story of The Stonecutter to a modern-day African setting, conveying a timeless message for our own age.