All is calm in the warlord 1/2s palace, and theartist 1/2s apprentice Chuan takes a break from papermaking to sit with his friend Jing Jing, watching the sunset.
Suddenly, a cloud of dust rises on the horizon.
It is an invading army.
The palace gates are closed, but how will they keep the invaders at bay? As the palace prepares to withstand the attack, Chuan continues making paper, while Jing Jing tries to think of a way to scare away the army.
Jing Jing comes up with an ingenious solution, using Chuan's knowledge of calculating area as well as his handmade paper and ink to frighten the troops into leaving.
Children learn about creativity, folklore, and calculating area in a math lesson that 1/2s as fun as it is fascinating.
Directions for making a kite follow the story.
Pelican Publishing Company The warlord's kites, hardcover/virginia pilegard
