Princess Djeow Seow, youngest and smallest daughter of the Emperor, is not thought of very much by her family—when thought of at all. So she spends her days playing with a kite made from paper and sticks.

When the Emperor is captured and imprisoned in a high tower, though, it is Djeow Seow who patiently weaves a long, strong rope of her own hair, attaches it to the tail of her kite, and cleverly flies it up to her father in hopes of rescuing him.

Ed Young's brilliant full-color illustrations, which are based on an intricate traditional Oriental papercut technique, grace this tale by renowned storyteller Jane Yolen. Told in an easy-to-read yet sensitive and poetic style, it evokes the long-ago and far-away flavor of ancient China. At the heart of the story are the timeless qualities of love and loyalty.

From the dust jacket of the 1988 Philomel reprint edition