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The House of Sixty Fathers could be the story of any child in any war. This award-winning novel, which includes expressive pictures by Maurice Sendak, brings readers the story of Tien Pao. His faith, courage, and unwillingness to surrender his belief in the impossible continue to resonate. Tien Pao is all alone in enemy territory. Only a few days before, his family had escaped from the Japanese army, fleeing downriver by boat. Then came the terrible rainstorm. Tien Pao was fast asleep in the little sampan when the boat broke loose from its moorings and drifted right back to the Japanese soldiers. With only his lucky pig for company, Tien Pao must begin a long and dangerous journey in search of his home and family. Awarded a Newbery Honor medal, The House of Sixty Fathers is based on Meindert DeJong''s experience during World War II. DeJong was official historian for the Chinese-American Composite Wing when he met and befriended a young Chinese war orphan, the Tien Pao of this story. "Not only a tense adventure story but also a moving picture of one small boy''s tenacious courage." ( New York Times) Meindert DeJong was the award-winning author of many classic books for children, including the Newbery Medal-winning The Wheel on the School and the Newbery Honor-winning Along Came a Dog, Shadrach, and The House of Sixty Fathers, all illustrated by Maurice Sendak. Among Mr. Sendak''s other popular books is his Caldecott Medal-winning Where the Wild Things Are.
About the author
Meindert DeJong is the award-winning author of many classic books for children, including the Newbery Medal-winning The Wheel On The Schooland the Newbery Honor-winning Along Came A Dog, Shadrach,and The House Of Sixty Fathers, all available in Harper Trophy editions and illustrated by Maurice Sendak. Among Mr. Sendak's other popular books is his Caldecott Medal-winning Where The Wild Things Are.Maurice Sendak’s books have sold over 50 million copies and have been translated into more than 40 languages. He received the 1964 Caldecott Medal for Where the Wild Things Are and is the creator of such classics as In the Night Kitchen, Outside Over There, Higglety Pigglety Pop!, and Nutshell Library. In 1970 he received the international Hans Christian Andersen Medal for Illustration, in 1983 he received the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award from the American Library Association, and in 1996 he received a National Medal of Arts in recognition of his contribution to the arts in America. In 2003 Sendak received the first Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, an annual international prize for children’s literature established by the Swedish government.
