The Willow Pattern Story
Age 4+
Picture Books
For more than 200 years, the familiar blue-on-white Willow china pattern, an intricate British design based on Chinese motifs, has attracted and captivated countless admirers. In the nineteenth century, a folk tale emerged that wove the pattern's design elements into a love story that has lasted generations. No one knows the story's originator. But author-illustrator Drummond began with the version he was told as a child. It is about a Chinese mandarin's beautiful daughter, Koong Shee, and her beloved Chang; the mandarin's servant...the grand pagoda nestled among peonies and camellias...the zigzag fence...the paradise garden...the two doves in flight above the weeping willows. After reading this captivating tale, readers will never look at Willow pattern china in the same way again.
Creators
Allan Drummond was a journalist before studying graphic design at the London College of Printing, and illustration at the Royal College of Art. He has worked as an illustrator for Time Magazine, the Sunday Times of London, and the Design Museum. He has also designed murals and floor patterns for one of London’s major underground stations.
