In this tale of courage and devotion, a single shard from a celadon vase changes the life of a young boy and his master. In 12th-century Korea, the village of Ch'ulp'o is famous for its pottery. The orphan Tree-ear spends his days foraging for food for himself and Crane-man, a lame straw weaver who has cared for him for many years. Because of his wanderings, Tree-ear is familiar with all of the potters in the village, but he is especially drawn to Min. When he drops a piece Min has made, Tree-ear begins to work for him to pay off his debt, but stays on after the debt is paid because he longs to learn to create beautiful pots himself. Sent to the royal court to show the king's emissary some new pottery, Tree-ear makes a long journey filled with disaster and learns what it means to have true courage. This quiet story is rich in the details of life in Korea during this period. In addition it gives a full picture of the painstaking process needed to produce celadon pottery. However, what truly stands out are the characters: the grumpy perfectionist, Min; his kind wife; wise Crane-man; and most of all, Tree-ear, whose determination and lively intelligence result in good fortune. Ages 9 and up. Please review the table of content.
樹耳是一名孤兒，從小與跛腳的鶴人住在橋下，過著相依為命的日子。他們靠撿食或編草鞋、草器皿維生。物質條件雖然不足，卻從不怨天尤人。樹耳在翻撿村人垃圾桶之餘，一有空暇便到陶匠明師傅家的院子裡偷偷看他做陶。一次他不慎打破了明師傅的一個作品，因而自願做工償還，由於他謙虛、懂事和負責的作態度，很得師母的疼愛，常常暗中支助他食物，讓他和鶴人得以飽餐。明師傅也終於打破「父職子承」的陶藝界慣例，收他為徒。他替年老的明師傅送陶瓶到康津給朝廷的官員鑑賞，中途遇到盜匪，險些喪命，他仍靠著一片破瓷片，替明師傅爭取到官方的終生委任榮耀。他帶回好消息的當時，鶴人因事故喪生，他頓失相依的人，心中很悲痛，明師母和明師傅則適時伸出援手，幫他取名韓璧，收他為義子。
By Linda Sue Park, Paperback or Hardcover, Simplified Chinese characters or Traditional Characters with Zhuyin, 163-223 pages, 8.15”-8.25”x5.75”-5.9”
