1999 First Edition of The Donkey and the Rock — Written and Illustrated by Demi

Title: The Donkey and the Rock: A Tibetan Folk Tale
Author & Illustrator: Demi (Charlotte Dumaresq Hunt, 1942 – Present) — Acclaimed Buddhist Iconographer
Genre: Children’s Folklore / Tibetan & Buddhist Lore / Cross-Cultural Wisdom Tales
Edition: True First Edition, First Printing (1999)Publisher: Henry Holt and Company, New York
Aesthetics: Vibrant cover layouts; full-bleed multimedia illustrations layered with traditional Chinese and Tibetan artistic flourishes.

Dating back nearly 2,500 years to ancient India and the early disciples of the Buddha, The Donkey and the Rock is a timeless, masterfully humorous exploration of human curiosity and fair judgment. When an eccentric property dispute breaks out between two poor mountain neighbors, a wise, just king resolves the conflict by dragging a stubborn donkey and a silent boulder into court for a formal, public trial. The bizarre spectacle draws a massive crowd, setting the stage for a brilliant, surprising lesson in civic logic, honesty, and community responsibility.

Introductory note:

"The tale of the donkey and the rock is said to have originated in India in 550 B.C. with the Buddha acting as the judge and instructing his disciples to avoid foolish curiosity. Humor and wisdom gave the tale broad appeal, and it spread throughout Asia in many variations. One particularly famous version was written in China in the eighteenth century. It was entitled "Cheng Ban Qiao Tries a Rock." Cheng Ban Qiao was a celebrated painter, writer, and magistrate of the time. Today, however, the story is often heard in Tibet. My version was told to me by my Chinese Buddhist husband, Tze-si Huang, who remembers hearing it from his grandmother when he was growing up in Wildcat Stream, near ChungKing, in China's Sichuan Province."

Demi (the pen name of Charlotte Dumaresq Hunt 1942 - ), is one of the most distinctive figures in modern children's literature, having illustrated over 300 books. Rooted in American history as the granddaughter of legendary explorer Charlotte Endicott Grinnell, Demi’s artistic journey transformed after studying at the Instituto Allende in Mexico and later embracing Buddhism. Her art represents an intersection of Western graphic design and Eastern spiritual iconology. She has received critical acclaim for her spiritual and historical biographies, with works including The Empty Pot, Buddha, The Dalai Lama, and The Fantastic Adventures of Krishna.

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Condition: Fine/Near Fine. Dust jacket: Very light shelf wear. Illustrated cover boards. Pages are clean, undamaged, and complete.