In the second book of this epic fantasy series, eleven year old Amy's malfunctioning paintbrush accidentally paints a portal to a mythical world! But when she discovers that the paintbrush is running out of power, Amy must undergo a Trial to prove her worth as the guardian of the magic paintbrush.
Ever since she became the guardian of the magic paintbrush, Amy has been nonstop painting. But when her paintbrush starts glitching, Amy accidentally paints a portal to a strange, magical world filled with creatures of Chinese folktales!
A mysterious cat from the portal leads Amy and her friends Diego and Luna to Minli, who presents herself as the creator of the paintbrush, and her magical forest. The magic paintbrush’s power is dwindling. Amy has two weeks to complete a Trial, a series of three tests to prove she is worthy to be the paintbrush’s guardian.
Amy’s quest will take her to mystical places. She’ll have help from Diego, Luna and the secretive Cat who may be a friend or foe. Amy and her friends must face dangerous threats, perilous landscapes, and the ever-looming feeling that everything might not be what it seems….
Award-winning author Kat Zhang teams up with Eric Darnell, the writer and director of the Madagascar series and the Chief Creative Officer of Baobab Studios on this story about responsibility, the power of friendship, and what it means to be worthy.
"Inventive, playful, and bursting with action…this wildly fun and deeply inspiring book crosses oceans and reaches across generations, in order to touch our hearts." —David Henry Hwang, Tony Award Winner and 3-time Pulitzer Prize Finalist (M. Butterfly)
"Gorgeous and gripping! Brimming with imagination and heart, The Magic Paintbrush shines promisingly as a new fantasy franchise in the making.” —Soman Chainani, author of The School for Good and Evil series
"Enormously fun! Amy, Luna, and company will make you believe in the power of art!" —Gene Luen Yang, author of American Born Chinese
"A mythical, multi-generational thrill ride for the ages—and a love letter to the universal power of Art and Imagination." —Mark Siegel, author of The 5 Worlds series
"An unforgettable fantasy adventure filled with humor, amazing illustrations, and the importance of never losing your creative spark." —Ellen Oh, author of Finding Junie Kim "An earnest, heart-warming and captivating adventure, The Magic Paintbrush is a charming romp of a tale. Sure to touch anyone with a creative soul." —Jo Rioux, author of The Cat's Cradle series
"[A] high-stakes adventure in this stimulating tale filled with Chinese folklore....this vibrant story by Zhang and debut author Darnell details a thrilling escapade via swift storytelling and moments of humor, warmth, and growth." —Publishers Weekly
"An exciting tale of friendship, family, and embracing the magic of our imagination." —Kirkus Reviews
"Readers will become invested in Amy’s enchanted adventure in this exciting and imaginative story with nail-biting passages." —Booklist
Kat Zhang loves traveling to places both real and fictional--the former have better souvenirs, but the latter allow for dragons, so it's a tough pick. She is the author of the novels the Hybrid Chronicles, The Emperor's Riddle, and The Memory of Forgotten Things, and the picture books Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao and Amy Wu and the Patchwork Dragon. When not writing, spends her free time scribbling poetry, taking photographs, and climbing atop things she shouldn't.
View titles by Kat Zhang
Eric Darnell is Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder of Baobab Studios, the world's leading independent interactive animation studio. Under Eric's leadership, Baobab Studios has won 5 Emmys, 2 Annie's, and first ever SIGGRAPH Immersive Best in Show Award. Baobab's latest VR piece, Baba Yaga, made its world premiere at the 2020 Venice Film Festival.
Eric's career spans 25 years, and he is the second highest box office grossing writer and director of animated feature films, and was the director and screenwriter on all four films in the Madagascar franchise and an executive producer on The Penguins of Madagascar. Previously, Eric directed DreamWorks Animation's very first animated feature film, AntzView titles by Eric Darnell
Phoebe Zhong is a character designer, visual developmental artist, and illustrator based in Beijing.
View titles by Phoebe Zhong
In the second book of this epic fantasy series, eleven year old Amy's malfunctioning paintbrush accidentally paints a portal to a mythical world! But when she discovers that the paintbrush is running out of power, Amy must undergo a Trial to prove her worth as the guardian of the magic paintbrush.
Ever since she became the guardian of the magic paintbrush, Amy has been nonstop painting. But when her paintbrush starts glitching, Amy accidentally paints a portal to a strange, magical world filled with creatures of Chinese folktales!
A mysterious cat from the portal leads Amy and her friends Diego and Luna to Minli, who presents herself as the creator of the paintbrush, and her magical forest. The magic paintbrush’s power is dwindling. Amy has two weeks to complete a Trial, a series of three tests to prove she is worthy to be the paintbrush’s guardian.
Amy’s quest will take her to mystical places. She’ll have help from Diego, Luna and the secretive Cat who may be a friend or foe. Amy and her friends must face dangerous threats, perilous landscapes, and the ever-looming feeling that everything might not be what it seems….
Award-winning author Kat Zhang teams up with Eric Darnell, the writer and director of the Madagascar series and the Chief Creative Officer of Baobab Studios on this story about responsibility, the power of friendship, and what it means to be worthy.
Praise
"Inventive, playful, and bursting with action…this wildly fun and deeply inspiring book crosses oceans and reaches across generations, in order to touch our hearts." —David Henry Hwang, Tony Award Winner and 3-time Pulitzer Prize Finalist (M. Butterfly)
"Gorgeous and gripping! Brimming with imagination and heart, The Magic Paintbrush shines promisingly as a new fantasy franchise in the making.” —Soman Chainani, author of The School for Good and Evil series
"Enormously fun! Amy, Luna, and company will make you believe in the power of art!" —Gene Luen Yang, author of American Born Chinese
"A mythical, multi-generational thrill ride for the ages—and a love letter to the universal power of Art and Imagination." —Mark Siegel, author of The 5 Worlds series
"An unforgettable fantasy adventure filled with humor, amazing illustrations, and the importance of never losing your creative spark." —Ellen Oh, author of Finding Junie Kim "An earnest, heart-warming and captivating adventure, The Magic Paintbrush is a charming romp of a tale. Sure to touch anyone with a creative soul." —Jo Rioux, author of The Cat's Cradle series
"[A] high-stakes adventure in this stimulating tale filled with Chinese folklore....this vibrant story by Zhang and debut author Darnell details a thrilling escapade via swift storytelling and moments of humor, warmth, and growth." —Publishers Weekly
"An exciting tale of friendship, family, and embracing the magic of our imagination." —Kirkus Reviews
"Readers will become invested in Amy’s enchanted adventure in this exciting and imaginative story with nail-biting passages." —Booklist
Author
Kat Zhang loves traveling to places both real and fictional--the former have better souvenirs, but the latter allow for dragons, so it's a tough pick. She is the author of the novels the Hybrid Chronicles, The Emperor's Riddle, and The Memory of Forgotten Things, and the picture books Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao and Amy Wu and the Patchwork Dragon. When not writing, spends her free time scribbling poetry, taking photographs, and climbing atop things she shouldn't.
View titles by Kat Zhang
Eric Darnell is Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder of Baobab Studios, the world's leading independent interactive animation studio. Under Eric's leadership, Baobab Studios has won 5 Emmys, 2 Annie's, and first ever SIGGRAPH Immersive Best in Show Award. Baobab's latest VR piece, Baba Yaga, made its world premiere at the 2020 Venice Film Festival.
Eric's career spans 25 years, and he is the second highest box office grossing writer and director of animated feature films, and was the director and screenwriter on all four films in the Madagascar franchise and an executive producer on The Penguins of Madagascar. Previously, Eric directed DreamWorks Animation's very first animated feature film, AntzView titles by Eric Darnell
Phoebe Zhong is a character designer, visual developmental artist, and illustrator based in Beijing.
View titles by Phoebe Zhong
