Yee, Paul. The Three Sisters. Vancouver, BC: Tradewind Books, 2024.
Paul Yee, a Chinese-Canadian historian, has won multiple awards for his stories. In this new picture book, an angry emperor, who wages endless wars, demands the daughters of his court musicians come play for him. When the emperor refuses to let them leave, the sisters remember their father’s words: “Stay true to your music, and you will see its power and magic.” So they continue to play, and their music conjures up such power that the emperor is humbled and peace returns to the land. This timeless story – charmingly illustrated by Shaoli Wang – flows beautifully and invites connections to folklore in its use of the number three and to Old Testament stories of the Israelites escaping Egypt by crossing the Red Sea and David soothing the heart of King Saul by playing his lyre. Highly recommended as a read-aloud for kids 4 to 11 years old.
