The Firework-Maker's Daughter (Oberon Plays for Young People)
"A thousand miles ago, in a country east of the jungle and south of  the mountains, there lived a firework-maker called Lalchand and his  daughter, Lila."Lila, the heroine of Philip Pullman's charming fable, was, as a baby,  "a cross little thing, always crying and refusing her food, but  Lalchand built a cradle for her in the corner of the workshop, where  she could see the sparks play and listen to the fizz and crackle of the  gunpowder." Once out of her cradle, she showed a marked talent for  pyrotechnics, even inventing her own fireworks with names like Tumbling  Demons and Shimmering Coins. Nevertheless, when Lila tells her father  she'd like to become a master firework-maker, he's shocked. Firework-making is no job for a girl, he tells her; besides, with her burned  fingers and singed eyebrows, he's afraid he'll never be able to find a  husband for her.If Lalchand is horrified by Lila's ambitions, his daughter is equally appalled by the prospect of a husband. Instead, she decides to run away  to Mount Merapi, where every firework-maker must go to claim some of  the royal sulphur from Razvani the Fire-Fiend. Lila's adventures on the  road to Merapi alternate with those of her best friend, Chulak, and his  talking white elephant, Hamlet, who set out after her when they learn  something that could mean life or death for Lila. Along the way, they  meet pirates, wild animals, and supernatural beings of every stripe until, at last, Lila must face the scariest obstacle of all: her  own fear. Pullman investsThe Firework-Maker's Daughterwith  wit, wonder, and more than a few goose bumps. The charm of the prose is  reflected in the black and white illustrations by S. Saelig Gallagher  that punctuate this slim novel. Though not as sophisticated as  Pullman's remarkable fantasy novelsThe Golden CompassandThe  Subtle Knife, this engaging storydoesshare a  courageous heroine, an exciting adventure, and a singular philosophy  that ties everything together in a deeply satisfying denouement. (Ages  9 to 12)--Alix Wilber--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.