Always cast in a supporting role in the many books about Marco Polo, the
great Kubla Khan now takes center stage in a splendid picture-book
biography. He is a wonderful subject-a man who liked to live large,
building the imperial city of Beijing from scratch, siring a hundred
children, throwing birthday bashes for 40,000 guests. He ruled over the
greatest empire of the time, one that was lightyears ahead of Western
civilization in terms of the arts, sciences, and technology. With
astonishingly beautiful and detailed illustrations by Robert Byrd and a
clever text by Kathleen Krull, this portrait finally gives Kubla Khan
his due.