Often cast in a supporting role in the many children's books about Marco Polo, the great Kubla Khan now takes centre stage in a stunningly illustrated picture-book biography. He is a wonderful subject - a man who had over 100 children and liked to live large, building the imperial city of Beijing from scratch and throwing birthday parties with up to 40,000 guests! He ruled over the greatest empire of the time, one that was light-years ahead of Western civilisation in terms of the arts, sciences and technology.