Paper Horse - A Book That Trenscends Culture

Happy Chinese New Year!  Lantern Festival was yesterday, that wrapped up the Spring Festival celebration.  I want to share a small news that we are celebrating here in Palo Alto. My wife has just published her first children's book with an illustrator Xiong Lei, called Paper Horse.  This book has received a great review from Kirkus Discoveries. Read what they have to say. <From Kirkus Review www.kirkusreviews.com > ==== Right in time for the Year of the Ox comes a tale about a little boy and his paper horse, penned and illustrated by the Brothers Xiong, China’s modern-day answer to the Brothers Grimm. The Chinese author/illustrator Xiong brothers, along with their English author Shen, have pulled off a remarkable feat. With intoxicating illustrations that capture the haunting depths of Maurice Sendak’s work, they bring to life a story of a child waiting for his parents to fetch him from his grandmother’s house—in thrillingly relevant and universally connected ways.  Shen cites Robert Frost as an influence on the writing, bringing a Western touch to the tale.  It centers on a young boy whose grandma creates a red-paper horse to keep him company—it later leads the dreaming child to his parents, who are stuck in a snowstorm.  The English author notes that the object references not only the ancient Chinese art of paper-cutting (used to ring in the New Year) and red as a color of good luck, but also the fallout from the global economy.  In rural China, parents must leave children in the care of relatives while they travel to the big cities seeking work, lending reunions during the New Year and other too-infrequent holidays the same sense of poignancy that it holds for immigrant children and parents in the United States.  While this could be an emotionally overwhelming topic for a children’s book, the creators approach it with sensitivity and grace.  The illustrations conjure up magical worlds from childhood fears, but show that, as the last line reminds, “dreams do come true.” Even those too little to understand the difference between East and West, rich and poor, will recognize an enthralling story when they see it. A gorgeous book for a globalized world. ==== You can purchase this book at BetterChinese.  It is available in English with Original Chinese text with Pinyin on the back of the book. We all feel very blessed that we were able to have this book published. Gong Xi Fa Cai.  Best wishes for the year of the ox.

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