We don't get to see many illustrated books translated from Chinese author / illustrators, but one book that made the journey is My Beijing by Nie Jun.
It tells four stories about a girl named Yu'er and her adventures with her Grandpa. The stories have a gentle human warmth, sense of fantasy, and optimistic spirit.
The style and character designs are different from what we're used to seeing, but they're remarkably accessible.
The stories give a glimpse into the daily life of a traditional Hutong neighborhood, based on sketches Nie Jun did on location. In the back of the book is a "Huton Sketchbook," reproducing some of those sketches.
Nie Jun was born in 1975 and grew up inspired by pirated editions of TinTin and comic work by Osamu Tezuka (1928-1989) and Zhang Leping (1910-1992). He was also influenced by Akira Toriyama and Katsuhiro Otomo, plus the French comic artist Moebius.
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My Beijing: Four Stories of Everyday Wonder by Nie Jun
Just wonderful!!
ReplyDeleteI immediately found this at my local library. Thanks!
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