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The Gale

Yan Mo author Ying-Hwa Hu translator Chengliang Zhu illustrator Xiaoxiao Guan editor

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Simon & Schuster

Published:15th Aug '24

Should be back in stock very soon

The Gale cover

This contemplative, semiautobiographical picture book by Nobel Laureate Mo Yan, with illustrations by Hans Christian Anderson Award nominee Zhu Chengliang, is perfect for readers of A Different Pond and Watercress.

One morning, so early that fog still sleeps on the surface of the river, a young boy accompanies his yeye seven miles north to the grassy field behind their home to cut satintail to feed the livestock. But when a massive gale scatters the hay—and a whole day’s work—important lessons will need to be learned about endurance, impermanence, and how to let go and weather the storm in a world that can often feel overwhelming and uncontrollable.

In sparse, lyrical prose interpreted by critically acclaimed author-illustrator Ying-Hwa Hu, The Gale is the first-ever picture book by the Nobel Prize–winning author of celebrated classics like Red Sorghum and Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out. It is adapted from the novella of the same name.

★ "Lyrical prose pensively explores ideas of perseverance and acceptance. The visible brushstrokes of the acrylic-on-cardboard illustrations beautifully render movement: of the wild, grassy fields, the morning fog, the afternoon clouds, and the actions of Yeye and the child. While the palette is primarily muted and earthy, the use of several perspectives and angles further energizes the pages...[g]entle yet powerful." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ "At seven years old, a child goes for the first time to collect satintail grass with their grandfather, Yeye, in this picture book debut from Nobel laureate Mo Yan, adapted from a short story of the same name...[i]n sparse, pensive prose, the narrator muses on themes of endurance and acceptance in uncontrollable circumstances. Movement-filled acrylic on cardboard illustrations from Zhu (What I Like Most), meanwhile, steadily convey the...characters’ experiences in the changing landscape." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review

ISBN: 9781665930628

Dimensions: 216mm x 267mm x 15mm

Weight: 460g

40 pages