The Gale
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected 6 Aug 2024
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- £8.49
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- Pre-Order
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- £8.49
Publisher Description
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.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
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. A low mist hangs over the quiet journey as the pair make the long trek to a familiar meadow, which "Yeye cuts down every summer." Muted tones show sunrise, while a "nonsense" tune that Yeye sings, "happy, yet sad," sets the journey's mood. An innocent day of cutting grass, chasing grasshoppers, and napping under an awning takes a turn when heavy clouds loom: "Black clouds mean wind," Yeye says knowingly. The stoic figure keeps his cool as a tornado touches down in the distance ("Just wind," he says). But tears form in his eyes after the gale scatters their crop and sends his grandchild briefly skyward, a moment shown in a breathtaking sideways spread that renders the grass in a whirling figure eight. Resigned, the youth and Yeye turn back. In 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 Chinese-cued characters' experiences in the changing landscape. Ages 4–8.
