Take a Walk with the Wind
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
A spirited tale of a small, mythical being who wanders off with the wind – inspired by ancient Chinese poetry and rendered in exquisite silk paintings.
Inspired by a classical Chinese poem by Song Yu, Take a Walk With the Wind dives into the world of the treelings, tiny beings that live in China’s ancient mountain forests. If a primeval forest is left alone and not damaged or disturbed for at least several hundred years, it will spontaneously create one of these tiny, special beings. In this wondrous story of one such creature, Xiong brings a puff of wind to life, sending the treeling’s little tangerine cap dancing through the air. Together, the treeling and the wind venture into a dark cave and visit a quiet lake, but the wind makes mischief wherever they go. Xiong is an ink wash artist, writer, and pioneering Chinese illustrator. With soft brushwork on rustling silk paper, Xiong expresses the joys and surprises of new encounters. Those who love Studio Ghibli, Tolkien’s Hobbits, and mythical worlds that combine nature and fantasy, will discover a new, classic tale in Take a Walk With the Wind.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Per an opening note, Xiong takes inspiration from Guo Zhong Chan's Memories of Xiang Zhou to spin this evocative, nature-centered story about a mythical miniature being called a Treeling who takes a disruptive "walk with the wind." The wind impatiently initiates the outing, awakening the pale-skinned, dark-haired babe and then stealing their tangerine-colored triangular cap (a rare splash of color across a palette otherwise composed of muted grays and sages). Turning into "a great gale," the wind carries the Treeling aloft across a range of topographies and past myriad creatures, including "mushroom people" soaking up sun. Active verbs describe the swirling chaos provoked by every encounter, while delicate paintings depict cranes getting twisted up, monkeys clinging to a tree, and more. In each case, the Treeling—merely along for the ride—emphasizes, "It wasn't me!" Eventually, the Treeling chastises their unruly companion, and "the tempest became a breeze, and slowly whispered along" behind. Meditative depictions of the fanciful relationship cast an atmospheric spell. "Wind Poem" concludes. Ages 4–8.
