"Little Blue and Little Yellow" is a classic of children's picture books in the 20th century, slightly dramatic published, has become a legend of picture books, it opened the 1960s, combined with the use of design and new media, so that picture books show a more diverse style, known as "the starting point of modern picture books".
The book's author Leo Lionni created the first children's book in half a hundred years, which he later modestly called a "small miracle", and took this opportunity to decide to give up his fame and important position in New York at that time, and leave for Tuscany, Italy, to the road of picture book creation in the second half of his life.
Leo Leoni
This seemingly accidental, but in fact, is an inevitable deed in the dark, inspiring many people with lofty ideals, believing that as long as they have the heart, any age can join the ranks of children's book creation. William Steig, a contemporary of Leoni and living in New York, has long drawn comics for The New Yorker magazine and is known as the "King of Comics." At the age of 61, generally regarded as retirement age, he also accumulated a lifetime of skill, turned to children's book creation, and began a brilliant second life.
Stark was born in Brooklyn, New York, on November 14, 1907, and grew up in the Bronx. His parents were Polish-Jewish immigrants from Austria, his father Joseph Steig was a carpenter and painter, and his mother, Laura Ebel Steig, was a tailor. They were all uneducated, but they loved art. Stark was the third of four brothers, and although his family was not wealthy, his family was deeply affectionate, and the whole family often drew together around a narrow dining table.
Stark's father often copied famous paintings on postcards and loved to listen to the italian singer Enrico Caruso. He believed in socialism and was jailed for forming a union in his hometown, so he often said to his sons, "If you are a worker, you will be exploited; if you are the boss, then you will exploit others, it is better to be an artist who can stand on his own." Later, the Stark brothers did become writers, painters, or musicians.
Stark never wanted to be an artist when he was a child, he most wanted to be a sailor or a tramp, and he could explore the unknown far away. At that time, the Bronx was a safe and simple community where children could play freely on the streets. Stark, who loves the story of King Arthur, always fantasizes about himself and his playmates as round-table warriors, picking up wooden sticks and fighting swords, and looking for treasures in the garbage heaps on street corners.
William Stark
The shy Stark was an avid reader, indulging in stories such as Grimm's Fairy Tales and Robinson Crusoe, as well as Engelbert Humperdinck's opera Candy House, Chaplin's films, and especially Pinocchio the Little Puppet. From the age of 5, he tried to write "his own story", and he especially liked the feeling of the pen working on paper, especially the sound of the tip of the pen rubbing across the paper, like Picasso said: "To draw, you have to close your eyes and sing."
With the encouragement of his mother and the enlightenment of his eldest brother, Stark showed a talent for drawing in high school, drawing many cartoons for the school magazine, and also had outstanding performances in athletics and swimming. The talented Stark enrolled at the City College of New York (CCNY) at the age of 15 and was selected as a member of the National Youth Water Polo Team. Two years later, he continued his three-year studies at the National Academy of Design, during which time he briefly spent five days at the Yale School of Art, but he was so disappointed in the school that he quietly dropped out and went home.
City College of New York (CCNY)
After graduating from college, Stark had the idea of traveling the world, but the following year the United States faced the worst economic depression in history, and his father went bankrupt. At that time, his brother was already married and had his own family to bear, while his brother's studies were still to be completed, so Stark let go of his yearnings for becoming an athlete, gardener, novelist, and pianist, and took on the responsibility of supporting the family.
In Stark's 1972 story of "Duminnick the Handsome Dog," Duminnick, as the poet Robert Lee Frost's poem "The Unbound Road," says, chooses the one that no one else wants to take in the two paths that the witch guides, and this adventurous path takes Dominic into a wonderful and unbelievable journey. Stark, too, followed fate and chose to use his paintbrush to support his family, thus creating changes in the future.
At that time, The New Yorker magazine gathered a group of comic book masters, which not only changed the face of contemporary comics, but also enhanced the cultural connotation of comics. The New Yorker paid $40 per comic, far better than other magazines. In 1930, at the age of 23, Stark knocked on the Door of the New Yorker, and until his death in 2003, he painted 1,676 different styles of drawings and 117 covers for the magazine. The Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist John Updik once said, "Stark's cartoons not only tell jokes, but also make us reflect on the nature of reality."
Stark dealt with the theme of "self-isolation" in various forms in his comics. The children he paints tend to be grumpy, and his adult world is filled with criminals and lovers, drunks and drifters, philosophers and absurdly rich people, or couples who try to understand each other and are always confused. Stark uses fluent lines and humorous perspectives to present a sharp wit and unique sensibility to defuse the frustration and uneasiness of this real world.
From the late 1930s to the 1950s, Stark created a number of memorable works. These, which he called "symbolic paintings," were later included in books such as About People and The Lonely Ones, featuring a series of concise images that summarized the archetypes of humanity, with a style clearly influenced by Picasso, Klee, and William Blake. The New York Times called them "subconscious travel on paper," and these deep explorations caught the attention of the psychiatric community.
With the outbreak of World War II, Stark's work went deeper into the soul. In 1946, when the artist was facing divorce and health problems, he sought counseling from the Jewish psychiatrist Wilhelm Reich. Reich was a disciple of the well-known psychologist Freud and a controversial figure, but Stark found the answer to his predicament of survival from this spiritual teacher. Books such as Small Fry and The Agony in the Kindergarten are his wake-up calls for the abuse and oppression of American children, and through these seminal works, Stark found a path to freedom that marked the maturity of his art.
In addition to comics, Stark has also designed for advertising. Although this work could be well earned, it was influenced by his father's advocacy of social justice, who believed that it was shameful to use art to encourage people to consume, so he hated advertising very much.
In the 1940s, Stark found another direction of artistic creation and began to engage in wood carving, which was widely collected in various museums. In addition, he also swept away the sweet and cute style of traditional greeting cards, and created "contemporary style" greeting cards with completely opposite meanings, creating a new trend in card art.
In the 1960s, at the suggestion of his son, Stark abandoned the habit of sketching with a pencil, and directly used ink to sketch lines and then apply color, and his work was rejuvenated. During this critical period of artistic transformation, Bob Kraus, another author of The New Yorker, planned to start a new children's book publishing company, Windmill Books. Because of his invitation, Stark was inspired to reach a new height in his children's book creation in his life.
In 1968 he first published CDB! This interesting anagram book, with an unprecedented approach, is refreshing. Later, in 1982, he created CDC? But adding more numbers and rhyme variations, making it harder to solve puzzles, also shows that Stark's ability to play with language is very sophisticated.
Stark's stories often feature complex sentences and challenging vocabulary, and even self-inventive words. Some adults may worry that this is too difficult for children, but children love to read these rich and full languages aloud.
Also in 1968, he published Roland the Minstrel Pig. Roland the Innocent Pig is a talented bard, and her friends encourage her to share her musical talents with more listeners, so she embarks on a thrilling journey to pursue herself. It was Stark's first self-written and self-drawn picture storybook, inspired by the 11th-century old French epic The Song of Roland. At this time, his storytelling style of transforming folk tales and fairy tales was evident, and the first attempt to cry was loved by readers, and this was only the first work of his children's book career for the next thirty years.
This master of inspiration leaps down as if driven by a divine wind, as if he could see what was happening in his pen. The abundant energy accumulated over a long time has enabled him to quickly achieve good results in the creation of children's books. The following year's Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, which won him the Cadick Gold Medal, has become one of the most outstanding picture books in contemporary America for more than fifty years.
Stark thinks that good works don't need much explanation, so he doesn't like to talk about creative ideas, but he once said, "Actually, I only wrote one book, and then I kept changing the pattern of publishing." 」 Tracing the trajectory of his children's book creation, Donkey Brother Becomes Stone does contain a variety of archetypes: anthropomorphic animals, the ability to transform and regenerate, the great power of micro-objects, magical good magic, the miracles of luck in daily life, healing music, and unwavering family love.
"Donkey Brother" is a deformation and extension of the little puppet Pinocchio, just as Pinocchio wants to become a real living person, Donkey Brother also wants to change from a stone back to a real donkey. Often interpreted as a metaphor for death and childhood helplessness, the book shows children's fear of separation from their parents, and their fear of both being afraid and eager to change. From the journey of being at home/away from home/returning home, only the unwavering call of true love of parents can guide children to find their way home.
In "Donkey Brother Turns into Stone", Stark paints the policeman as a fat pig, which caused a storm. The International Federation of Police Officers considered this to constitute a crime of defamation and demanded that the image of the pig be removed from the book. Stark responded angrily, "I'm not the kind of person who bothers children with political propaganda." His storyline, sometimes spontaneous, seems to have little logic and principles that must be followed, and even the coexistence of beauty and fear is disturbing. But he definitely does not preset the theme, and bends the corner to teach the child.
Creating a children's book that makes both children and adults happy to read is nearly an impossible task, but Stark's work continues to transcend the established boundaries of children's reading. In Amos & Boris, for example, the little mouse and the big whale are extremely different species, but they transcend biological limitations and establish incredible friendships. Stark's seemingly mundane stories often shed light on life's most important issues, finding common ground and empathy in the most unlikely places.
In 1977, at the age of 70, Stark won the Silver Newberry Award and the Caddick Silver Medal for "Abel's Island" and "The Amazing Bone", respectively. In 1982, he was selected as an illustration candidate for the Hans Christian Andersen Awards on behalf of the United States, and in 1988 he was selected as a candidate for the same award for writing. He travels in and out of graphic narratives without hindrance, and is a rare all-rounder creator in the children's book industry.
Abel the little mouse accidentally wandered to a desert island, and only by relying on imagination, knowledge and artistic creation can he survive in a desperate situation. But the longer you stay on the island, the more questions about yourself grow: Why me? Why is it here? Does such a test make sense? Some people say that "Abbe's Desert Island" is a rat version of "Robinson Crusoe", but in fact, it is closer to Stark's personal autobiography, containing his life course and profound philosophical thinking.
Stark uses the ancient questions of human beings to convey valuable experiences to children through the encounters of mice. While there are so many things in the world that can confuse and frustrate us, nature, art, and true love will always bring the power of redemption, and even if the world is full of harsh tests, it is still worth being optimistic about.
▲ The inner page of "Abbe's Desert Island"
In his story, animals become human figures, living, working, and relaxing like people, and like people, they rob and cheat. Under the appearance of animals' joy, it reveals the beauty and ugliness of good and evil that humans share.
"Talking Bones" is Stark's first children's book with a girl as the protagonist, little pearl (pig) incarnated as a modern version of Little Red Riding Hood, she with innocent eyes, observe the beautiful world, but also into the forest full of unknown dangers. In the end, her life and youth are saved through a bone with magic.
Stark's children's books are filled with seemingly small but powerful objects: stones picked up by Donkey Brother, necklaces found in the junkyard in "The Adventures of Difki", nails in "Rabbit Becomes Nails" that help rabbits transform, and harmonica hypnotized in Zeke Pippin. Stark doesn't play cards according to the rules of the cards, he uses his whimsy to give the everyday magic a divine brilliance, always making the reader read satisfactorily.
Stark likes to feature rats the most because he thinks children are also small and easy to resonate with. Doctor De Soto, published in 1982, is a cartoon-like picture book, but with a light-hearted and witty narrative approach, it has been affirmed by the Newbery Silver Award and the National Book Awards, and is a pioneer in graphic writing that crosses boundaries. Later, in 1992, he went on to complete Doctor De Soto Goes To Africa.
Rat dentists have their own principles and the benevolence of healers, while the instincts of fox creatures make them hesitate to contradict between saving people and regurgitating. Stark's stories often present emotional and moral dilemmas, with "The True Thief" highlighting the gap between appearance and truth, and "Caleb and Kate", a clearly loving couple, but infinitely reincarnated in quarrels. Stark handles the plot with dramatic tension, but in the end he always uses a kind eye to understand human affairs and propose a happy and happy ending.
The acclaimed 2001 cartoon Shrek, a clumsy and ugly green species, was created by Stark. In Yiddish, "Shrek" means "fear", and in the original picture book, "ugly" is not only a way of life, but a real superpower. Shrek completes the standard heroic journey of self-discovery, not only completely subverting the perfect ending of the traditional prince and princess fairy tale, but also rewriting the definition of "beauty and ugliness".
Perhaps because of the understanding and respect for children, Stark's children have always been both sensitive and strong. "Brave Irene" is still determined to complete the mission even in the face of a deadly snowstorm; "The Zabajaba Jungle", the little boy braves the jungle alone to rescue his parents; even if "Spence loses his temper" and faces such violent emotional fluctuations, Stark always believes that children have the ability to heal themselves.
"The Rotten Island" can be said to be his masterpiece, while narrating the collapse of the world in sophisticated language, the picture is gorgeous, full of fictional creatures, reaching a tense and harmonious style.
Stark's youngest daughter, Maggie, recalls her childhood: "He wasn't just a father, he was my best playmate, ready to go into the game and share the surprise and enthusiasm of a child with me." "Pie Is a Big Pizza" is a parent-child activity that the father and daughter never tire of playing.
Picasso once said, "All children are artists, and the problem is how to maintain the identity of an artist when they grow up." Stark follows his inner child, drawing happily, allowing himself to do all kinds of crazy experiments, and when others call him "a brilliant but unreasonable casual painter", he really feels that this is the supreme compliment to him.
In his long career, Stark not only wrote and painted a large number of self-written and self-drawn works, but also collaborated with many writers and painters. Wigger the Witch, illustrated by Quentin Blake, Potch & Polly, which Jon Agee drew, and A Handful of Beans, a fairy tale he rewrote for fellow artist's fourth wife, Jeanne, received many positive reviews.
For Stark, life is creation, and the creative energy that weaves the universe is constantly moving and becoming the fountain of his youth. In 2003, a few months before his death, he also published "At That Time, Everyone Wore Hats". He goes back to his childhood in 1916, and the whole book is like a life notebook he wrote and drew when he was 8 years old.
In the end, he did not become the crew of his dreams, and on the road of destiny, he enjoyed every encounter and remembered every experience, becoming an artist who was both romantic, exaggerated, dreamy and realistic. He portrays this lovely and colorful world with the pen of a master and the eyes of a child. This magician on the island of never-ending explores the mysteries of life itself, bringing eternal hope to readers for generations to come.
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Thanks to Openbook Reading Zhi and Teacher Zhuang Shiying for authorizing the reprint. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.