Write about China with love
I read Mr. Dawu's new picture book "China"
(This article was first published in China Publishing Media Business Daily.
April 22, 2022Nd Edition)
In the minds of many people, "China" is an almost sacred word. She is like a mother, nourishing our natural life and constructing our social and spiritual life. "The red sun rises in the east, and its avenue is full of glow. How fortunate I am to be born in your arms, and to inherit a vein of blood", speaking of the sincere feelings of contemporary Chinese.
That being said, if someone suddenly asks, what is China? Or, what is China? We may choke for a moment. Yes, China's connotation is too rich, and we tend to pay attention to one or more of them and can't grasp the whole picture. China is a regional concept, originally meaning "the country of the central government", that is, "the emperor is the middle, so it is called China", from the Heluo region to the central plains in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River and the expansion of the territory of successive dynasties, gradually forming the boundary division of today's China; China is a concept of a nation, from the descendants of Yanhuang to the Chinese nation, after three great national integrations in history, it has evolved into a big family of 56 fraternal nationalities living in harmony today; China is a cultural concept, with Han culture as the main body, inclusive and eclectic , the formation of the Chinese culture that is now blooming proudly in the garden of world culture; China is still a political concept, has complete territorial sovereignty, and the government of the People's Republic of China is the only legitimate government representing China... It can be seen from this that when expounding the grand theme of "China", it is not an easy task to be able to achieve accurate viewpoints, rigorous logic, and seamless integration. This is especially true if the object is a child or adolescent whose mind has not yet been finalized.
middle
country
A companion to "A Great River"
Yu Dawu /Author
Age of readability: 3+
Recently, the China Children's Press and Publication Corporation published the theme picture book "China", which tried to hand over the answer sheet on this topic from the perspective of professional publishing for children and teenagers. Miao Wei, the planner of the topic and director of the Book Center of the China Children's Press and Publication Corporation, introduced that the theme is derived from the song "I Love You China", which has touched countless Chinese. Miao Wei and the creator of the book, Mr. Yu Dawu, both loved this song, and while being touched by the sincere love for the motherland contained in the song, they believed that it was necessary to take "China" as the theme and tell the children what they saw, thought, and thought in a way that children liked to hear, and help them form a correct view of the motherland, nationality, culture, and history, which is also the mission and responsibility of the children's publishing national team. Subsequently, Mr. Yu Dawu packed his bags, took a paintbrush, and devoted himself to two years of style creation. The title of the book "China" is also deliberated and repeatedly considered. Everyone has conceived many titles, and always feel that they cannot perfectly reflect the broad connotation and grand atmosphere of this book. In the end, Miao Wei proposed the title of "China" to make it minimalist but grand.
"China" and "A Big River" by Yu Dawu
I read "China" in one sitting. Although the long-term expectation made me less surprised by the sudden encounter, every painting and every line of writing condensed the author's sincerity and love, and let me experience the feelings from the heart.
The painting style of both work and writing has artistically presented the serious topic of "China". Here, there is a macroscopic perspective - painting the earth with the solar system as the coordinates, looking at China from low Earth orbit, and viewing the scenery from a distance. Here, there is an exaggerated expression - the astronauts are larger than the satellites, the Forbidden City occupies the entire Hebei region, and the climbers of Mount Everest are not small at all. Here, there is also a magnificent imagination - Sun Wukong overlooking Turpan on the Flame Mountain, the fairy bird fluttering its feathers on the terraces, and the huge petals hanging in the middle of the sky and the sun. It is precisely in this way that we do not feel the completely realistic boredom, but more experience the beauty of both form and god.
Abundant emotions are brought in, and the perfect expression of calligraphy and painting is realized. The text in the book is concise and beautiful, the sentences are exquisite and not craftsmanship, and while striving to pursue emotional integration with the interpretation of the text, people can't help but be in it, experience, think, and sigh... "The people of this land, no matter how far they go, will not forget their hometown, the quiet village, the beautiful field, is the warmest memory in the heart of every Chinese", the picture of this text is the village with the characteristics of hui school architecture and the pastoral scenery around it. What makes people realize is the background of Chinese civilization of agricultural civilization and the deep local complex of Chinese. It is the similar expression that runs through the whole text that makes the book full of warm, moving, and timeless emotional power.
A childlike perspective takes care of the thinking characteristics of a specific age. In the long-term practice of journalism and publishing, the China Youth Federation has always adhered to the creative concept of child-oriented, and strived to avoid the alienation and separation of children from cultural products. The first person of the book is a child, and the whole book runs through the questions and reflections of a child and teenager. Where is China? What is China like? Where did China come from? Where is China going? These questions of common interest to children and adolescents constitute implicit logical threads for the book. At the same time, the book does not make a mechanical classification explanation from the aspects of history, culture, and ethnicity, but starts from the scenes seen by children and teenagers, and carries out a comprehensive, progressive and delicate narrative from the surface and inside, which is also beneficial to children and teenagers to build a scientific and complete cognitive model.
"China" was selected as the "China Business Card Series" of the "Nine Sacred Deer Picture Book Museum" of the China Youth Headquarters. In recent years, the "Nine Sacred Deer Picture Book Museum" is based on the development of original themes, and the product matrix has been growing, such as the Chinese business card series, the natural wind series, the traditional culture series, the Chinese music story picture book series, the accompanying growth series... We are well aware that telling Chinese stories well to children and polishing China's business cards is related to patriotic education and the cultivation of national self-confidence, and to the successors of the cause of the party and the country.
Read "China", perceive China, harvest growth. We work together!
middle
country
A companion to "A Great River"
Yu Dawu /Author
Age of readability: 3+