Review by Publisher's Weekly 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. 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. (Aug.)
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Review by Horn Book Review
In this moving, bittersweet picture-book debut by a Nobel Prize-winning Chinese author, a child learns an important lesson about resilience in the face of sudden changes. At seven, the protagonist is old enough to accompany Yeye (grandfather) into the fields near their rural home in China to help cut tall grass for animal feed. What starts out for the child as a carefree day playing outdoors takes a turn by late afternoon when dark clouds and a wind storm roll through. The Chinese folk art-inspired pictures are wonderfully evocative, transporting readers to the countryside as scenes shift from misty morning to bright summer afternoon, then panic-filled stormy climax and ambiguous ending. The images and matter-of-fact text weave a tight tale about how one moment can upend everything, which is foreshadowed early on when Yeye sings some old "strange happy, yet sad" songs the child doesn't understand. This semiautobiographical ode to intergenerational family love becomes even more poignant in the appended selection from the original short story, in which Mo writes lovingly about his own grandfather's life as a farmer and the sad circumstances of his death. Michelle LeeSeptember/October 2024 p.56 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
In this adaptation of Nobel Prize winner Mo Yan's short story of the same name, a grandfather and grandchild gather satintail grass on a windy day. In rural China, amid the early-morning fog, Yeye and the child set off toward the lush meadows miles from their house. Every summer, Yeye cuts the satintail grass, which is then fed to the livestock. The child, now 7, joins him for the first time. Among the quiet, "half-waking world," Yeye sings a "nonsense" tune that "feels strange--happy, yet sad" ("A small peace offering can end generations of wrong… / A careless reply can wipe out half a kingdom"). When black clouds unexpectedly roll in, Yeye and the child must quickly leave. A formidable gale arrives, sweeping away the carefully gathered grass; in its aftermath, Yeye's eyes well with tears, but the pair push on. 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. As "the wind tears away the half-dried grass, scatter[ing]" and spiraling it through the sky, readers themselves will experience the tumbling as they turn the book sideways to view the vertical spread. Gentle yet powerful. (excerpt from the original short story) (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
