story of SHEN Qifeng • images of Gaëlle DUHAZÉ • in the collection Caractères chinois
Sharkman
lbum 21x28 cm, 40 pages, full colours, hardback
genre : fantastic short story based on an eighteenth century Chinese classic
key words : character, love, honesty, wisdom
illustrated for readers above 8 of age
price France : 16 euros TTC
ISBN 978-2-35558-015-4
Sharkman, a tailor in the Crystal palace in the sea, wanders in the ocean to look for the pearls he lost by accident. Stuck on a beach in the south of China, he is found by a young man called Jing who engages him as a servant.
Later on Jing falls in love with a girl, that he could marry only if he offers ten thousand pearls to her mother. Now he is agonising with despair. As Sharkman cries over the fate of Jing, his tears, on touching the ground, turn all into pearls !
However, Jing is not altogether out of the trouble: delighted to see the young man come back to life, Sharkman stops shedding tears. Pearls there are, but not enough. Will there be a way to a happy end ?
Text
SHEN Qifeng, Chinese scholar of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) native of the Jiangsu Province, is known for his work Xieduo ("In the Classic Manner") published in China in 1792. In this work he told about a hundred fantastic stories where surnatural and realistic elements are mingled to give a vivid picture of his time. Rearranged in modern language, the rich details of his stories appeal to young readers while the subtle approach on the psychology of his heros strikes every sensitive mind.
Images
Gaëlle DUHAZÉ, self-made artist with a MSc degree in History of arts, invents for young readers a whole universe inhabited by organic figures and spirits, where sensibility and playfulness are blended. In parallel to the publishing, she collaborates with the international design agency Costumes trois pièces to creat diverse communication supports.
Collection Caractères chinois
invites Western readers to discover Chinese classics
bringing forward outstanding features
full of passion.
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In the same collection
Tigre le Dévoué
Yin la Jalouse
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To order
Available in bookstores and on-line services starting October 2009
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