story of Chun-Liang YEH • illustration of WANG Yi • in the collection Cœur vaillant
A Chestnut Tale
album 20x20 cm, 36 pages full colours, hardback
very short story based on a Chinese classic (approx. 600 words)
key words : courage, tenderness, adventure
illustrated for children from three to six of age
price France : 10 euros TTC
ISBN 978-2-35558-018-5
With a gorgious chestnut in hand, the young squirrel Song and his little sisster Shu go to see their grandpa who lives next to the water mill. Unfortunately, an eagle fouls their excursion and Plouf ! The chestnut falls in the brook. Deprived of his gift, grandpa is not sad though. Song and Shu are save and sound : that alone is important.
Like the other contes minuscules of the same collection, the story of "A Chestnut Tale" is inspired by an ancient text. Here, Sima Guang of the 11th century of the Song Dynasty tells an episode of his childhood. In a delightful mood, this story puts forward the value of life above that of other things. The illustrator Wang Yi creates a world full of soft and bright colours, where leaves, water and animals come to life thanks to her delicate work on drawings and photo-montage.
Text
Chun-Liang YEH, traveller through different cultures, was born in Taiwan and has studied in Britain and France, where he lives now. He worked in a parisian practice of architecture before devoting himself to making books on architecture and design. Publisher of picture books for children since 2007, he is also the Chinese translator of Paradis artificiels of Charles Baudelaire (Taipei, 2007).
Illustration
WANG Yi, born in Beijing, graduated from the Ecole supérieure des arts décoratifs of Strasbourg. With her fine drawings, WANG Yi creates a delicate and sensitive world with delicious details inviting the eyes and the spirit to travelling. Her images vibrant with tension and emotion, inspire humour and generosity.
Collection Cœur vaillant
presents very short stories inspired by Chinese classics
illustrated by artists living in France
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In the same collection
A Blackberry Tale (Mûres mûres)
A Pinch-Heart Tale (Pince-cœur)
A Hedgehog Tale (Cici Hérisson)
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To order
Available in bookstores and on-line services starting October 2009
EDI Diffusion - SODIS Distribution (France - Belgium - Switzerland)
ADL (Canada)