{"id":1084,"date":"2008-10-25T20:42:19","date_gmt":"2008-10-25T12:42:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/?p=1084"},"modified":"2025-09-14T10:07:02","modified_gmt":"2025-09-14T02:07:02","slug":"picturebooks_lecture_2008","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/2008\/10\/25\/picturebooks_lecture_2008\/","title":{"rendered":"Impres\u00adsions after the lec\u00adture \u201cCom\u00adpar\u00adi\u00adson of Japan\u00adese Pic\u00adture Book Cre\u00adation and Chi\u00adnese Pic\u00adture Book Cre\u00adation\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\u8bb2\u5ea7\u300a\u65e5\u672c\u56fe\u753b\u4e66\u7684\u521b\u4f5c\u4e0e\u4e2d\u56fd\u7684\u6bd4\u8f83\u300b\u542c\u540e\u611f\"<\/a><\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

    Link:2008 \u201cFive-Col\u00adored Soil\u201d Chi\u00adna Orig\u00adi\u00adnal Pic\u00adture Book Annu\u00adal Forum (Sep\u00adtem\u00adber-Novem\u00adber, Bei\u00adhang Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty)<\/a>
\n 
\n   
\nLast night (Octo\u00adber 24th), I attend\u00aded Pro\u00adfes\u00adsor Yang Zhong\u2019s lec\u00adture at Bei\u00adhang Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty, which was tru\u00adly eye-open\u00ading. Most dis\u00adcus\u00adsions about pic\u00adture books these days focus on sto\u00adry\u00adtelling, lit\u00ader\u00adary qual\u00adi\u00adty, appre\u00adci\u00ada\u00adtion per\u00adspec\u00adtives, and read\u00ading meth\u00adods, but rarely on artistry or the rela\u00adtion\u00adship between visu\u00adal art and chil\u00addren\u2019s cog\u00adni\u00adtion. Pro\u00adfes\u00adsor Yang Zhong\u2019s lec\u00adture addressed this gap. I took detailed notes yes\u00adter\u00adday, but I haven\u2019t had time to orga\u00adnize them all. Here are some of the things that impressed me the most, which I\u2019ve hasti\u00adly writ\u00adten down in rough order, with\u00adout any spe\u00adcif\u00adic cat\u00ade\u00adgories:
\n    \u2606
\nRegard\u00ading the cur\u00adrent sit\u00adu\u00ada\u00adtion of pic\u00adture books in Chi\u00adna, \u201cpar\u00adents blind\u00adly buy books for their chil\u00addren from an edu\u00adca\u00adtion\u00adal per\u00adspec\u00adtive, ignor\u00ading the fact that pic\u00adture books them\u00adselves are an impor\u00adtant medi\u00adum for enrich\u00ading chil\u00addren\u2019s emo\u00adtion\u00adal world, improv\u00ading their inner per\u00adson\u00adal\u00adi\u00adty, and cul\u00adti\u00advat\u00ading their aes\u00adthet\u00adic ten\u00adden\u00adcies.\u201d
\n    \u2606
\nIn Chi\u00adna\u2019s devel\u00adop\u00adment, com\u00adic strips and chil\u00addren\u2019s illus\u00adtra\u00adtions were once glo\u00adri\u00adous, and in the 1980s they reached a very high lev\u00adel in some areas. How\u00adev\u00ader, in the 1990s, with the pop\u00adu\u00adlar\u00adiza\u00adtion of tele\u00advi\u00adsion and the impact of for\u00adeign cul\u00adture, it seemed to come to a sud\u00adden halt.
\n    \u2606
\nFor exam\u00adple, the style of Yan Zhex\u00adi\u2019s \u201cThe Adven\u00adtures of Lit\u00adtle Cock\u201d (writ\u00adten by He Yi) in the 1960s is real\u00adly sim\u00adi\u00adlar to that of \u201cMake Way for the Duck\u00adling\u201d (Robert McCloskey, USA), which is said to be influ\u00adenced by Russ\u00adian paint\u00ading style.
\n    \u2606
\nI learned that there\u2019s a the\u00ado\u00adret\u00adi\u00adcal book called \u201cNew Mil\u00adlen\u00adni\u00adum Image Gala\u201d by Japan\u00adese author Masaya Take\u00adda, which specif\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly stud\u00adies Chi\u00adnese com\u00adic strips. It\u2019s inter\u00adest\u00ading to note that com\u00adic strips used to be called pic\u00adture books in Shang\u00adhai.
\n    \u2606
\nAmong the orig\u00adi\u00adnal works, I was par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar\u00adly impressed by Zhao Bais\u00adhan\u2019s \u201cSecrets of the Ocean\u201d from 1978. Its real\u00adis\u00adtic skill and earnest spir\u00adit were touch\u00ading. I feel that the lack of devel\u00adop\u00adment of pic\u00adture books (or chil\u00addren\u2019s illus\u00adtra\u00adtions in gen\u00ader\u00adal) in Chi\u00adna is not the fault of the painters.
\n    \u2606
\nMod\u00adern West\u00adern and Japan\u00adese pic\u00adture books place more empha\u00adsis on visu\u00adal integri\u00adty, lay\u00adout, and the inte\u00adgra\u00adtion of images and text. (This may be the biggest dif\u00adfer\u00adence from com\u00adic strips or tra\u00addi\u00adtion\u00adal illus\u00adtrat\u00aded sto\u00adries \u2014 my asso\u00adci\u00ada\u00adtion)
\n    \u2606
\nI was also a lit\u00adtle sur\u00adprised to learn that Pro\u00adfes\u00adsor Yang Zhong, a pro\u00adfes\u00adsion\u00adal researcher in the art field, also focused on com\u00adic strips and chil\u00addren\u2019s illus\u00adtrat\u00aded sto\u00adries when ana\u00adlyz\u00ading Chi\u00adnese pic\u00adture books. I\u2019ve actu\u00adal\u00adly thought about this myself before :)
\n    \u2606
\nA quote from Mr. Yang Yongqing\u2019s review sug\u00adgests that Chi\u00adnese com\u00adic strips and chil\u00addren\u2019s illus\u00adtra\u00adtions are large\u00adly based on folk tales, while too few are based on sto\u00adries from chil\u00addren\u2019s own lives, result\u00ading in a monot\u00ado\u00adny in vari\u00adety. Xiong Liang\u2019s for\u00admu\u00adla\u00adtion of the \u201cnew folk\u201d pro\u00adposed by Wu Se Tu sug\u00adgests draw\u00ading more on real-life chil\u00addren\u2019s sto\u00adries and incor\u00adpo\u00adrat\u00ading the tech\u00adniques of folk tales.
\n    \u2606
\nPro\u00adfes\u00adsor Yang Zhong men\u00adtioned that pic\u00adture books in the Unit\u00aded States, Britain, and Japan had already become aca\u00add\u00ade\u00adm\u00adic research top\u00adics in the 1980s. (This is con\u00adsis\u00adtent with British researcher David Lewis\u2019s assess\u00adment of Britain and the Unit\u00aded States.) Chi\u00adna is cur\u00adrent\u00adly just get\u00adting start\u00aded.
\n    \u2606
\nThe cre\u00adation of pic\u00adture books must be com\u00adbined with life.
\n    \u2606
\nDon\u2019t under\u00ades\u00adti\u00admate chil\u00addren\u2019s abil\u00adi\u00adty to under\u00adstand. Chil\u00addren\u2019s under\u00adstand\u00ading is just from a dif\u00adfer\u00adent per\u00adspec\u00adtive than adults\u2019.
\n    \u2606
\nMeet a very impor\u00adtant per\u00adson: Bruno Munari
\nMunari (1907\u20131998)\u2014I\u2019m ashamed to say I\u2019ve nev\u00ader heard of him before.\u2014He was an Ital\u00adian pic\u00adture book mas\u00adter. Orig\u00adi\u00adnal\u00adly a graph\u00adic design\u00ader, 3D mod\u00adel\u00ader, sculp\u00adtor, and art crit\u00adic, he turned to chil\u00addren\u2019s books after becom\u00ading a father, hop\u00ading to pro\u00advide suit\u00adable books for his own chil\u00addren.
\n    \u2606
\nWe watched Mnar\u00adi\u2019s The Cir\u00adcus In the Mist (1968) togeth\u00ader and were deeply moved.
\n    \u2606
\nMunari\u2019s under\u00adstand\u00ading of pic\u00adture books: the con\u00adtent of illus\u00adtra\u00adtions must be uni\u00adfied and clear.
\n    \u2606
\nThe ques\u00adtion of what col\u00adors are best for chil\u00addren is still under study, and there are many dif\u00adfer\u00adent opin\u00adions. Some peo\u00adple think that things with gray tones may be the best for chil\u00addren.
\n    \u2606
\nChil\u00addren\u2019s visu\u00adal judg\u00adments can dif\u00adfer sig\u00adnif\u00adi\u00adcant\u00adly from adults\u2019 imag\u00adi\u00adna\u00adtions. Japan\u00adese researchers once con\u00adduct\u00aded an exper\u00adi\u00adment among chil\u00addren, ask\u00ading them to choose their favorite from a selec\u00adtion of world-famous paint\u00adings. The results sur\u00adprised many adults: the chil\u00addren pre\u00adferred Picas\u00adso\u2019s \u201cWeep\u00ading Woman.\u201d
\n    \u2606
\nBefore the 1960s, Japan\u00adese pic\u00adture books were most\u00adly in a style that adults con\u00adsid\u00adered \u201ccute\u201d, but lat\u00ader they grad\u00adu\u00adal\u00adly real\u00adized (rep\u00adre\u00adsent\u00aded by Mr. Nao\u00adki Mat\u00adsui) that pic\u00adture books should \u201ccon\u00advey a cor\u00adrect recog\u00adni\u00adtion abil\u00adi\u00adty\u201d to chil\u00addren; chil\u00addren espe\u00adcial\u00adly like those \u201cliv\u00ading things\u201d.
\n    \u2606
\nIn addi\u00adtion, the ques\u00adtion of \u201cIs what chil\u00addren like right and good?\u201d is also worth pon\u00adder\u00ading. Par\u00adents\u2019 aes\u00adthet\u00adic sense is also very impor\u00adtant.
\n    \u2606
\nJapan\u00adese pic\u00adture books have gone through sev\u00ader\u00adal peri\u00adods of devel\u00adop\u00adment: the 1960s, the peri\u00adod of build\u00ading a new chil\u00addren\u2019s cul\u00adture; the 1970s, the hey\u00adday; the 1980s, the peri\u00adod of results and devel\u00adop\u00adment; and from the 1990s to the present, ques\u00adtion\u00ading the essence of pic\u00adture books.
\n    \u2606
\nSince the 1960s, pic\u00adture books have strived to con\u00advey infor\u00adma\u00adtion to chil\u00addren \u201cintu\u00aditive\u00adly and accu\u00adrate\u00adly\u201d (exem\u00adpli\u00adfied by Nao Mat\u00adsui\u2019s Fukushikan). For exam\u00adple, a pic\u00adture book about trucks would\u00adn\u2019t depict the vehi\u00adcles in car\u00adtoon\u00adish or cute ways, but rather \u201cdescribe the rela\u00adtion\u00adship between the trucks, peo\u00adple, and the streets.\u201d This empha\u00adsis on the over\u00adall aes\u00adthet\u00adic impact of pic\u00adture books on chil\u00addren.
\n    \u2606
\nTake Fukushikan\u2019s lat\u00adest \u201cJapan\u00adese Mas\u00adter\u00adpieces\u201d and \u201cWorld Mas\u00adter\u00adpieces\u201d series of pic\u00adture books, for exam\u00adple. Print\u00ading has reached a high lev\u00adel, achiev\u00ading \u201cdot-free\u201d and \u201czero DPI\u201d print\u00ading, max\u00adi\u00admiz\u00ading the beau\u00adty of the orig\u00adi\u00adnal art\u00adwork. Of course, the price is also high, at around 140 RMB per book.
\n    \u2606
\nIn the 1960s, ani\u00admal images were preva\u00adlent (pre\u00advi\u00adous\u00adly cute chil\u00addren were the main focus), and they placed more empha\u00adsis on children\u2019s indi\u00advid\u00adu\u00adal\u00adi\u00adty and mis\u00adchie\u00advous nature.
\n    \u2606
\nIn the 1970s, moth\u00aders\u2019 groups became very impor\u00adtant and gave a great impe\u00adtus to the devel\u00adop\u00adment of pic\u00adture books.
\n    \u2606
\n\u201cThe Cat Who Lived a Mil\u00adlion Times\u201d, pub\u00adlished in the 1970s, is the first pic\u00adture book in Japan\u00adese his\u00adto\u00adry about death.
\n    \u2606
\nIn 1980, Cho Shin\u00adta\u2019s Cab\u00adbage Boy was pub\u00adlished. It was \u201cwrit\u00adten entire\u00adly from a child\u2019s per\u00adspec\u00adtive\u201d and \u201crepro\u00adduced the child\u2019s imag\u00adi\u00adnary world.\u201d
\n    \u2606
\nThe diver\u00adsi\u00adty of Japan\u00adese pic\u00adture books, clas\u00adsi\u00adfied into: folk tra\u00addi\u00adtion, fairy tales; intel\u00adlec\u00adtu\u00adal edu\u00adca\u00adtion, edu\u00adca\u00adtion; chil\u00addren\u2019s; pop (three-dimen\u00adsion\u00adal books); text\u00adless; e\u2011books.
\n    \u2606
\nThe cre\u00adation of pic\u00adture books com\u00adbines edu\u00adca\u00adtion, artistry and enter\u00adtain\u00adment.
\n    \u2606
\nNext, every\u00adone admired the work of three class\u00ades of pic\u00adture book cre\u00adation stu\u00addents taught by Teacher Yang Zhong. Although I\u2019ve seen some of these before, this sys\u00adtem\u00adat\u00adic and com\u00adpre\u00adhen\u00adsive review was tru\u00adly aston\u00adish\u00ading. I was par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar\u00adly struck by the cre\u00adativ\u00adi\u00adty and pro\u00adfes\u00adsion\u00adal\u00adism dis\u00adplayed by the stu\u00addents. Although many of these works are still incom\u00adplete, they already tran\u00adscend the typ\u00adi\u00adcal chil\u00addren\u2019s illus\u00adtra\u00adtions and sto\u00adry\u00adtelling, cre\u00adat\u00ading a refresh\u00ading expe\u00adri\u00adence. In par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar, the visu\u00adal design and use of col\u00ador in some of these works have a dis\u00adtinct\u00adly chil\u00addren\u2019s pic\u00adture book feel, mak\u00ading it hard to believe they were cre\u00adat\u00aded by such young stu\u00addents. I used to think that illus\u00adtrat\u00ading for chil\u00addren pri\u00admar\u00adi\u00adly relied on spe\u00adcif\u00adic child\u00adhood expe\u00adri\u00adences, but now it seems that pro\u00adfes\u00adsion\u00adal train\u00ading is tru\u00adly pos\u00adsi\u00adble. At the very least, through pro\u00adfes\u00adsion\u00adal train\u00ading, we can sys\u00adtem\u00adat\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly under\u00adstand the accu\u00admu\u00adlat\u00aded expe\u00adri\u00adence of oth\u00aders.
\n    \u2606
\nFinal\u00adly, every\u00adone enjoyed \u201cThe Birth of the For\u00adest,\u201d \u201cDream-Eat\u00ading Tapir,\u201d and \u201cLis\u00adten to Grand\u00adma\u201d again. Teacher Yang is very proud of the upcom\u00ading pub\u00adli\u00adca\u00adtions of her three stu\u00addents. Fur\u00adther\u00admore, com\u00adpared to their course\u00adwork, these works are tru\u00adly remark\u00adable, demon\u00adstrat\u00ading remark\u00adable progress! Con\u00adgrat\u00adu\u00adla\u00adtions!
\nArgen\u00adtine Primera Divisi\u00f3n (Octo\u00adber 25, 2008)<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u94fe\u63a5\uff1a2008\u201c\u4e94\u8272\u571f\u201d\u4e2d\u56fd\u539f\u521b\u56fe\u753b\u4e66\u5e74\u5ea6\u8bba\u575b(9\u6708-11\u6708\u5317\u822a) \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u6628\u665a\uff0810\u670824\u65e5 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1083,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[107,5,108,26,110,109,92],"class_list":["post-1084","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-timemachine","tag-107","tag-5","tag-108","tag-26","tag-110","tag-109","tag-92"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/5881300ct5a1344f81c14.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1084","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1084"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1084\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1218,"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1084\/revisions\/1218"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1083"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1084"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1084"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1084"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}