{"id":608,"date":"2025-06-25T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-25T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/?p=608"},"modified":"2025-09-13T14:27:22","modified_gmt":"2025-09-13T06:27:22","slug":"hechangtuan_2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/2025\/06\/25\/hechangtuan_2025\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cCar\u00adrot Man\u00adsion\u201d: How far can metaphors in pic\u00adture books go?"},"content":{"rendered":"

In recent years, the cre\u00adative duo \u201cHe Chang Tuan\u201d (Liu Chang, Zhao Fei, and their cat) has been gar\u00adner\u00ading increas\u00ading atten\u00adtion in the field of orig\u00adi\u00adnal Chi\u00adnese pic\u00adture books. They have con\u00adsis\u00adtent\u00adly pro\u00adduced eye-catch\u00ading works and have gar\u00adnered numer\u00adous awards and acco\u00adlades. Among them, \u201cCatch\u201d and \u201cRadish Man\u00adsion,\u201d pub\u00adlished in the same year of 2023, are par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar\u00adly rep\u00adre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adtive. Both leave a deep impres\u00adsion through their min\u00adi\u00admal\u00adist visu\u00adal expres\u00adsion, while each rep\u00adre\u00adsents a break\u00adthrough in a dif\u00adfer\u00adent direc\u00adtion. \u201cCatch\u201d employs a restrained visu\u00adal lan\u00adguage to tell a fable that blends real\u00adism and imag\u00adi\u00adna\u00adtive nar\u00adra\u00adtive; while \u201cRadish Man\u00adsion\u201d inno\u00adv\u00ada\u00adtive\u00adly incor\u00adpo\u00adrates a rich palette of col\u00ador and a com\u00adplex group nar\u00adra\u00adtive struc\u00adture, cre\u00adat\u00ading a more pro\u00adfound and expan\u00adsive sur\u00advival fable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the selec\u00adtion and rec\u00adom\u00admen\u00adda\u00adtion of out\u00adstand\u00ading orig\u00adi\u00adnal works for 2023, I often had to make a dif\u00adfi\u00adcult choice between these two works. In selec\u00adtions that gen\u00ader\u00adal\u00adly pri\u00ador\u00adi\u00adtize chil\u00addren\u2019s inter\u00adest, I would pri\u00ador\u00adi\u00adtize \u201cCatch,\u201d while in selec\u00adtions that pri\u00ador\u00adi\u00adtize encour\u00adag\u00ading young read\u00aders to think and dis\u00adcuss, I would pri\u00ador\u00adi\u00adtize \u201cRadish Man\u00adsion.\u201d The \u201clight\u00adness\u201d of the for\u00admer and the \u201cheav\u00adi\u00adness\u201d of the lat\u00adter are their respec\u00adtive strengths. I pre\u00advi\u00adous\u00adly wrote a long arti\u00adcle titled \u201cThe Per\u00adsis\u00adtence of Cham\u00adbers: Empha\u00adsiz\u00ading \u201cLit\u00ader\u00ada\u00adture\u201d and \u201cFun\u201d in Pro\u00admot\u00ading Chil\u00addren\u2019s Read\u00ading,\u201d which pri\u00admar\u00adi\u00adly used my expe\u00adri\u00adence read\u00ading \u201cCatch\u201d with chil\u00addren as a core exam\u00adple. Here, I would like to use my read\u00ading expe\u00adri\u00adence of \u201cRadish Man\u00adsion\u201d to con\u00adtin\u00adue dis\u00adcussing the pos\u00adsi\u00adbil\u00adi\u00adty of \u201cbreak\u00ading through the frozen heart\u201d through in-depth read\u00ading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most cap\u00adti\u00advat\u00ading aspect of \u201cRadish Man\u00adsion\u201d lies first in its bold and inge\u00adnious use of visu\u00adal lan\u00adguage and graph\u00adic nar\u00adra\u00adtive. The strik\u00ading mono\u00adchrome visu\u00adal impact, the unique, tall and slen\u00adder for\u00admat, and the whim\u00adsi\u00adcal graph\u00adic fonts on the title page all quick\u00adly cap\u00adture the view\u00ader\u2019s atten\u00adtion and draw them into the sto\u00adry. Set in a grass\u00adland called \u201cGray Coun\u00adtry,\u201d the sky and ground are paint\u00aded in a cold, gray\u00adish hue, high\u00adlight\u00ading the rab\u00adbits\u2019 oth\u00ader\u00adwise drab and gloomy sur\u00adround\u00adings. The sud\u00adden appear\u00adance of a giant radish, paint\u00aded in vibrant pink and green, cre\u00adates a strik\u00ading visu\u00adal con\u00adtrast with\u00adin this gloomy world. This col\u00ador scheme cre\u00adates a spec\u00adtac\u00adu\u00adlar and dra\u00admat\u00adic effect, cap\u00adti\u00advat\u00ading the read\u00ader\u2019s gaze with the \u201cgiant radish.\u201d The work employs bold col\u00ador con\u00adtrast through\u00adout: the gray-black back\u00adground sym\u00adbol\u00adizes the drea\u00adri\u00adness of real\u00adi\u00adty, while the Bar\u00adbie-pink radish sym\u00adbol\u00adizes ide\u00adal\u00adism and the allure of change. When the radish man\u00adsion is com\u00adplet\u00aded, the entire page is filled with bright, joy\u00adful, warm tones; when it col\u00adlaps\u00ades, the scene returns to a gloomy gray. This cycle of light and dark col\u00adors intu\u00aditive\u00adly enhances the emo\u00adtion\u00adal ups and downs from the rise of ideals to the fall of real\u00adi\u00adty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The illus\u00adtra\u00adtor has also put con\u00adsid\u00ader\u00adable skill into the spa\u00adtial com\u00adpo\u00adsi\u00adtion and rhythm of the images. The book is broad\u00adly divid\u00aded into two major sec\u00adtions: the con\u00adstruc\u00adtion and col\u00adlapse of the Turnip Man\u00adsion. With\u00adin each sec\u00adtion, small\u00ader struc\u00adtur\u00adal units are fur\u00adther sub\u00addi\u00advid\u00aded, cre\u00adat\u00ading a lay\u00adered nar\u00adra\u00adtive rhythm. When the rab\u00adbits dis\u00adcov\u00ader the giant turnip, a long shot is used: the lit\u00adtle rab\u00adbits gaze up at an enor\u00admous turnip from a hill\u00adside. The stark con\u00adtrast between the rab\u00adbits and the turnip vivid\u00adly con\u00adveys the turnip\u2019s enor\u00admi\u00adty and awe. This long shot estab\u00adlish\u00ades the sto\u00adry\u2019s set\u00adting. Sub\u00adse\u00adquent images of the Turnip Man\u00adsion\u2019s com\u00adple\u00adtion and its ruins use sim\u00adi\u00adlar per\u00adspec\u00adtives, rein\u00adforc\u00ading the causal con\u00adnec\u00adtions between the sto\u00adry\u2019s devel\u00adop\u00adment. The image of the rab\u00adbits and Turnip descend\u00ading a zigzag stair\u00adcase clev\u00ader\u00adly hints at a sud\u00adden down\u00adturn in the plot, fore\u00adshad\u00adow\u00ading the impend\u00ading down\u00adward spi\u00adral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The graph\u00adic nar\u00adra\u00adtive also con\u00adtains many sub\u00adtle details in the char\u00adac\u00adter pre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adtion. For exam\u00adple, the bespec\u00adta\u00adcled \u201cLuotie\u201d looks almost iden\u00adti\u00adcal to the oth\u00ader rab\u00adbits, main\u00adtain\u00ading the group effect. How\u00adev\u00ader, the author uses phys\u00adi\u00adcal details to sub\u00adtly dif\u00adfer\u00aden\u00adti\u00adate the char\u00adac\u00adters\u2019 per\u00adson\u00adal\u00adi\u00adties: for exam\u00adple, the one wear\u00ading a bow is the beau\u00adty-lov\u00ading lit\u00adtle rab\u00adbit, while the one with a beard is the vil\u00adlage chief. Notably, after the con\u00adstruc\u00adtion of the Radish Build\u00ading, the oth\u00ader rab\u00adbits become chub\u00adby and plump, while Luootie remains rel\u00ada\u00adtive\u00adly thin. This visu\u00adal dif\u00adfer\u00adence clev\u00ader\u00adly con\u00adveys the metaphor between group enjoy\u00adment and indi\u00advid\u00adual per\u00adse\u00adver\u00adance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Turnip Man\u00adsion, the sto\u00adry\u2019s core, also boasts a dra\u00admat\u00adic spa\u00adtial lay\u00adout: cross-sec\u00adtions of its inte\u00adri\u00ador resem\u00adble an open-plan doll\u00adhouse, each room show\u00adcas\u00ading the diverse lives and per\u00adson\u00adal\u00adi\u00adties of its res\u00adi\u00addents. This visu\u00adal arrange\u00adment not only enhances the nar\u00adra\u00adtive\u2019s inter\u00adest but also fore\u00adshad\u00adows the sto\u00adry\u2019s sub\u00adse\u00adquent unrav\u00adel\u00ading. As the rab\u00adbits reck\u00adless\u00adly gnaw on the turnip-made fur\u00adni\u00adture, walls, and floors, not only does the entire man\u00adsion become pre\u00adcar\u00adi\u00adous, but it also clev\u00ader\u00adly sym\u00adbol\u00adizes the uncon\u00adscious con\u00adsump\u00adtion and destruc\u00adtion of pub\u00adlic resources by group behav\u00adior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The metic\u00adu\u00adlous design of the visu\u00adal lan\u00adguage in \u201cRadish Man\u00adsion\u201d is fur\u00adther explored in the \u201cCre\u00adation Notes\u201d writ\u00adten by the He Chang Group. How\u00adev\u00ader, what tru\u00adly dis\u00adtin\u00adguish\u00ades it from most chil\u00addren\u2019s pic\u00adture books and engen\u00adders ongo\u00ading dis\u00adcus\u00adsion is the rich use of metaphors through\u00adout the work. The He Chang Group admits that their inspi\u00adra\u00adtion stems from their obser\u00adva\u00adtion of the con\u00adflict between mod\u00adern archi\u00adtec\u00adtur\u00adal design and the real lives of its inhab\u00adi\u00adtants, and that \u201cRadish Man\u00adsion\u201d rep\u00adre\u00adsents their metaphor\u00adi\u00adcal reflec\u00adtion on this rela\u00adtion\u00adship between ide\u00adal\u00adism and real\u00adi\u00adty. The bun\u00adnies in the book rep\u00adre\u00adsent util\u00adi\u00adtar\u00adi\u00adan real\u00adists who unhesi\u00adtat\u00ading\u00adly embrace imme\u00addi\u00adate com\u00adfort, while the pro\u00adtag\u00ado\u00adnist, Radish, embod\u00adies the ide\u00adal\u00adist who seeks to con\u00adstrain group behav\u00adior through ratio\u00adnal design and rules. The author delib\u00ader\u00adate\u00adly adopts an impar\u00adtial nar\u00adra\u00adtive stance, refrain\u00ading from forc\u00ading a clear dis\u00adtinc\u00adtion between right and wrong approach\u00ades, instead leav\u00ading the dif\u00adfi\u00adcult choic\u00ades to the read\u00ader. This open-end\u00aded nar\u00adra\u00adtive strat\u00ade\u00adgy imbues the work with a philo\u00adsoph\u00adi\u00adcal and spec\u00adu\u00adla\u00adtive spir\u00adit, mak\u00ading it appeal\u00ading not only to chil\u00addren but also offer\u00ading space for seri\u00adous reflec\u00adtion and dis\u00adcus\u00adsion for old\u00ader read\u00aders and adults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, \u201cTurnip Man\u00adsion\u201d sparked some dis\u00adcus\u00adsion after its pub\u00adli\u00adca\u00adtion. The most obvi\u00adous ques\u00adtion was whether its end\u00ading was too dark\u2014the Turnip Man\u00adsion ulti\u00admate\u00adly col\u00adlaps\u00ades, and the rab\u00adbits return to their start\u00ading point. Some felt that this end\u00ading was too cru\u00adel for young read\u00aders. How\u00adev\u00ader, I believe this is pre\u00adcise\u00adly the point that deserves pos\u00adi\u00adtive dis\u00adcus\u00adsion. It touch\u00ades on the del\u00adi\u00adcate bound\u00adary between depict\u00ading real\u00adi\u00adty and ide\u00adal\u00adized states in pic\u00adture books. On the sur\u00adface, the book\u2019s visu\u00adal appeal and nar\u00adra\u00adtive style clear\u00adly make it easy for young chil\u00addren to read, but it leaves the end\u00ading open, requir\u00ading old\u00ader read\u00aders to pon\u00adder and appre\u00adci\u00adate. In oth\u00ader words, as read\u00aders gain more read\u00ading expe\u00adri\u00adence and life expe\u00adri\u00adence, they may encounter a com\u00adplete\u00adly dif\u00adfer\u00adent \u201cTurnip Man\u00adsion.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the cre\u00adators\u2019 per\u00adspec\u00adtive, they focus their metaphor on the rela\u00adtion\u00adship between ideals and real\u00adi\u00adty, bold\u00adly pre\u00adserv\u00ading the emo\u00adtion\u00adal expe\u00adri\u00adence of regret after shat\u00adtered ideals. How\u00adev\u00ader, this per\u00adspec\u00adtive may still only be par\u00adtial. My read\u00ading expe\u00adri\u00adence of \u201cTurnip Man\u00adsion\u201d inevitably reminds me of the clas\u00adsic chil\u00addren\u2019s nov\u00adel \u201cRab\u00adbit Repub\u00adlic\u201d (also trans\u00adlat\u00aded as \u201cWater\u00adship Down\u201d). While the two dif\u00adfer sig\u00adnif\u00adi\u00adcant\u00adly in form and scale, both tell the sto\u00adry of a group of rab\u00adbits\u2019 col\u00adlec\u00adtive strug\u00adgle for sur\u00advival and address the com\u00adplex and intractable real\u00adi\u00adties they face in their pur\u00adsuit of an \u201cide\u00adal home.\u201d In \u201cRab\u00adbit Repub\u00adlic,\u201d the rab\u00adbits search for a place where they can \u201csur\u00advive,\u201d while in \u201cTurnip Man\u00adsion,\u201d they face the prospect of \u201csud\u00adden pos\u00adses\u00adsion.\u201d The for\u00admer is about escap\u00ading death, the lat\u00adter is about wel\u00adcom\u00ading a gift\u2014two extreme exis\u00adten\u00adtial sit\u00adu\u00ada\u00adtions. Despite their dis\u00adtinct plots and styles, both touch upon the fragili\u00adty of utopia and the irrec\u00adon\u00adcil\u00adable ten\u00adsion between ide\u00adal\u00adism and real\u00adism. At the same time, both works high\u00adlight the sig\u00adnif\u00adi\u00adcance of sto\u00adry\u00adtelling itself\u2014stories serve as tools for cul\u00adtur\u00adal trans\u00admis\u00adsion and as a medi\u00adum for read\u00aders to reflect on their own real\u00adi\u00adties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here, I\u2019d like to reit\u00ader\u00adate Aiden Cham\u00adber\u00ads\u2019s vision for deep read\u00ading for chil\u00addren in \u201cThe Sweet Words of Books.\u201d He likens deep read\u00ading to \u201ca sharp axe that splits the frozen sea with\u00adin,\u201d empha\u00adsiz\u00ading that read\u00ading is not just about receiv\u00ading infor\u00adma\u00adtion but also a jour\u00adney through mul\u00adti\u00adple \u201ctime and space dis\u00adtor\u00adtions\u201d of the mind and emo\u00adtions. \u201cCar\u00adrot Man\u00adsion\u201d is a book per\u00adfect\u00adly suit\u00aded for this kind of deep explo\u00adration. It does\u00adn\u2019t pre-set answers for read\u00aders, but rather leaves ample \u201cnar\u00adra\u00adtive gaps\u201d for capa\u00adble and enthu\u00adsi\u00adas\u00adtic adult guides to lead chil\u00addren in deep\u00ader explo\u00adration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s return to our orig\u00adi\u00adnal ques\u00adtion: How far can metaphors in pic\u00adture books go? My answer is: very far, so far that they can reach deep reflec\u00adtions on human social behav\u00adior and col\u00adlec\u00adtive psy\u00adchol\u00ado\u00adgy. For exam\u00adple, this Bar\u00adbie-pink car\u00adrot build\u00ading might be a metaphor for our shared home: Earth. Humans, like those lit\u00adtle rab\u00adbits, face the joy of abun\u00addant resources, but also end\u00adless com\u00adpe\u00adti\u00adtion and uncon\u00adtrolled con\u00adsump\u00adtion. And Earth itself, like that giant car\u00adrot, ini\u00adtial\u00adly offers us sur\u00adpris\u00ades and gifts, but ulti\u00admate\u00adly may col\u00adlapse due to col\u00adlec\u00adtive greed and igno\u00adrance\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For\u00adtu\u00adnate\u00adly, \u201cThe Radish Build\u00ading has become a sto\u00adry. A sto\u00adry that has been told over and over again\u2026\u201d Because of the pow\u00ader of the sto\u00adry, we are for\u00adtu\u00adnate to see (you need to look care\u00adful\u00adly in the end\u00ading pic\u00adture to see it), on the gray grass\u00adland, there are lit\u00adtle rab\u00adbits build\u00ading a mod\u00adel of the Radish Build\u00ading with stones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As long as there are chil\u00addren, sto\u00adries, and sto\u00adry\u00adtellers who tell sto\u00adries to chil\u00addren with their heart, there is always hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Writ\u00adten in Bei\u00adjing on June 25, 2025<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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