\u2014\u2014Review of the pic\u00adture book series \u201cWhen Peking Opera Meets the Three King\u00addoms\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When I first read Mr. Zhou Rui\u2019s new pic\u00adture book series, \u201cWhen Peking Opera Meets the Three King\u00addoms,\u201d I was quite sur\u00adprised. Although I already knew he had made a remark\u00adable tran\u00adsi\u00adtion as a painter when I met him at the 2023 iRead\u00ader 100 Chil\u00addren\u2019s Books launch event, excelling at depict\u00ading Peking Opera char\u00adac\u00adters dra\u00admat\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly, exag\u00adger\u00adat\u00aded\u00adly, and humor\u00adous\u00adly in a sim\u00adple, folk-inspired style, illus\u00adtrat\u00ading four Peking Opera sto\u00adries through a con\u00adtin\u00adu\u00adous nar\u00adra\u00adtive of images rep\u00adre\u00adsents a whole new lev\u00adel of dif\u00adfi\u00adcul\u00adty and sophis\u00adti\u00adca\u00adtion. He not only accom\u00adplished this, but also did so in a unique and ground\u00adbreak\u00ading way, tru\u00adly a new type of \u201ctotal cre\u00adation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
I remem\u00adber our last con\u00adver\u00adsa\u00adtion began with a lament about the peak state of chil\u00addren: their will\u00ading\u00adness to exper\u00adi\u00adment and fail, their will\u00ading\u00adness to embrace change, and the belief that \u201cchange is often an oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adty for growth.\u201d Teacher Zhou Rui described how, dur\u00ading one \u201cchange,\u201d he began exper\u00adi\u00adment\u00ading with cal\u00adlig\u00adra\u00adphy, and then, through repeat\u00aded \u201cchanges,\u201d turned to art, delv\u00ading into Peking Opera and unearthing the com\u00ading-of-age sto\u00adries of Liyuan opera troupes dur\u00ading the Repub\u00adlic of Chi\u00adna. Thus, we saw the emer\u00adgence of nov\u00adels about the growth of young Liyuan opera troupes, accom\u00adpa\u00adnied by paint\u00adings imbued with child\u00adlike inno\u00adcence and artis\u00adtic inter\u00adest, and now, the pic\u00adture book \u201cWhen Peking Opera Meets the Three King\u00addoms.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this set of pic\u00adture books, I also read a con\u00adtin\u00adu\u00ada\u00adtion of Zhou Rui\u2019s \u201cHumor\u00adous Three King\u00addoms,\u201d a nar\u00adra\u00adtive reimag\u00adined based on tra\u00addi\u00adtion\u00adal cul\u00adture, inte\u00adgrat\u00aded with mod\u00adern life and engag\u00ading with con\u00adtem\u00adpo\u00adrary chil\u00addren\u2019s inter\u00adests. \u201cThe Gath\u00ader\u00ading of Heroes,\u201d for exam\u00adple, presents a Peking Opera per\u00adfor\u00admance on a boat by a water\u00adborne troupe, a dis\u00adtinc\u00adtive\u00adly local tra\u00addi\u00adtion. The burn\u00ading of Red Cliffs, part of the Three King\u00addoms sto\u00adry, is per\u00adfect\u00adly suit\u00aded to the aquat\u00adic set\u00adting. The sto\u00adry leaps between the\u00adatri\u00adcal and extra-the\u00adatri\u00adcal, tran\u00adscend\u00ading time and space, weav\u00ading between char\u00adac\u00adters, actors, and audi\u00adences. Inter\u00adspersed with anec\u00addotes from the opera world and com\u00adi\u00adcal scenes from every\u00adday life, the author patient\u00adly explains opera ter\u00admi\u00adnol\u00ado\u00adgy. To make the work more acces\u00adsi\u00adble, he incor\u00adpo\u00adrates numer\u00adous vivid and engag\u00ading details into the images\u2014such as ospreys pro\u00advid\u00ading shel\u00adter from the rain, ador\u00ading audi\u00adences, and the use of folk props. These details not only enhance the work\u2019s inter\u00adest but also allow read\u00aders to expe\u00adri\u00adence the real\u00adi\u00adties of troupe life beyond the stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How\u00adev\u00ader, this set of pic\u00adture books isn\u2019t intend\u00aded for very young read\u00aders; it\u2019s more suit\u00aded to mid\u00addle and upper ele\u00admen\u00adtary school stu\u00addents, essen\u00adtial\u00adly over\u00adlap\u00adping with the read\u00ader\u00adship of the nov\u00adels \u201cHumor\u00adous Three King\u00addoms\u201d and \u201cGrow\u00ading Up as a Young Liyuan Oper\u00ada\u00adtor.\u201d Zhou Rui clev\u00ader\u00adly uses a for\u00admat sim\u00adi\u00adlar to an art book to bring the rich expres\u00adsive\u00adness and dra\u00adma of Peking Opera into the read\u00ading world of young read\u00aders, allow\u00ading chil\u00addren to expe\u00adri\u00adence the pro\u00adfound cul\u00adtur\u00adal her\u00aditage of Peking Opera while enjoy\u00ading the engag\u00ading sto\u00adries. This for\u00admat main\u00adtains Zhou Rui\u2019s sig\u00adna\u00adture humor and wit, and the con\u00adtent imbues the sto\u00adry with both nar\u00adra\u00adtive ten\u00adsion and a pro\u00adfound cul\u00adtur\u00adal depth. In recount\u00ading the tra\u00addi\u00adtion\u00adal Three King\u00addoms sto\u00adry, he does\u00adn\u2019t sim\u00adply retell his\u00adto\u00adry or dra\u00admat\u00adic plots. Instead, he uses the artis\u00adtic form of Peking Opera as a medi\u00adum, focus\u00ading on show\u00adcas\u00ading the char\u00adac\u00adters\u2019 demeanor, move\u00adments, and dra\u00admat\u00adic stage pres\u00adence, while also incor\u00adpo\u00adrat\u00ading ele\u00adments of real life beyond the stage. This vivid and heart\u00adwarm\u00ading approach offers a del\u00adi\u00adcate reimag\u00adin\u00ading of tra\u00addi\u00adtion\u00adal Peking Opera cul\u00adture, inte\u00adgrat\u00aded into every\u00adday life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But what I admire most is Zhou Rui\u2019s aston\u00adish\u00ading trans\u00adfor\u00adma\u00adtion. Hav\u00ading already achieved remark\u00adable suc\u00adcess as a chil\u00addren\u2019s lit\u00ader\u00ada\u00adture writer, he still choos\u00ades to chal\u00adlenge him\u00adself and enter a new cre\u00adative realm. I under\u00adstand that he is explor\u00ading a freer form of expres\u00adsion. This free, spon\u00adta\u00adneous, and high\u00adly cre\u00adative cre\u00adative state is the per\u00adfect fusion of text and image. This cre\u00adative state, filled with a pas\u00adsion for explo\u00adration and learn\u00ading, coin\u00adcides with the best state of chil\u00addren. I believe that through his own prac\u00adtice, he has demon\u00adstrat\u00aded what it means to be in a state of con\u00adstant learn\u00ading, and through such bril\u00adliant works, he tells chil\u00addren that growth is a life\u00adlong process; every\u00adone can, at any time, explore new pos\u00adsi\u00adbil\u00adi\u00adties like a child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here, I would like to express my sin\u00adcere con\u00adgrat\u00adu\u00adla\u00adtions to Mr. Zhou Rui for his child\u00adlike cre\u00adative rebirth!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Argen\u00adtine Primera Divisi\u00f3n writ\u00adten on Novem\u00adber 7, 2024<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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