{"id":6261,"date":"2025-12-28T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-28T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/?p=6261"},"modified":"2026-01-22T16:39:57","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T08:39:57","slug":"theo_lo_20251228","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/2025\/12\/28\/theo_lo_20251228\/","title":{"rendered":"Instead of fear\u00ading the dark\u00adness, why not dive deep and explore its won\u00adders\u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hold\u00ading this unique\u00adly bound and col\u00ador\u00adful book in my hands, *Dive Down, Dive into the Night Sea*, is the third self-writ\u00adten and illus\u00adtrat\u00aded work by young illus\u00adtra\u00adtor Lu Xinyuan pub\u00adlished in the Chi\u00adnese-speak\u00ading world. Her oth\u00ader two books\u2014*Here and There* and *The Insect Artist*\u2014were pub\u00adlished in 2024. The Eng\u00adlish ver\u00adsion of *Here and There* won the 2024 *New York Times*\/New York Pub\u00adlic Library\u2019s Best Illus\u00adtrat\u00aded Chil\u00addren\u2019s Book of the Year award, and both books have received numer\u00adous acco\u00adlades in Chi\u00adna. Dur\u00ading the var\u00adi\u00adous awards selec\u00adtions in 2024, I could\u00adn\u2019t help but half-jok\u00ading\u00adly \u201ccom\u00adplain\u201d to my friends that this artist releas\u00ading two such rare mas\u00adter\u00adpieces in one year was a bit of a chal\u00adlenge for the judges\u2014which one should they choose?<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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\"\u56fe\u7247\"<\/span>
Dive, Dive into the Night Sea by Theo Lu<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This book, *Dive, Dive into the Night Sea*, was actu\u00adal\u00adly Lu Xinyuan\u2019s debut work, com\u00adplet\u00aded dur\u00ading her mas\u00adter\u2019s the\u00adsis project in the UK. The Eng\u00adlish ver\u00adsion (Dive, Dive into the Night Sea) was also pub\u00adlished in 2024 by Walk\u00ader Pub\u00adlish\u00ading (the same com\u00adpa\u00adny that pub\u00adlished *Guess How Much I Love You*), and was select\u00aded for\u2026<\/span>Longlist for the 2025 Carnegie Illus\u00adtra\u00adtion Awards<\/strong><\/span>Inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal crit\u00adics have giv\u00aden this book high praise, describ\u00ading its \u201cinge\u00adnious struc\u00adture that sparks the read\u00ader\u2019s curios\u00adi\u00adty, and its use of mut\u00aded grays and deep blues to cre\u00adate an irre\u00adsistible atmos\u00adphere of mys\u00adtery dur\u00ading a night\u00adtime dive\u201d; oth\u00aders have laud\u00aded it as \u201can escape pod to an incred\u00adi\u00adble world\u2014a sto\u00adry with\u00adin a sto\u00adry that inspires won\u00adder and inspi\u00adra\u00adtion. A book of mag\u00adic, a spe\u00adcial book, a book for every\u00adone, for every place.\u201d These acco\u00adlades high\u00adlight Lu Xinyuan\u2019s cre\u00adativ\u00adi\u00adty and pro\u00adfound poten\u00adtial in the field of pic\u00adture books.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lu Xinyuan<\/span>The ori\u00adgins of this book were detailed in his blog.\uff08<\/span><\/span><\/a>https:\/\/titantable.substack.com\/p\/c2b)<\/span><\/a><\/span>.<\/span>Her inspi\u00adra\u00adtion came from her own real-life night div\u00ading expe\u00adri\u00adence, and coin\u00adci\u00adden\u00adtal\u00adly, she had just begun to explore and study dry\u00adpoint print\u00ading. \u201cThe mem\u00ado\u00adry of my recent night dive was still fresh, and I felt that dry\u00adpoint print\u00ading was per\u00adfect for depict\u00ading the rough tex\u00adture of the ocean filled with plank\u00adton at night.\u201d How\u00adev\u00ader, when she excit\u00aded\u00adly com\u00adplet\u00aded a set of dry\u00adpoint prints depict\u00ading the night ocean, ready to sub\u00admit it as her grad\u00adu\u00ada\u00adtion project, her advi\u00adsor told her that it need\u00aded to be made into an entire book! This might have ini\u00adtial\u00adly been an unex\u00adpect\u00aded chal\u00adlenge, but after prepar\u00ading a wealth of mate\u00adri\u00adals and pon\u00adder\u00ading it repeat\u00aded\u00adly for many days, the title and the cen\u00adtral sen\u00adtence seemed to auto\u00admat\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly spring to mind:\u201cDive, dive, dive into the night sea. Dive into the inky depth.<\/strong>\u201d(This can be trans\u00adlat\u00aded lit\u00ader\u00adal\u00adly as: dive, dive, dive into the night sea. Dive into that deep, inky black\u00adness.) The struc\u00adture of the entire book is also becom\u00ading clear.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Lu Xinyuan shared the sto\u00adry\u00adboard design on his blog.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The book\u2019s suc\u00adcess large\u00adly stems from its unique and inge\u00adnious design. Its uncon\u00adven\u00adtion\u00adal ver\u00adti\u00adcal page-turn\u00ading for\u00admat, with pages flipped from top to bot\u00adtom, per\u00adfect\u00adly sim\u00adu\u00adlates the phys\u00adi\u00adcal move\u00adments and per\u00adspec\u00adtive changes of a div\u00ader, allow\u00ading read\u00aders to tru\u00adly expe\u00adri\u00adence the immer\u00adsive feel\u00ading of a sub\u00admersible. The con\u00adtent is also care\u00adful\u00adly arranged, actu\u00adal\u00adly divid\u00aded into two main sec\u00adtions: one part offers the diver\u2019s per\u00adspec\u00adtive on mind and body, expressed through extreme\u00adly con\u00adcise and beau\u00adti\u00adful poet\u00adry, cre\u00adat\u00ading a tran\u00adquil and pro\u00adfound emo\u00adtion\u00adal atmos\u00adphere; the oth\u00ader part pro\u00advides pre\u00adcise and engag\u00ading infor\u00adma\u00adtion about marine life, with rich details that allow read\u00aders to expe\u00adri\u00adence the rig\u00ador and enjoy\u00adment of non-fic\u00adtion sci\u00adence fic\u00adtion. This clever fusion of nar\u00adra\u00adtive and sci\u00adence achieves a del\u00adi\u00adcate bal\u00adance between knowl\u00adedge and artistry, sat\u00adis\u00adfy\u00ading the curios\u00adi\u00adty of chil\u00addren while also cap\u00adti\u00advat\u00ading adult read\u00aders with a dream\u00adlike visu\u00adal expe\u00adri\u00adence.<\/span><\/p>\n

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In fact, using dark col\u00adors as the main tone in chil\u00addren\u2019s pic\u00adture books is often not very appeal\u00ading, so it\u2019s some\u00adwhat risky. How\u00adev\u00ader, this book, with its deep blue and gray-black tones, exquis\u00adite\u00adly recre\u00adates the envi\u00adron\u00adment of the night sea through a well-struc\u00adtured and rhyth\u00admic approach, mak\u00ading the dark tones both tan\u00adgi\u00adble and endear\u00ading. For exam\u00adple, the open\u00ading scene shows a bright sea and a small boat; as each page turns, the light grad\u00adu\u00adal\u00adly dims, and a div\u00ader leaps into the water from the bright moon\u00adlight, pass\u00ading through schools of fish on the sur\u00adface and enter\u00ading the dark abyss. Each page is a deep dive, and with each turn, the read\u00ader delves deep\u00ader. The illus\u00adtra\u00adtions use a large amount of dense\u00adly woven tex\u00adture, giv\u00ading a sense of flow\u00ading sea\u00adwa\u00adter and shim\u00admer\u00ading waves. The only light is a beam of yel\u00adlow light from the diver\u2019s flash\u00adlight. This beam of light acts as a guide in the dark\u00adness; wher\u00adev\u00ader it reach\u00ades, fish, corals, plank\u00adton, and sperm whales appear, as if awak\u00adened by the light. Here, light is not mere\u00adly a phys\u00adi\u00adcal phe\u00adnom\u00ade\u00adnon, but a metaphor for hope, a call\u00ading, and the per\u00adcep\u00adtion of life.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"\u56fe\u7247\"<\/figure>\n

The book\u2019s flip-page design is also inge\u00adnious. The flips aren\u2019t in fixed posi\u00adtions, and the shapes of the flaps seem some\u00adwhat ran\u00addom. But upon clos\u00ader inspec\u00adtion, you\u2019ll dis\u00adcov\u00ader the artist\u2019s inge\u00adnu\u00adity: the flip points are often illu\u00admi\u00adnat\u00aded by yel\u00adlow light (or cor\u00adre\u00adspond\u00ading areas), and the shapes of the flaps are often relat\u00aded to the marine life depict\u00aded on that page. These sub\u00adtle changes bring sur\u00adpris\u00ades at every turn. I believe young read\u00aders will derive con\u00adsid\u00ader\u00adable enjoy\u00adment from this whim\u00adsi\u00adcal \u201cflip-page\u201d design, bal\u00adanc\u00ading the poten\u00adtial \u201cseri\u00adous\u00adness\u201d of read\u00ading sci\u00aden\u00adtif\u00adic infor\u00adma\u00adtion. Frankly, some of the infor\u00adma\u00adtion is some\u00adwhat obscure, but this only adds to the sense of mys\u00adtery. Through these clever designs, the book, with its extreme\u00adly restrained lan\u00adguage and col\u00adors, cre\u00adates an incred\u00adi\u00adbly rich sen\u00adso\u00adry expe\u00adri\u00adence, guid\u00ading read\u00aders with a beam of light to dis\u00adcov\u00ader hid\u00adden won\u00adders of life in the dark\u00adness.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"\u56fe\u7247\"<\/figure>\n

Lu Xinyuan\u2019s three pub\u00adlished books, all fea\u00adtur\u00ading her own writ\u00ading and illus\u00adtra\u00adtions, show\u00adcase inge\u00adnious design ideas. For exam\u00adple, in *Here, There*, she uses fold-out pages and sym\u00admet\u00adri\u00adcal struc\u00adtures to express spa\u00adtial dif\u00adfer\u00adences and cul\u00adtur\u00adal sim\u00adi\u00adlar\u00adi\u00adties, with the two pro\u00adtag\u00ado\u00adnists ulti\u00admate\u00adly meet\u00ading on a dou\u00adble-page spread. In *Insect Artists*, she suc\u00adcess\u00adful\u00adly sim\u00adu\u00adlates the var\u00adi\u00adous forms of insects eat\u00ading leaves in nature by using per\u00adfo\u00adra\u00adtion and die-cut\u00adting tech\u00adniques on top of sin\u00adgle-pan\u00adel prints. In this book depict\u00ading night div\u00ading, she explores and exper\u00adi\u00adments with the tra\u00addi\u00adtion\u00adal print\u00ading tech\u00adnique of dry engrav\u00ading, com\u00adple\u00adment\u00aded by flip-page and flap designs. The result\u00ading fuzzy, blurred, and warm print\u00admak\u00ading style proved high\u00adly suit\u00adable for cap\u00adtur\u00ading the unique atmos\u00adphere of deep-sea night div\u00ading, and the flap design per\u00adfect\u00adly suit\u00aded the activ\u00adi\u00adty of deep-sea explo\u00adration. This young artist demon\u00adstrates a keen artis\u00adtic intu\u00adition in her choice of tech\u00adniques, suc\u00adcess\u00adful\u00adly and vivid\u00adly express\u00ading the soft\u00adness of the water, the hazy light, and the mys\u00adte\u00adri\u00adous, elu\u00adsive nature of life dur\u00ading a night dive. The near-per\u00adfect fusion of artis\u00adtic expres\u00adsion and con\u00adtent is what left a strong impres\u00adsion on me about Lu Xinyuan.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"\u56fe\u7247\"<\/figure>\n

How\u00adev\u00ader, what\u2019s even more inter\u00adest\u00ading is that this work evoked some unex\u00adpect\u00aded asso\u00adci\u00ada\u00adtions in me. For exam\u00adple, in terms of poet\u00adic asso\u00adci\u00ada\u00adtions. The recur\u00adring phrase in the book, \u201cDown, down, dive into the night sea\u2026\u201d, inevitably remind\u00aded me of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas\u2019s poem \u201cDo not go gen\u00adtle into that good night.\u201d This poem was quot\u00aded mem\u00ado\u00adrable\u00adly in the film *Inter\u00adstel\u00adlar*, espe\u00adcial\u00adly the last line, \u201cRage, rage against the dying of the light,\u201d which res\u00adonates rhyth\u00admi\u00adcal\u00adly and evoca\u00adtive\u00adly with \u201cDive, dive into the night sea.\u201d The for\u00admer is a lament against death, espe\u00adcial\u00adly a resent\u00adment and strug\u00adgle against the pass\u00ading of \u201clight\u201d; while the lat\u00adter does\u00adn\u2019t choose to con\u00adfront dark\u00adness with \u201canger,\u201d but rather uses curios\u00adi\u00adty, sen\u00adsi\u00adtiv\u00adi\u00adty, and courage to active\u00adly enter and con\u00adnect with it. The pic\u00adture book artist choos\u00ades to embrace the vital\u00adi\u00adty with\u00adin the dark\u00adness, turn\u00ading to a more East\u00adern, gen\u00adtle yet equal\u00adly coura\u00adgeous attitude\u2014to delve, per\u00adceive, and con\u00adnect.<\/span><\/p>\n

As I neared the end, I read, \u201cThe ocean at night \/ is tru\u00adly like a world filled with dreams. \/ But \/ the time has come, \/ I must swim out of this dream.\u201d\u201c <\/span><\/p>\n

The Eng\u00adlish ver\u00adsion is \u201cThe world of the night \/ sea is like a beau\u00adti\u00adful dream. \/ But the time has come for me to leave.\u201d This reminds me of Robert Frost\u2019s \u201cRest at the Woods on a Snowy Evening,\u201d with its final lines, \u201cBut I have promis\u00ades to keep, \/ And miles to go before I sleep\u2026\u201d\u2014Immersed in the tran\u00adquil, mys\u00adte\u00adri\u00adous, and dream\u00adlike beau\u00adty of nature, one can be hyp\u00adno\u00adtized. But the trav\u00adel\u00ader, lost in its beau\u00adty, sud\u00adden\u00adly real\u00adizes that there are still respon\u00adsi\u00adbil\u00adi\u00adties, promis\u00ades, and the jour\u00adney to con\u00adtin\u00adue. Thus, they con\u00adtin\u00adue their jour\u00adney or sur\u00adface.<\/span><\/p>\n

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This fas\u00adci\u00adna\u00adtion with the deep sea reminds me of the French film \u201cThe Big Blue,\u201d which I watched many times years ago. The pro\u00adtag\u00ado\u00adnist, Jacques, ulti\u00admate\u00adly finds a stronger sense of belong\u00ading in deep-sea div\u00ading than on land\u2014the seabed is dream\u00adlike, the dol\u00adphins are like fam\u00adi\u00adly, and the call from the ocean is a near-pri\u00admal emo\u00adtion\u00adal dimen\u00adsion, full of poet\u00adic imagery. But when the deep-sea div\u00ader in the pic\u00adture book sur\u00adfaces, I still feel incred\u00adi\u00adbly hap\u00adpy and relieved. The choice to return to real\u00adi\u00adty and the choice to pre\u00adserve the fairy\u00adtale dream are not con\u00adtra\u00addic\u00adto\u00adry.<\/span><\/p>\n

Such asso\u00adci\u00ada\u00adtions are clear\u00adly not char\u00adac\u00adter\u00adis\u00adtic of chil\u00addren\u2019s read\u00ading respons\u00ades, but I think this does\u00adn\u2019t pre\u00advent them from find\u00ading their own enjoy\u00adment in read\u00ading. I believe that Lu Xinyuan\u2019s pic\u00adture books (not lim\u00adit\u00aded to this one) can eas\u00adi\u00adly tran\u00adscend the bound\u00adaries between chil\u00addren and adult read\u00aders, which is pre\u00adcise\u00adly what makes them unique and rare. We can\u00adnot judge them as lack\u00ading \u201cchild\u00adlike\u00adness\u201d sim\u00adply because adult read\u00aders make more asso\u00adci\u00ada\u00adtions with them.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\u56fe\u7247\"<\/figure>\n

Take, for exam\u00adple, the book *Dive Down, Dive into the Night Sea*. Its unique visu\u00adal style, inge\u00adnious book struc\u00adture, and pro\u00adfound emo\u00adtion\u00adal explo\u00adration can cer\u00adtain\u00adly attract read\u00aders aged 3 to 99. Young chil\u00addren can expe\u00adri\u00adence the won\u00adder of the under\u00adwa\u00adter world through inter\u00adac\u00adtive flip pages, while old\u00ader chil\u00addren can con\u00adtin\u00adue to explore relat\u00aded marine life knowl\u00adedge through the flaps. This immer\u00adsive expe\u00adri\u00adence can great\u00adly stim\u00adu\u00adlate chil\u00addren\u2019s curios\u00adi\u00adty and spir\u00adit of explo\u00adration, while poten\u00adtial\u00adly reduc\u00ading their fear of the dark. For adult read\u00aders, the book may offer a poet\u00adic philo\u00adsoph\u00adi\u00adcal reflec\u00adtion, encour\u00adag\u00ading them to con\u00adfront their own fears and re-exam\u00adine and embrace the unknown world through the expe\u00adri\u00adence of deep-sea div\u00ading at night.<\/span><\/p>\n

Just like the courage and wis\u00addom shown in the book\u2014instead of fear\u00ading the dark\u00adness, dive deep into it to explore the hid\u00adden mir\u00ada\u00adcles and end\u00adless pos\u00adsi\u00adbil\u00adi\u00adties of life.<\/span><\/p>\n

Writ\u00adten by A\u2011Jia on May 3, 2025 in Bei\u00adjing<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\u56fe\u7247\"<\/figure>\n
\"\u56fe\u7247\"
The above images are from Lu Xinyuan\u2019s blog:https:\/\/titantable.substack.com\/p\/c2b<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

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