{"id":6317,"date":"2025-11-05T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-05T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/?p=6317"},"modified":"2026-01-22T16:28:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T08:28:21","slug":"island_storm_20251105","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/2025\/11\/05\/island_storm_20251105\/","title":{"rendered":"Go to the sea before the storm: a con\u00adcer\u00adto of nature, courage and love."},"content":{"rendered":"

I remem\u00adber watch\u00ading the movie \u201cMy Mem\u00ado\u00adries of Old Bei\u00adjing\u201d when I was a child, and I espe\u00adcial\u00adly loved the part where Yingzi reads the text aloud\u2014\u201cLet\u2019s go see the sea! Let\u2019s go see the sea!\u201d Although there was no sea in the movie, I felt as if I could already see it. I real\u00adly want\u00aded to go to the blue sea right away, raise the white sails, and watch the gold\u00aden sun rise from the sea\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u200b\u200b\u200b<\/span>\n
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Read\u00ading \u201cThe Storm on the Island\u201d now feels like reliv\u00ading that youth\u00adful feel\u00ading. The unpre\u00addictable pow\u00ader of nature can stir up excite\u00adment and joy. Even though the wind is ris\u00ading and the thun\u00adder is approach\u00ading, we refuse to hide, drawn by that pri\u00admal, slight\u00adly dan\u00adger\u00adous mys\u00adtery. The boy puts on his wind\u00adbreak\u00ader and rain boots, grabs his sis\u00adter\u2019s hand, and says, \u201cBefore the storm comes, let\u2019s go see the sea!\u201d<\/span>\u200b<\/span><\/p>\n

This work cap\u00adtures a uni\u00adver\u00adsal child\u00adhood expe\u00adri\u00adence, depict\u00ading, with poet\u00adic prose and dynam\u00adic illus\u00adtra\u00adtions, the sto\u00adry of chil\u00addren being sum\u00admoned by nature to explore the sea\u00adside and feel the immense pow\u00ader of nature before an impend\u00ading island storm. The author, Bri\u00adan Flo\u00adca, is an acclaimed Calde\u00adcott Medal win\u00adner, while the illus\u00adtra\u00adtor, Syd\u00adney Smith, is a recent recip\u00adi\u00adent of the Hans Chris\u00adt\u00adian Ander\u00adsen Award. The col\u00adlab\u00ado\u00adra\u00adtion of these two cre\u00adators at the peak of their careers has made this work high\u00adly antic\u00adi\u00adpat\u00aded from the out\u00adset, fore\u00adshad\u00adow\u00ading a mul\u00adti-sen\u00adso\u00adry read\u00ading jour\u00adney about nature, courage, trust, sib\u00adling bonds, and fam\u00adi\u00adly love.<\/span><\/p>\n

The adven\u00adture of grow\u00ading up and the warmth of com\u00adpan\u00adion\u00adship<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Chrono\u00adlog\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly, the sto\u00adry should begin on the title page: a broth\u00ader and sis\u00adter stand com\u00adfort\u00adably by their win\u00addow, enjoy\u00ading the bright after\u00adnoon sun outdoors\u2014a warm and love\u00adly scene, but per\u00adhaps a lit\u00adtle \u201cboring\u201d\u2014at least for the bound\u00adless ener\u00adgy of child\u00adhood. So, when we turn to the copyright\/dedication page and see a sud\u00adden gust of wind and their moth\u00ader scram\u00adbling to gath\u00ader clothes blown away, we\u2019re prob\u00ada\u00adbly not sur\u00adprised. The sib\u00adlings imme\u00addi\u00adate\u00adly decide to go on an adven\u00adture, clear\u00adly with\u00adout their moth\u00ader\u2019s per\u00admis\u00adsion!<\/span>\u200b<\/span><\/p>\n

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The author, speak\u00ading from the old\u00ader broth\u00ader\u2019s per\u00adspec\u00adtive, says, \u201cCome, take my hand,\u201d pulling his sis\u00adter along a grav\u00adel path through the woods towards the shore. Togeth\u00ader, they feel the ris\u00ading wind and the crash\u00ading waves. As the storm approach\u00ades, the sky dark\u00adens, the waves surge, and the wind howls. Despite their neigh\u00adbors\u2019 warn\u00adings that \u201cyou\u2019d bet\u00adter go home!\u201d, they repeat\u00aded\u00adly ask, \u201cIs this enough, or should we go a lit\u00adtle fur\u00adther?\u201d and firm\u00adly reply, \u201cYou hold my hand, I hold yours, we\u2019ve decid\u00aded to keep going.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u200b<\/span>This poet\u00adic expe\u00adri\u00adence and Q&A is full of meaning\u2014the pri\u00admal and pro\u00adfound con\u00adnec\u00adtion between human\u00adi\u00adty and nature is clear\u00adly revealed through the child\u2019s curi\u00adous and awe-inspir\u00ading adven\u00adture. The child\u2019s repeat\u00aded choic\u00ades to \u201cgo fur\u00adther\u201d when faced with such dan\u00adger, that non\u00adcha\u00adlant courage to \u201cexpe\u00adri\u00adence every\u00adthing,\u201d can also be seen as an inner resilience in the face of the unknown and fear\u2014a tru\u00adly pre\u00adcious qual\u00adi\u00adty in the process of grow\u00ading up. In this sense, isn\u2019t grow\u00ading up sim\u00adply expe\u00adri\u00adenc\u00ading a mag\u00adnif\u00adi\u00adcent adven\u00adture in the wider world?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u200b<\/span>In this sto\u00adry, amidst increas\u00ading\u00adly dan\u00adger\u00adous cir\u00adcum\u00adstances, the broth\u00ader and sis\u00adter cling tight\u00adly to each oth\u00ader. The recur\u00adring phrase, \u201cYou hold my hand, I hold yours, we\u2019ve decid\u00aded to keep going,\u201d not only pro\u00adpels the plot for\u00adward but also sym\u00adbol\u00adizes their unwa\u00adver\u00ading mutu\u00adal sup\u00adport and trust. The moth\u00ader, who appears at the end, is also cru\u00adcial. She rep\u00adre\u00adsents home, a sym\u00adbol of bound\u00adless love and acceptance\u2014\u201ca lov\u00ading and reas\u00adsur\u00ading home. A home where you might be blamed! A home where you can be for\u00adgiv\u00aden.\u201d\u201c<\/span><\/p>\n

\u200b<\/span>So, the day after the storm, Mom let her two chil\u00addren go to the beach to explore again. This time, how\u00adev\u00ader, Mom per\u00adson\u00adal\u00adly accom\u00adpa\u00adnied and watched over them.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Poet\u00adic Pow\u00ader of Words and the Sen\u00adso\u00adry Impact<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Bri\u00adan Flo\u00adca, who won the Calde\u00adcott Medal for *A Loco\u00admo\u00adtive*, also left a deep impres\u00adsion with his two oth\u00ader self-writ\u00adten and illus\u00adtrat\u00aded books, *The Moon Land\u00ading* and *The Light\u00adship*. It turns out that before study\u00ading art and spe\u00adcial\u00adiz\u00ading in illus\u00adtra\u00adtion, he also majored in his\u00adto\u00adry. As a cre\u00adator skilled in both writ\u00ading and illus\u00adtra\u00adtion, he show\u00adcased his lit\u00ader\u00adary prowess to the fullest this time. While *The Storm on the Island* isn\u2019t entire\u00adly rhymed poet\u00adry, it pos\u00adsess\u00ades a strong rhythm, is poet\u00adic, and full of evoca\u00adtive details, mak\u00ading the entire sto\u00adry par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar\u00adly suit\u00adable for read\u00ading aloud.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u200b<\/span>Flo\u00adca\u2019s writ\u00ading, like a cam\u00adera, cap\u00adtures every sub\u00adtle detail before the storm, ful\u00adly engag\u00ading the read\u00ader\u2019s hear\u00ading, touch, and sight. Chil\u00addren walk on the grav\u00adel path, mak\u00ading a \u201cclat\u00adter\u00ading\u201d sound; when the wind ris\u00ades, \u201cbranch\u00ades col\u00adlide with each oth\u00ader, thump, thump, thump!\u201d; when the giant waves crash against the shore, they \u201cbang\u201d and \u201cexplode\u201d\u2026 These images, com\u00adbined with the visu\u00adals, direct\u00adly impact the read\u00ader\u2019s sens\u00ades, cre\u00adat\u00ading a pow\u00ader\u00adful sense of pres\u00adence. On the page depict\u00ading the waves, the orig\u00adi\u00adnal Eng\u00adlish text also blends end rhymes (stone, bone) and allit\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtions (weath\u00adered, wound, water), mak\u00ading the read\u00ading expe\u00adri\u00adence like singing, which pre\u00adsent\u00aded a sig\u00adnif\u00adi\u00adcant chal\u00adlenge for the trans\u00adla\u00adtor.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u200b<\/span>\u200b<\/span><\/p>\n

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Flo\u00adca pre\u00adcise\u00adly con\u00adtrols the sto\u00adry\u2019s rhythm through the alter\u00adna\u00adtion of short and long sen\u00adtences. When the plot is tense, short, pow\u00ader\u00adful sen\u00adtences like \u201cBang!\u201d and \u201cRun!\u201d cre\u00adate a whirl\u00adwind-like expe\u00adri\u00adence; while in calmer nar\u00adra\u00adtion, longer descrip\u00adtive sen\u00adtences are used to slow the pace. The recur\u00adring use of refrains is anoth\u00ader high\u00adlight; the sib\u00adlings\u2019 repeat\u00aded self-ques\u00adtion\u00ading and answer\u00ading not only strength\u00adens the sto\u00adry\u2019s struc\u00adture and rhythm but also acts like a \u201crhyth\u00admic incan\u00adta\u00adtion,\u201d pro\u00adfound\u00adly con\u00advey\u00ading their deter\u00admi\u00adna\u00adtion and per\u00adse\u00adver\u00adance to sup\u00adport each oth\u00ader through thick and thin. Once the chil\u00addren are safe\u00adly home, the text returns to a calm and warm tone. This skill\u00adful con\u00adtrol of rhythm allows read\u00aders to expe\u00adri\u00adence the sto\u00adry\u2019s ups and downs first\u00adhand.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u200b<\/span>Poet\u00adic and dynam\u00adic visu\u00adals<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u200b<\/strong><\/span>If \u201cThe Tem\u00adpest on the Island\u201d is a bril\u00adliant and thrilling bal\u00adlet, then Sid\u00adney Smith is arguably the most daz\u00adzling star of the show. With his unique artis\u00adtic vision and exquis\u00adite paint\u00ading skills, he brings amaz\u00ading visu\u00adal life to this pic\u00adture book.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u200b<\/span>The illus\u00adtra\u00adtions in this book fol\u00adlow the style of his rep\u00adre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adtive works such as *I Speak Like a Riv\u00ader*, *Grand\u00adma\u2019s Veg\u00adetable Gar\u00adden*, *Big City, Lit\u00adtle You*, and *Do You Remem\u00adber*, char\u00adac\u00adter\u00adized by impres\u00adsion\u00adis\u00adtic, loose brush\u00adstrokes, with the inter\u00adplay of light and shad\u00adow guid\u00ading the flow of emo\u00adtions and feel\u00adings. He uses water\u00adcol\u00adors and thick gouache, with broad brush\u00adstrokes and splash\u00ades of paint cre\u00adat\u00ading a dynam\u00adic and pow\u00ader\u00adful beau\u00adty of storms. Waves, clouds, and storms surge and churn between the pages. Although the paint\u00adings appear spon\u00adta\u00adneous, each one has under\u00adgone \u201cdozens of drafts and repeat\u00aded pol\u00adish\u00ading to accu\u00adrate\u00adly con\u00advey emo\u00adtions.\u201d This com\u00adbi\u00adna\u00adtion of impro\u00advi\u00adsa\u00adtion and delib\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtion makes the paint\u00adings \u201cexquis\u00adite\u00adly tex\u00adtured and visu\u00adal\u00adly spec\u00adtac\u00adu\u00adlar.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u200b<\/span>\u200b<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

Col\u00ador plays a cru\u00adcial role in Smith\u2019s illus\u00adtra\u00adtions. When a storm approach\u00ades, he uses deep, cool tones, with mas\u00adsive dark clouds shroud\u00ading the island, inten\u00adsi\u00adfy\u00ading the ten\u00adsion and oppres\u00adsion. As the storm sub\u00adsides, the col\u00adors bright\u00aden dra\u00admat\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly, reveal\u00ading a clear, azure sky that con\u00adtrasts sharply with the pre\u00advi\u00adous somber hues. This shift in col\u00ador tone, like a change in key in music, allows the view\u00ader to visu\u00adal\u00adly expe\u00adri\u00adence a storm fol\u00adlowed by a peace\u00adful, bright dawn, great\u00adly enhanc\u00ading emo\u00adtion\u00adal res\u00ado\u00adnance.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u200b<\/span>The lay\u00adout and com\u00adpo\u00adsi\u00adtion of the pages pri\u00admar\u00adi\u00adly guide the nar\u00adra\u00adtive rhythm. Smith exten\u00adsive\u00adly uses a \u201ccin\u00ade\u00admat\u00adic mon\u00adtage\u201d style, inter\u00adspers\u00ading text with mul\u00adti\u00adple hor\u00adi\u00adzon\u00adtal illus\u00adtra\u00adtions, sig\u00adnif\u00adi\u00adcant\u00adly \u201caccel\u00ader\u00adat\u00ading the sto\u00adry\u2019s pace,\u201d mak\u00ading the read\u00ader feel as if they are run\u00adning along\u00adside the sib\u00adlings. In pas\u00adsages requir\u00ading the read\u00ader to linger or to con\u00advey a grand atmos\u00adphere, he tends to use large-scale com\u00adpo\u00adsi\u00adtions occu\u00adpy\u00ading a full page, such as a dis\u00adtant view of the coast before a storm or a vast sky after a storm, to cre\u00adate a broad and expan\u00adsive atmos\u00adphere. This flex\u00adi\u00adble and var\u00adied composition\u2014sometimes close-ups, some\u00adtimes dis\u00adtant views, some\u00adtimes sequen\u00adtial, some\u00adtimes full-page\u2014precisely con\u00adtrols the visu\u00adal rhythm of the nar\u00adra\u00adtive, com\u00adple\u00adment\u00ading the text con\u00adtent.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u200b<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

A gold\u00aden duo who appre\u00adci\u00adate each oth\u00ader<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u200b<\/strong><\/span>This beau\u00adti\u00adful\u00adly illus\u00adtrat\u00aded work gar\u00adnered wide\u00adspread pro\u00adfes\u00adsion\u00adal acclaim upon pub\u00adli\u00adca\u00adtion, receiv\u00ading high praise from almost all main\u00adstream Amer\u00adi\u00adcan media out\u00adlets. Crit\u00adics gen\u00ader\u00adal\u00adly laud\u00aded the \u201cmusi\u00adcal\u00adi\u00adty,\u201d \u201cemo\u00adtion\u00adal pow\u00ader,\u201d and \u201cvivid word\u00adplay\u201d of Flo\u00adca\u2019s text, believ\u00ading it could \u201cevoke both fear and com\u00adfort.\u201d Smith\u2019s illus\u00adtra\u00adtions were praised for \u201ccon\u00advey\u00ading the ter\u00adri\u00adfy\u00ading pow\u00ader of a storm and how light changes through\u00adout the day\u201d\u2026 But ini\u00adtial\u00adly, I was some\u00adwhat puz\u00adzled: why would Flo\u00adca, an illus\u00adtra\u00adtor with excep\u00adtion\u00adal skills and a Calde\u00adcott Medal, need anoth\u00ader illus\u00adtra\u00adtor\u2019s help? It turns out there\u2019s an inter\u00adest\u00ading cre\u00adative process behind it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u200b<\/span>In fact, Bri\u00adan Flo\u00adca con\u00adceived and com\u00adplet\u00aded this sto\u00adry dur\u00ading his artist-in-res\u00adi\u00addence pro\u00adgram on Peaks Island, Maine, draw\u00ading inspi\u00adra\u00adtion from real storm scenes there. Born in Texas in 1969, he does have a younger sis\u00adter, but the sib\u00adlings, grow\u00ading up inland, nev\u00ader had the adven\u00adture of going out to sea togeth\u00ader before a storm. Flo\u00adca stat\u00aded that what he want\u00aded to present in this book was an expe\u00adri\u00adence \u201calmost every child might have\u201d: when the wind and clouds gath\u00ader, chil\u00addren can\u2019t help but go out\u00adside to feel the pow\u00ader of nature up close\u2014this is a col\u00adlec\u00adtive child\u00adhood mem\u00ado\u00adry he want\u00aded to cap\u00adture and con\u00advey.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u200b<\/span>Inter\u00adest\u00ading\u00adly, although Flo\u00adca con\u00adceived and com\u00adplet\u00aded the sto\u00adry text, he strug\u00adgled to find a suit\u00adable illus\u00adtra\u00adtion style to present it, and the man\u00adu\u00adscript was thus shelved. Then one day, Flo\u00adca\u2019s friend Smith vis\u00adit\u00aded; the two had long admired each oth\u00ader\u2019s work. Flo\u00adca sud\u00adden\u00adly real\u00adized that Smith might be able to illus\u00adtrate the project. The sev\u00ader\u00adal rep\u00adre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adtive works by Smith that we men\u00adtioned ear\u00adli\u00ader all seem to use an impres\u00adsion\u00adis\u00adtic style to present a cer\u00adtain memory\u2014Smith\u2019s own, oth\u00aders\u2019, or a col\u00adlec\u00adtive mem\u00ado\u00adry of every\u00adone\u2019s child\u00adhood. In terms of recre\u00adat\u00ading \u201cmem\u00ado\u00adry\u201d through pic\u00adture books, it\u2019s prob\u00ada\u00adbly hard to find an illus\u00adtra\u00adtor more suit\u00adable than Smith in the world!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u200b<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

\u200b<\/span>This gold\u00aden duo hit it off immediately\u2014Smith want\u00aded to par\u00adtic\u00adi\u00adpate in the cre\u00adation as soon as he read the man\u00adu\u00adscript. And let\u2019s not for\u00adget that behind Smith was a magi\u00adcian-like men\u00adtor, the edi\u00adtor Neil Porter (who also edit\u00aded two oth\u00ader Calde\u00adcott Medal win\u00adners, *Amos\u2019s Sick Day* and *Water\u00adcress*)! The two cre\u00adators and their edi\u00adtor were high\u00adly aligned in their cre\u00adative phi\u00adlos\u00ado\u00adphy, \u201cwith\u00adout con\u00adflict,\u201d and shared the hope of cel\u00ade\u00adbrat\u00ading \u201cthe mag\u00adnif\u00adi\u00adcent pow\u00ader of nature and the pow\u00ader of mutu\u00adal care in the face of adver\u00adsi\u00adty\u201d through this book.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u200b<\/span>As Smith said, no mat\u00adter what hap\u00adpens, \u201cwe will be okay because we have each oth\u00ader,\u201d which is also the core mes\u00adsage that The Tem\u00adpest on the Island wants to con\u00advey.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

Indeed, growth is an adven\u00adture, and so are cre\u00adation and read\u00ading. This out\u00adstand\u00ading pic\u00adture book, through poet\u00adic text and vibrant illus\u00adtra\u00adtions, com\u00adpos\u00ades a con\u00adcer\u00adto about nature, courage, and love, offer\u00ading chil\u00addren a rare and thrilling read\u00ading expe\u00adri\u00adence. It allows them to feel intense emo\u00adtions in a safe envi\u00adron\u00adment and learn courage, tol\u00ader\u00adance, and love. It also reminds us that no mat\u00adter how great the storms in life, as long as we are accom\u00adpa\u00adnied by love and sup\u00adport each oth\u00ader, we can even\u00adtu\u00adal\u00adly reach a safe har\u00adbor filled with love and for\u00adgive\u00adness.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u200b<\/span>Come on, let\u2019s hold hands and go see the sea togeth\u00ader before the storm comes!<\/span><\/p>\n

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

<\/figure>\n
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\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b<\/p>\n

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