India
Dadaji's Paintbrush
By Rashmi Sirdeshpande, Ruchi Mhasane (Illustrator)
Dadaji’s Paintbrush. Rashmi Sirdeshpande. Illustrated by Ruchi Mhasane. Levine Querido, 2022. Originally published in the UK by Andersen Press. ISBN 9781646141722. 32 p. (Ages 4-8). Picture book.
A heartwarming story about a grandfather and grandson and their love for painting accompanied with illustrations created using colored pencils and pastels, that capture the beauty of Konkan coast of India. Would pair well with Cry, Heart, But Never Break by Glenn Ringtved. The author is based in London and is a lawyer turned children’s author. A Jhalak Prize Nominee for Children’s & YA (2023) and The Diverse Book Award for Best Picture Book (2023) Winner. Watch a read-aloud of Dadaji’s Paintbrush by the author, Rashmi Sirdeshpande. [mi]
Korea
When Spring Comes to the DMZ
By Lee Uk-Bae, Chungyon Won and Aileen Won (Translators), Lee Uk-Bae (Illustrator)
When Spring Comes to the DMZ. Lee Uk-Bae. Translated by Chungyon Won and Aileen Won. lllustrated by Lee Uk-Bae. Plough Publishing House, 2019. Originally published in Korean. ISBN 978-0874869729. 40p. (Ages 5-8). Picture book.
A Batchelder honor book, When Spring Comes to the DMZ was a Korean contribution to the Peace Picture Book Project, a cross-national collaboration among picture book writers and illustrators from Japan, China and Korea. Lee’s book invites readers to view the amazing natural beauty that has developed in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the narrow strip of land between North and South Korea where people are still not allowed to go. Landscapes are punctured by rusting tanks and barbed wire, subtly reminding the reader of the war that separated and continues to separate the two Koreas. [dj]
China & Taiwan
China
My Beijing: Four Stories of Everyday Wonder
By Nie Jun, Edward Gauvin (Translator)
My Beijing: Four Stories of Everyday Wonder. Nie Jun. Translated from French and Chinese by Edward Gauvin. Graphic Universe, 2018. First published as Les contes de la ruelle in French, in 2016. ISBN 9781541526426., 128 p. (Ages 7-11). Fiction.
A delightful set of four linked stories, told as a graphic novel, of a child and her grandfather living in a Beijing hutong—a neighborhood of narrow alleys and communal dwellings. It showcases the creativity and resilience of the residents, who though they may lack space and material goods, abound in humor and imagination. A 2019 Batchelder honor book, it was translated by Edward Gauvin from the French translation while consulting the Chinese original. [dj]