Around the World in Picture Books : Taiwan

Jimmy Liao is one of Taiwan's most well-known illustrators. He has illustrated many beautiful picture books with his bright colours and in black and white.

Our selection today is The Blue Stone.

Once there was a blue stone who remained for thousands of years deep within the forest. One day, it was broken into two and one part of it was taken away to build different things according to the whims of humans. It was made into a statue, a sign, a tombstone, a love pendant  and so on. The blue stone witnessed human sorrow and love as it went through its different forms. It longed to return to the forest where it could lie in peace. Finally, the blue stone was broken into small pieces where the wind carried it back to the forest.

This is a bittersweet story that Jimmy Liao is well-known for. According to different interviews, his art started to change after he'd had leukemia and recovered. Although the colours of his illustrations are bright, yet the story portrays deep emotion such as alienation and loss. 

Jimmy's illustrations have also been created in virtual reality format. Wouldn't you like to step into his world? But for now, you may be the lucky winner of this book!