Chinese illustrator's book listed as 'notable' by ALSC

A Chinese illustrator's first book, The Only Child, was named a Notable Children's Book by the Association for Library Service to Children on Thursday.

The book by Guo Jing, a 32-year-old woman from Taiyuan, north China's Shanxi province, draws upon her childhood memories of getting lost after passing a bus station.

It was also ranked among the top 10 children's illustrated books by The New York Times and the top 3 popular picture books by The Washington Post for 2015.

Portraying the adventures and deep loneliness of an only child in a family in pencil drawings, the book was acclaimed by the 2016 Notable Children's Books Committee as "A stunning wordless graphic novel that explores isolation and resourcefulness".

Notable Children's Books is a list released by the Association for Library Service to Children, the world's largest organization committed to enhance library service to children.

The Only Child tells a story of a girl trying to find her way back home with the help of imaginative companions as she passes her bus station and gets lost in an unknown forest. It's an expression of the author's experience as one of the millions born in the 1980's under China's One Child Policy to control population.

"I usually stayed at home alone, watched TV, made myself up,and imitated people on TV singing Beijing Opera,"said Guo, recalling her life as the only child in her family.

Presenting her childhood memories in delicate and intriguing pencil drawings, the book appeals to a generation with similar experience. You see? When you entertain yourself with your pictures, you touch the readers too" Guo said.

Cai Mengxiao contributed to this story.