The Gale

At seven years old, a child goes for the first time to collect satintail grass with their grandfather, Yeye, in this picture book debut from Nobel laureate Mo Yan, adapted from a short story of the same name. A low mist hangs over the quiet journey as the pair make the long trek to a familiar meadow, which "Yeye cuts down every summer." Muted tones show sunrise, while a "nonsense" tune that Yeye sings, "happy, yet sad," sets the journey's mood. An innocent day of cutting grass, chasing grasshoppers, and napping under an awning takes a turn when heavy clouds loom: "Black clouds mean wind," Yeye says knowingly. The stoic figure keeps his cool as a tornado touches down in the distance ("Just wind," he says). But tears form in his eyes after the gale scatters their crop and sends his grandchild briefly skyward, a moment shown in a breathtaking sideways spread that renders the grass in a whirling figure eight. Resigned, the youth and Yeye turn back. In sparse, pensive prose, the narrator muses on themes of endurance and acceptance in uncontrollable circumstances. Movement-filled acrylic on cardboard illustrations from Zhu (What I Like Most), meanwhile, steadily convey the Chinese-cued characters' experiences in the changing landscape. Ages 4-8. (Aug.)

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★ "Lyrical prose pensively explores ideas of perseverance and acceptance. The visible brushstrokes of the acrylic-on-cardboard illustrations beautifully render movement: of the wild, grassy fields, the morning fog, the afternoon clouds, and the actions of Yeye and the child. While the palette is primarily muted and earthy, the use of several perspectives and angles further energizes the pages...[g]entle yet powerful."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review