China Fables in Ink-and-Wash

Ink-and-Wash Picture Books of Classic Chinese Stories

Compiled and painted by Cui Yan

Price: RMB 30 x 8

China Intercontinental Press and New Times Press, March 2014

by staff reporter LIU YI

The eight stories that make up the Ink-and-Wash Picture Books of Classic Chinese Stories series are known and told in every Chinese household. Compiled and illustrated by eminent pre-school art educator Cui Yan, these classic tales, vividly and colorfully portrayed in traditional ink and wash style, are a perennial favorite among young readers.

Having made its debut in 17th century Europe, the picture book genre reached its pinnacle in the 1930s. Many artists, whose distinctive works are still popular among children today, became well known during that decade. But it was not until a dozen or so years ago that picture books first appeared in China. Those most popular were imported from the U.S., Europe and Japan. Locally produced picture books were few.

The Ink-and-Wash Picture Books of Classic Chinese Stories, jointly published by China Intercontinental Press and New Times Press, is impressive in presenting classic Chinese fables through the medium of ink-and-wash paintings in a Chinese-English edition. A celebration of traditional Chinese culture and art, these books will add a scintillating new facet to the children’s book market.