"Lost and alone, a young boy enters the forest not knowing the path that lies before him. He meets a figure called Emptiness who guides him on his way. Together they find keepsakes deep in the forest that trigger memories, both good and bad. As he moves closer to the sun-filled meadow on the other side of the forest, the boy learns that to be truly happy, he must embrace his past"--
Record details
ISBN:9781913747770
Physical Description:1 volume (unpaged) : color illustrations ; 27 cm. print
Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2022 April #1 Feeling truly lost is scary. A small boy trudges through a deep, dark forest, searching through snowy trees until he meets a puffy white figure who says: "My name is Emptiness." The two decide to continue on together, searching for they know not what. First they find a yellow pinwheel spinning with the wind, which reminds the boy of sitting between Mama and Dada on a sunny afternoonâsmiles all around for that find. Then a pink kite appears, and he remembers flying it before Mama left. Other treasures appear, happy and sad, scattered around a meadow, which has now become a sunny field of blooming flowers. No longer lost, the boy sees a path before him and hugs the big giant, who says: "Each of these memories is a part of who you are." Soft watercolor-and-ink illustrations complement the empty white feeling of the first pages and burst into joyful pastels at the conclusion. The puffy guide projects nonthreatening safety, which helps the boy find his way to self-discovery. Preschool-Grade 2. Copyright 2022 Booklist Reviews.
This comforting metaphorical picture book starts after a tough childhood event and emphasizes its meanings via sparse, affecting illustrations. In it, a lost boy encounters Emptiness, who is spectral and sad; the two decide to assist each other. The boy finds pieces of his past as they travel, and shares the happy memories that they evoke with Emptiness; when the bits are too big for him to carry himself, Emptiness assists, until his spaces aren't so empty anymore.
Publishers Weekly Reviews : PW Reviews 2022 February #3
A "deep, dark forest" becomes both setting and metaphor in this pensive picture book. "I was searching for something, but did not know what," narrates a pale-skinned boy in a red cap, confessing to being lost. When he meets a giant ghostly figure named Emptiness, the sympathetic creature agrees to join the child's search, and together they stumble upon objectsâa pinwheel, a broken vase, a harmonicaâthat symbolize memories, fond and difficult alike. Li's atmospheric watercolor, ink, and digital scenes hazily convey the forest through which the duo travel, lending the story a dreamy vibe. When the pair arrive at a lush meadow of pastel wildflowers, Emptiness, full of the objects they found, stays behind, explaining that the memories will always be there to guide the child now venturing forthâa soothing message for those in need of direction. Ages 5â8. (Apr.)