Praise
Xiong’s kinetic landscapes crackle with the mythic energy of superabundant spirit forms, including some disguised as beasts and berries. Will Little Yu survive the towering demonlike guardians who one by one block her way along the road to what turns out to be a hidden magical realm known as Peach Blossom Paradise? A supple fantasist and prankster, Xiong makes amiable bumblers of these half-baked gatekeepers.
— Leonard Marcus, The New York Times
A forbidden trek to a secret village takes a young wanderer on the adventure of a lifetime in this whimsical novel from Liang . . . Ink-wash drawings emphasize vivid, imagery-rich prose depicting the vast expanse of the forest and the impish nature of its memorable inhabitants. It’s a propulsive fantasy series starter that presents Chinese culture and mythology in a gorgeously rendered package.
— Publishers Weekly, starred review
Xiong Liang’s work is a blend of the traditional and contemporary built on the foundations of Chinese culture. He tells an emo- tionally rich story with his particular abstract but expressive visual style.
— Hans Christian Andersen Award Committee
Traditional ink-wash technique is given a contemporary tilt that feels both ancient and immediate. Haunting and immersive, this first installment reveals a hidden paradise that readers, both children and adults, won’t be eager to leave . . . A promising new fantasy classic in the making.
— Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Lost in Peach Blossom Paradise unfolds in dreamlike fashion, as graceful as flowing water. Liang’s folkloric prose, translated from Chinese by Chloe Garcia Roberts, is perfect for any reader who loves to savor language: An ancient dog who is petted for the first time in centuries falls asleep “as deeply and deliciously as a sweet potato nestled in autumn soil”; an illusionist runs down a tunnel full of “fireflies and slugs that emitted faint glimmers, like whispered secrets.” The dramatic composition of Liang’s accompanying watercolor illustrations—which are masterly as independent works of art—emphasize this book’s marvelous and surreal sense of escapism. With the sublime beauty and poetic rhythm of Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away, Lost in Peach Blossom Paradise is the kind of classic that truly endures on one’s shelf, to be read again and again. It’s hard to turn the final page and leave such a gorgeous book—luckily, there are several future installments in store.
— Yi Jiang, BookPage
Little Yu and the Treelings is the type of book that adults get nostalgic over, and children stay up to read. Set in a fantastical, luscious world, it’s an adventure that only Xiong Liang’s storytelling and intoxicating ink paintings can tell. Around every corner is a surprise, and we can’t help but follow Little Yu as she approaches each with utmost courage, curiosity and empathy. Little Yu and the Treelings is a book that demonstrates Xiong Liang’s love of Chinese classical culture, nature, humanity and most of all, wonder.
— Ruth Chan
Liang’s ink wash illustrations imbue a shadowy, unknown world with a sense of moody wonder . . . Reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland, [Lost in Peach Blossom ParadiseI is] enchanting.
— Nick Mullenmeister, Booklist
Xiong has created a hauntingly beautiful journey, richly layered with characters, and myth. Children and adults alike will find themselves not wanting to leave this mystical hidden paradise.
— Gracey Zhang
His art incorporates a love for life, nature, and traditional art with his childlike heart . . . always simple and sincere.
— San Chuanling
. . . it's fair to call his output ‘prodigious' (indeed, it is unmatched inside China). Even more remarkable is the variety of styles he has boldly taken on from the very beginning, from works of ink wash painting and cut pa- per dripping with Asian tradition, to modern art bursting with color and individuality. His topics are similarly diverse, ranging from traditional Chinese folk art, nursery rhymes, legends, and Buddhist stories to children's works of pure fantasy. Xiong’s drive for artistic perfection has gradually brought into being a flawless, one-of-a-kind fusion of traditional and modern art.
— A Jia, Red Clay Reading
The first book in the Little Yu & the Treelings series . . . starts with a classic Chinese myth. We meet a forbidden forest, and then we fast forward to the present day . . . Told in roughly 90 pages altogether, each trial references specifics of Chinese folklore and philosophical beliefs . . .This is the first of six books in this series, so be on the lookout for more soon!
— Betsy Bird, School Library Journal's Fuse 8 Blog
