The Gale

This contemplative, semiautobiographical picture book by Nobel Laureate Mo Yan, with illustrations by Hans Christian Anderson Award nominee Zhu Chengliang, is perfect for readers of A Different Pond and Watercress.

One morning, so early that fog still sleeps on the surface of the river, a young boy accompanies his yeye seven miles north to the grassy field behind their home to cut satintail to feed the livestock. But when a massive gale scatters the hay—and a whole day’s work—important lessons will need to be learned about endurance, impermanence, and how to let go and weather the storm in a world that can often feel overwhelming and uncontrollable.

In sparse, lyrical prose interpreted by critically acclaimed author-illustrator Ying-Hwa Hu, The Gale is the first-ever picture book by the Nobel Prize–winning author of celebrated classics like Red Sorghum and Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out. It is adapted from the novella of the same name.

Mo Yan is a writer and president emeritus of the Chinese Literature and Art Research Institute. In 2012, he was awarded the Nobel Prize, becoming China’s first Nobel Laureate for literature. He has written novels, essays, and short stories, and is best known for Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out, Frog, and Red Sorghum, which was adapted into the Berlin International Film Festival Golden Bear–winning film of the same name. He has won multiple awards, including the International Nonino Prize, the Newman Prize for Chinese Literature, and the Mao Dun Literature Prize. His picture book The Gale is adapted from his short story of the same name.

Zhu Chengliang graduated from the Nanjing University of the Arts with a degree in oil painting and is a member of the China Artists Association. He loves creating illustrations for picture books and is honored to be the recipient of awards, including the Feng Zikai Children’s Picture Book Award, as well as a runner-up for the UNESCO Noma Concours for Picture Book Illustrations. His best-known works include Flame, A New Year’s Reunion, and All in a Day.