1946 Caldecott Honor: You Can Write Chinese
NONFICTION WRITER, PAINTER
BORN: April 22, 1887, Minden, Germany
DIED: May 27, 1974, Idell, New Jersey
Illustrator Kurt Wiese was incredibly prolific, illustrating over 300 children's books, by authors such as Zane Grey and Rudyard Kipling. His most well known work are the illustrations for the original Bambi book. Wiese wrote and illustrated many children's books himself, winning the Caldecott Medal for Children's Literature twice. German-born Wiese traveled in China selling merchandise as a young man. On the outbreak of WWI, he was captured by the Japanese, and turned over to the British. He spent five years as a prisoner, most of them in Australia, where his fascination for the animal life inspired him to start sketching. Completely self-taught, upon his return to Germany he worked for an animated film company for several years, where he developed the innovation of completing drawings on transparent material to avoid redrawing the background with every frame. He credited this work with teaching him quick and accurate draughtsman ship. He began his own story writing and illustration during this time, and continued with it during three years in Brazil before coming to America. All ready well-known, his career burgeoned here, his travels serving as the basis for many of his works.
BORN: April 22, 1887, Minden, Germany
DIED: May 27, 1974, Idell, New Jersey
Illustrator Kurt Wiese was incredibly prolific, illustrating over 300 children's books, by authors such as Zane Grey and Rudyard Kipling. His most well known work are the illustrations for the original Bambi book. Wiese wrote and illustrated many children's books himself, winning the Caldecott Medal for Children's Literature twice. German-born Wiese traveled in China selling merchandise as a young man. On the outbreak of WWI, he was captured by the Japanese, and turned over to the British. He spent five years as a prisoner, most of them in Australia, where his fascination for the animal life inspired him to start sketching. Completely self-taught, upon his return to Germany he worked for an animated film company for several years, where he developed the innovation of completing drawings on transparent material to avoid redrawing the background with every frame. He credited this work with teaching him quick and accurate draughtsman ship. He began his own story writing and illustration during this time, and continued with it during three years in Brazil before coming to America. All ready well-known, his career burgeoned here, his travels serving as the basis for many of his works.
Also, Mr. Wiese did the illustrations for Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book.
Book Summary
Set in a Chinese classroom, a young American boy sits among his Chinese classmates waiting for the teacher to enter. The young American boy and his family moved to China for his dad’s job. He is eager to learn the language so he can understand the world that surrounds him. The teacher enters and begins to explain that there are no letters in the Chinese language, symbols are used instead. Stories are told with symbols.
Illustrations
Simple lines used to show symbols. There are only three colors used in the book, black blue and orange. What I found great and useful was that with every Chinese symbol there was a corresponding picture of the object the symbol represented. I found this very easy to learn from. I could see where the symbols came from. The Chinese symbol was intertwined with the common picture. I really enjoyed this book and the pictures. It is very easy to see why this picture was awarded a Caldecott Honor Medal without the illustrations this book would not work. The illustrations are the book in this case!
Illustrations that are critical to the book and are designed for children! This is what the Caldecott is about! This book is a perfect example of that!
Final Thoughts:
1. Would this be a book I would pick up again? Yes
2. Would I recommend it to others to search out and take a look at? Yes
3. Would I spend my hard earned money on the book? Yes
4. Where did I get the book? Pierce County got a copy from Timberland Regional Library.
http://www.wiese.pagebooks.net/
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