Review: "The Only Child" by Guojing

Illustrator Guojing was raised in China under the one-child rule. Her parents worked full-time, and Guojing was often left at home for hours by herself. One day, her father put Guojing on a bus to her grandmother's house. On the way, she fell asleep and missed her stop. Luckily, she was able to find a familiar road and walk to her grandmother's house, but that terrifying childhood experience inspired her to create "The Only Child," her award-winning (and wordless) graphic novel.

In this story, we meet a little girl who is left home alone after her mother leaves for work. She becomes bored after only a few hours, and decides to take the bus to her grandmother's house (leaving a note, of course). Unfortunately, she misses her stop and becomes lost. A stag in the woods finds her, and together they fly into the sky for a nighttime adventure in the clouds. The little girl meets other animals in the sky, but eventually misses her family. The stag returns to her home, where she reunites with her worried parents and grandmother.

This story takes place in rural China on a dark, snowy day. The imagery is striking, yet quiet--silly, yet full of powerful emotion. "The Only Child" will appeal to fans of Raymond Brigg's "The Snowman" or other wordless tales. School Library Journal recommends this for readers in grades one to four. Click on the link above to reserve a copy today.

--MacKenzie S., Natural Bridge