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The Giant Leaf - Review
By Cynthia Kirkeby
Feb 22, 2007, 06:28 PST
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A beautiful new children's picture book, The Giant Leaf is now on the market. It's the first picture book by Davy Lui, a veteran Disney animator. As you might expect from someone with his background, Lui has created a gorgeously illustrated book. Each illustration is rich and with a serene feeling perfect for bedtime reading. There is an animated or papercut feeling to the illustrations, which readers will feel either enhances or detracts from the overall look. I personally found it attractive.
Note: It's interesting to note that when I went online to get a publicty photo for this review, I found the website for the animated film based on this project. It's in production.
The Giant Leaf
Watch the trailer
In a unique rendition of Noah and the Ark, the story follows a young male fox named Kendu as he searches for a giant leaf he sees repeatedly in his dreams. His fascination with the leaf takes him on a long journey full of adventure, which leads him to the ark and his place among the animals.
Although I thoroughly enjoyed the story, and smiled at the uncovering of "the giant leaf" at the end of the tale, I found it hard to figure how Kendu would make the connection between the leaf and the bottom of the ark. It seems as though the tale would have been better told through the eyes of a beaver, otter, or other water loving mammal. That said, it is a small criticism of a lovely twist on the conventional rendition of Noah's Ark.
UPDATE When I attended The Festival of the Arts in Laguna Beach, California this summer, I was thrilled to come across Davy Liu with his paintings and his new book. His artwork had been juried into this prestigious festival for the first time, and I found the same delight in his fine art as I did in his illustrations for The Giant Leaf.
Written and illustrated by Davy Liu.
Winepress Publishing
$19.95 - Hardcover - April 2007
© Copyright 2007 by Classbrain.com
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