01/13/2014
The grandchild of missionaries and the son of extroverted socialites, illustrator McMullan was forced to leave China when WWII started and the Japanese occupied the country. His life became an oxymoron: always civilized, perpetually disrupted. From Vancouver to India, from public school to boarding school, McMullan writes of his struggles with bullying, uncertainty about his father’s fate back in China, but most of all with the knowledge that he could never live up to his father’s expectations. When he breaks into sobs upon being left in yet another school on another continent, his father cringes. “Oh, for God’s sakes, be a man!” he cries. McMullan never sees his father again. Pen-and-ink watercolors on recto pages illustrate each one-page episode with careful, thoughtful lines and wash, the visual equivalent of McMullan’s prose. Early memories of beauty (“Sometimes when the peaks were lit with a particularly glorious gold and pink sunrise... I found myself called out for not doing my jumping jacks in the same rhythm as the other boys”) give the story moments of unexpected sweetness. Ages 12–up. Agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (Mar.)
A compelling and intricate tale.” —VanityFair.com“The complex family relationships are carefully and delicately described, and details of the history of the period . . . are intriguing. The artwork nicely balances the text . . . And beyond their aesthetic qualities, the paintings bring significant emotional and cultural context to this story of a young artist’s struggle for self-acceptance.” —NewYorkTimes.com“Evocative . . . McMullan brings his early years alive through sprightly prose and the delicate, violet-tinged paintings that grace every page.” —Entertainment Weekly“[A] compelling story . . . Leaving China is a collection of 55 short stories, each illustrated with a stunning full-page watercolor impressionistically illuminating McMullan’s recollections.” —TheAtlantic.com“Who knew that behind all those wonderful watercolors I have admired since coming to New York are all these magic memories of childhood? It is like finding pearls inside unexpected shells.” —Peter Sis, author of The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain“[McMullan] tells his tumultuous story in a series of spreads with a one-page essay facing a full-page illustration. This structure gives the reader time to exhale and contemplate between emotional episodes. There are soldiers in the streets, long painful separations, and quiet pleasures. The publisher recommends the book for ages 12 and up. I hope it finds the large audience it deserves among the ‘ups.’” —The Boston Globe“Fascinating . . . Deeply affecting.” —Minneapolis Star Tribune“Leaving China is a beautiful book . . . The selection of events and scenes is unerring. The prose and the art go together remarkably.” —E. L. Doctorow“The exquisite full-color pictures are filled with air and space, reminiscent of the Chinese scrolls that fascinated him as a child. These pictures and the evocative text are a happy exercise in harmony. A fascinating, seamless portrait of a young life and the wartime world that will have appeal not only to young readers but to adults as well.” —Booklist (starred review)“[A] poignant memoir . . . Delicate layers of pale green, soft lavender, and rich ocher tones bleed and blend into deep violet shadows—a subtle visual nod to the themes of nostalgia, isolation, and loss explored throughout the work. McMullan’s compositions are both quiet and stirring in their depiction of a lonely little boy struggling to find his place in a chaotic and often unkind world.” —School Library Journal“James McMullan's book is so hauntingly evocative that it made me nostalgic for a time and a place I never experienced.” —Gene Luen Yang, author of American Born Chinese
“A compelling and intricate tale.” —VanityFair.com“The complex family relationships are carefully and delicately described, and details of the history of the period . . . are intriguing. The artwork nicely balances the text . . . And beyond their aesthetic qualities, the paintings bring significant emotional and cultural context to this story of a young artist’s struggle for self-acceptance.” —NewYorkTimes.com“Evocative . . . McMullan brings his early years alive through sprightly prose and the delicate, violet-tinged paintings that grace every page.” —Entertainment Weekly“[A] compelling story . . . Leaving China is a collection of 55 short stories, each illustrated with a stunning full-page watercolor impressionistically illuminating McMullan’s recollections.” —TheAtlantic.com“Who knew that behind all those wonderful watercolors I have admired since coming to New York are all these magic memories of childhood? It is like finding pearls inside unexpected shells.” —Peter Sis, author of The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain“[McMullan] tells his tumultuous story in a series of spreads with a one-page essay facing a full-page illustration. This structure gives the reader time to exhale and contemplate between emotional episodes. There are soldiers in the streets, long painful separations, and quiet pleasures. The publisher recommends the book for ages 12 and up. I hope it finds the large audience it deserves among the ‘ups.’” —The Boston Globe“Fascinating . . . Deeply affecting.” —Minneapolis Star Tribune“Leaving China is a beautiful book . . . The selection of events and scenes is unerring. The prose and the art go together remarkably.” —E. L. Doctorow“The exquisite full-color pictures are filled with air and space, reminiscent of the Chinese scrolls that fascinated him as a child. These pictures and the evocative text are a happy exercise in harmony. A fascinating, seamless portrait of a young life and the wartime world that will have appeal not only to young readers but to adults as well.” —Booklist (starred review)“[A] poignant memoir . . . Delicate layers of pale green, soft lavender, and rich ocher tones bleed and blend into deep violet shadows—a subtle visual nod to the themes of nostalgia, isolation, and loss explored throughout the work. McMullan’s compositions are both quiet and stirring in their depiction of a lonely little boy struggling to find his place in a chaotic and often unkind world.” —School Library Journal“James McMullan's book is so hauntingly evocative that it made me nostalgic for a time and a place I never experienced.” —Gene Luen Yang, author of American Born Chinese
“A compelling and intricate tale.” —VanityFair.com
“The complex family relationships are carefully and delicately described, and details of the history of the period . . . are intriguing. The artwork nicely balances the text . . . And beyond their aesthetic qualities, the paintings bring significant emotional and cultural context to this story of a young artist’s struggle for self-acceptance.” —NewYorkTimes.com
“Evocative . . . McMullan brings his early years alive through sprightly prose and the delicate, violet-tinged paintings that grace every page.” —Entertainment Weekly
“[A] compelling story . . . Leaving China is a collection of 55 short stories, each illustrated with a stunning full-page watercolor impressionistically illuminating McMullan’s recollections.” —TheAtlantic.com
“Who knew that behind all those wonderful watercolors I have admired since coming to New York are all these magic memories of childhood? It is like finding pearls inside unexpected shells.” —Peter Sis, author of The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain
“[McMullan] tells his tumultuous story in a series of spreads with a one-page essay facing a full-page illustration. This structure gives the reader time to exhale and contemplate between emotional episodes. There are soldiers in the streets, long painful separations, and quiet pleasures. The publisher recommends the book for ages 12 and up. I hope it finds the large audience it deserves among the ‘ups.’” —The Boston Globe
“Fascinating . . . Deeply affecting.” —Minneapolis Star Tribune
“Leaving China is a beautiful book . . . The selection of events and scenes is unerring. The prose and the art go together remarkably.” —E. L. Doctorow
“The exquisite full-color pictures are filled with air and space, reminiscent of the Chinese scrolls that fascinated him as a child. These pictures and the evocative text are a happy exercise in harmony. A fascinating, seamless portrait of a young life and the wartime world that will have appeal not only to young readers but to adults as well.” —Booklist (starred review)
“[A] poignant memoir . . . Delicate layers of pale green, soft lavender, and rich ocher tones bleed and blend into deep violet shadows--a subtle visual nod to the themes of nostalgia, isolation, and loss explored throughout the work. McMullan’s compositions are both quiet and stirring in their depiction of a lonely little boy struggling to find his place in a chaotic and often unkind world.” —School Library Journal
“James McMullan's book is so hauntingly evocative that it made me nostalgic for a time and a place I never experienced.” —Gene Luen Yang, author of American Born Chinese
02/01/2014
Gr 7 Up—In this poignant memoir, McMullan, illustrator of Kate McMullan's bestselling I Stink picture book (HarperCollins, 2002) and creator of more than 50 posters for Lincoln Center theater productions, chronicles his childhood during World War II. Born in Tsingtao, China, in 1934, young Jim lived a life of privilege as the son of wealthy Europeans. His grandparents went to China as missionaries. They operated an orphanage for abandoned infant girls and later taught the young women to embroider. Their distinctive cutwork creations became the seeds of a profitable exporting business, the James McMullan Company. By the time Jim was born, his family was among the best known in Cheefoo, and his parents were the toast of the lavish social scene. Everything changed, however, when the war began. Jim and his mother traveled from China to Canada and to India while his father served with the British Army. While Jim had difficulty adjusting to new schools and was bullied because of his strange accent, his mother suffered from depression and alcoholism. The book is composed of one-page vignettes that face a corresponding full-page watercolor scene illustrating a pivotal moment in the McMullan family history and/or Jim's childhood. Delicate layers of pale green, soft lavender, and rich ocher tones bleed and blend into deep violet shadows-a subtle visual nod to the themes of nostalgia, isolation, and loss explored throughout the work. McMullan's compositions are both quiet and stirring in their depiction of a lonely little boy struggling to find his place in a chaotic and often unkind world. In addition to McMullan's personal remembrances, the book also offers readers a glimpse into what life was like for children growing up during this time. Fans of memoirs, students studying World War II, and aspiring artists will find much to appreciate.—Kiera Parrott, School Library Journal
2014-01-15
Internationally acclaimed illustrator McMullan (I'm Fast, 2012), best known for Lincoln Center Theater posters and picture books with his wife, reflects on his childhood in China and wartime journeys in search of home. Young McMullan, a nervous boy and grandson of missionaries, is born in Cheefoo, China, in 1934. He enjoys a comfortable lifestyle due to the family businesses, including an orphanage and embroidery exports. Soon, World War II dawns, and the Japanese army invades the town, causing the boy and his parents to flee to Shanghai. There, his father joins the British army, while he and his mother set sail for America. In two-page spreads, prose on the left opposite illustrations on the right, memories are recalled with vivid clarity and a quiet strength. The author's subdued but elegant drawings set the most reverent tones. Tender scenes, such as the author playing next to a rectangle of sunlight while his father bends over the piano or his fascinated examination of brush strokes on Chinese scrolls, illustrate how little moments really do have the greatest impact. Painful and terrifying recollections take shape, as well: his failure to become a "strong little fellow" in his father's eyes, a bomb scare aboard a passenger freighter or his ineptitude at boxing. These experiences, both extraordinary and ordinary, intertwine to create a memoir that resonates. (Finished, full-color art not seen.) A poignant glimpse into an artist in the making. (Memoir. 12-16)
