The Only Child by Guojing

The Only Child 
by Guojing
Published 2015
Schwartz and Wade
Wordless Picture Book
Hardcover
112 Pages
Review copy obtained from public library

Goodreads Summary
Like Shaun Tan's The Arrival and Raymond Briggs's The Snowman, this gorgeous and imaginative 100-page graphic picture book is utterly transporting and original.
A little girl—lost and alone—follows a mysterious stag deep into the woods, and, like Alice down the rabbit hole, she finds herself in a strange and wondrous world. But... home and family are very far away. How will she get back there?
In this magnificently illustrated—and wordless—masterpiece, debut artist Guojing brilliantly captures the rich and deeply-felt emotional life of a child, filled with loneliness and longing as well as love and joy.

My Thoughts
I am not sure that I have the words to convey how beautiful, sweet and sad this book is. My reading of it was changed by the author's note at the beginning describing her loneliness as a child born under China's "one child" law. I feel that it is a hopeful story that shows the power of imagination and how children can create imaginary worlds to help them cope with feelings of loneliness and sadness. I loved it and will surely share it with my 4th graders. I am interested in hearing their thoughts about The Only Child. 

Image from author's website: http://jingguoart.weebly.com/

Read what others have to say about this book.
Kirkus
Publishers Weekly 

Visit Guojing's Website