07/08/2019
In 1919, a boy and his father emigrate from China to the United States. There, the child is separated from his parent and “taken to a wooden house filled with strangers... Days turned to weeks. This new land was not what he had expected.” After he struggles to clear immigration with an assumed identity, the boy, eventually known as Tyrus Wong, makes his way as an artist, working his way through art school as a janitor before landing a job at Walt Disney Studios. His lush illustrations, influenced by the evocative spareness of Chinese art and calligraphy, became the signature look of Bambi, though Wong is credited “only as a background artist” for his contributions to the film. Sasaki’s appealing illustrations, which blend midcentury stylization with classical Chinese art, complement Leung’s sensitive and skillful telling of Wong’s chillingly timely story. An endnote offers additional details about Wong’s life and career. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)
09/01/2019
PreS-Gr 3—From humble origins as a nine-year-old Chinese immigrant with false papers, Tyrus Wong challenged adversity to become a professional artist. Celebrated as the man behind the design for Disney's Bambi, Wong worked for other film studios as well. Leung's smooth exposition emphasizes the difficulties facing young Wong Geng Yeo, who traveled in 1921 under the identity of Look Tai Yow, a merchant's son, in order to evade the restrictions of the Chinese Exclusion Act. Days of practice on the long voyage allowed him to pass his immigration interview and be released to join his father, but only after an extended detention on Angel Island. Wong finished high school and art school, but continued to face discrimination as a Disney employee. Sasaki's digital illustrations portray him as the single non-white man among a group of Disney animators drawing the repetitive "in between" frames of movies. The art often reflects the style of Chinese watercolor and ink paintings. One notable spread shows the artist working as a janitor, swirling his mop trails to paint a running horse on a tile floor. Other images are stylized but recognizable and appropriate to the mood and the period. The helpful back matter includes author and illustrator notes and photos from the Wong family albums, including his immigration card. The endpapers feature the kites Wong designed and flew on the beach near his California home. VERDICT A well-told story that spotlights the too-often unrecognized talent and contributions of America's immigrants.—Kathleen Isaacs, Children's Literature Specialist, Pasadena, MD
2019-06-23
As the boat sailed from China to America, Wong memorized the minutiae of another boy's life.
In 1919, the Chinese Exclusion Act allowed only high-status immigrants into the U.S. So 9-year-old Wong became a "paper son," taking on the identity of a merchant's son. Luckily, Wong passed the grueling immigration interview. After art school, bored by the tedium of "in-betweener" work at Disney Studios, Wong saw his chance to prove himself when Walt Disney announced his next movie, Bambi. Drawing on Felix Salten's novel, his own personal experiences, and his training in both Eastern and Western artistic styles, Wong created lush, impressionistic landscapes inspiring the look of the entire movie. Unfortunately, Wong's work was largely unrecognized; however, he never stopped making art, exploring many media. Digital illustrations emphasize precise details and shape repetition, creating a geometric counterpoint to organic washes of color and loose, impressionistic backgrounds inspired by Wong's work on Bambi. The brief narrative moves swiftly, lingering on just two key moments: Wong's immigration and the making of Bambi. The author's note provides more information about the Chinese Exclusion Act, the proliferation of paper sons and daughters, and additional details about and photos of Wong. Unfortunately, neither text nor backmatter share contextual information about the reasons for immigration, benefits and sacrifices of immigration, or the racial prejudice Wong faced both personally and professionally.
A visually engaging introduction to a little-known yet influential American artist (Picture book/biography. 7-12)
"“A beautiful, must-read tribute to hardworking families and the magic they create." —Kirkus, starred review
"[A] gorgeous picture book biography about an unsung hero of animation and Chinese American history." —Booklist, Starred Review
“Confidential, fluid prose deftly captures the stress and strangeness of his immigration experience and his artistic blossoming and impact…. A window into the troubled history of transpacific immigration and a look at a long-undersung contributor to our visual landscapes.” —Bulletin
“A well-told story that spotlights the too-often unrecognized talent and contributions of America’s immigrants.” —School Library Journal
“A meaningful portrayal of one working-class experience and an image of a loving, hardworking family.” —Publishers Weekly
Asian instrumental music and narrator Feodor Chin’s pronunciation of Cantonese words and names give an authentic flair to this biography of Chinese immigrant artist Tyrus Wong. With a calm tone and even pacing, Chin delivers the story of the 9-year-old boy, Wong Geng Yeo, who came to America in 1921 under the false name Look Tai Yow. At school in California, his two names were combined and Americanized to Tyrus Wong. Facing discrimination and economic hardship, he grew up to be an influential though little-known artist at Disney Studios. He is most well known for creating the iconic backgrounds for the movie BAMBI. Julie Leung reads her own author’s note explaining the term “paper son” and the importance of spotlighting the unrecognized contributions of Chinese immigrants. S.C. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
Asian instrumental music and narrator Feodor Chin’s pronunciation of Cantonese words and names give an authentic flair to this biography of Chinese immigrant artist Tyrus Wong. With a calm tone and even pacing, Chin delivers the story of the 9-year-old boy, Wong Geng Yeo, who came to America in 1921 under the false name Look Tai Yow. At school in California, his two names were combined and Americanized to Tyrus Wong. Facing discrimination and economic hardship, he grew up to be an influential though little-known artist at Disney Studios. He is most well known for creating the iconic backgrounds for the movie BAMBI. Julie Leung reads her own author’s note explaining the term “paper son” and the importance of spotlighting the unrecognized contributions of Chinese immigrants. S.C. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
