Xian wishes to be a legendary Chinese calligrapher like his father, but struggles to focus. Following in his father’s footsteps, he uses eighteen large vats of water to visualize his progress: when all the vats have turned black with ink from his brush, Xian will have practiced enough to achieve greatness. However, Xian soon learns that rote practice is not enough. To be truly great, he’ll need to observe nature and capture the spirit of his subjects on the page.
- ISBN: 9781954354067
- Author: Jiang, Ji-Li
- Illustrator: Hsieh, Nadia
- Published: 2022 , Creston Books
- Themes: Art and artists, Calligraphy, Chinese culture, Family, Historical figures
- Descriptors: Biography - Autobiography- Memoir, China, Database, Historical Fiction, Picture Book, Primary (ages 6-9)
- No. of pages: 32