In the busy work of being filled with KPIs, 996, inner volumes, and promotions, we always seem to have less of an opportunity or excuse to stop, even if it is just to listen to the rain outside the window, make a cup of hot tea, find a chance, and listen to the voice of our hearts.
The healing picture book "Those Small but Important Things", which has aroused national discussion across the UK, is such an opportunity – through a small four-season journey to explore oneself, to explore others, and to explore the world, to lead readers to discover those forgotten calm times and an alternative way of thinking about life.
Age of readability: 9+
Follow pandas and dragons
Embark on a four-season journey to explore yourself, others and the world
Deeply influenced by oriental philosophies, British author James Norbury takes the two images of "panda" and "little dragon" full of oriental cultural characteristics as the protagonists in this picture book, telling the four seasons of this pair of good partners who are casual but full of Zen and poetry.
In the spring, they meet and embark on a journey that takes place and session by session.
On a hot summer day, they share the subtle sounds of a rainy night, a cup of fragrant tea, a beautiful view that would not be discovered if you had not gotten lost.
The autumn day when all things are about to pass away makes them have more understanding of the past and parting.
In the cold winter, they are dependent on each other and forge ahead.
Winter to spring, the four seasons change, this journey of exploration will continue...
During the journey, although they often get lost, they can find more beautiful and important little things on the way every time. They explore both the self and the ultimate proposition of the self and others, the self and the world.
For the self, they choose to accept and embrace their imperfections, and it is more important to be unique than to be their own personality.
They have no reservations about others, they are full of help, but when it is time to say goodbye, they respect the freedom and choice of others' destinies.
They observe everything in nature with gentle and delicate eyes, from the ripples on the surface of the lake to the dead leaves and flowers, all these undetected tiny whiskers, in fact, are so important and beautiful.
Let go of anxiety and focus on your own heart
The era we live in is an era of anxiety, and "how to deal with anxiety" seems to have become a new kind of anxiety. Open this book, you may find that people can face life in a different way of thinking.
No one can define a perfect life, and everyone's life is so unique, different, open and possible. As panda says, "Your journey won't appear on any map, you'll have to find your way." ”
In the book "Those Small but Important Things", What Norbury wants to bring to the reader may be a lighthouse in the distance of the dark sea, a gazebo encountered in the middle of a long mountain road, or an orange lamp lit in the room on a stormy night, a moment of quiet time of introspection, self-love, and self-communication.
It offers a more intimate and tiny worldview than a methodology—to see the world from a different perspective, either as small as a leaf or as grand as to place yourself in the middle of the universe, and in every brief moment you can find more of a treasure full of surprises in your heart.
Unlimited character relationships
Suitable for all intimate relationships
The openness of "Those Small but Important Things" is also reflected in the relationship between the two characters of Panda and Xiaolong. Pandas "love to lie", dragons "ask questions", they have very different personalities, they are also teachers and friends, love each other, and cut through thorns and thorns under the premise of equality and respect for each other.
For each other, they can be themselves without reservation, open their hearts, and exchange even the most detailed experiences along the way.
Perhaps, pandas and dragons can be used to describe any form of intimacy in life, and respect and companionship are always the most important prerequisites in the process of interacting with important people.
Find in the collision of Eastern and Western cultures
Back to the forgotten original intention
"Those Small but Important Things" has aroused widespread discussion in various countries. As Chinese readers, we seem to be able to better appreciate the wonderful collision of Eastern and Western cultures in the book.
The style of illustrations in the book is very charming with oriental ink painting.
The elements of flowing water, green bamboo, bright moon, and red plum, which often appear in traditional Chinese poetry, are used just right, but they are wonderfully integrated with Western elements such as pumpkin lamps and gift boxes, making this book both a quiet and distant traditional beauty, as well as a lively sense of modernity and humor.
The text in the book is also deeply rooted in the essence of oriental culture, the still water flows deeply, it is both calm and full of power, and it is full of slow and eternal artistic conception.
This dialogue is to interpret the Zen meaning of "hunger is food, sleep is sleep" in modern language. In the article where the panda and the little dragon release the bird, it also reflects the Taoist suddenness of "knowing that it is helpless and resting in peace".
For Chinese readers, "Small but Important Things" is like a form of repetition, reawakening our cultural memories of "Taoist nature" and "tranquility and far-reaching", and in the busy and anxious modern life, we can find the peace and open-mindedness hidden by the dust in the depths of our hearts.
A healing fairy tale born from the author's unique experience
The author of this unique work, James Norbury, is from Swansea, Wales, and graduated from the Department of Zoology at Swansea University. He has a lifelong love of animals and art.
At the lowest point of his life, Norbury gained another way of looking at the world by reading Eastern philosophical works, and also gained the motivation and courage to revive his spirit.
Then, with the idea of helping more people, he volunteered to join an international rescue team to answer people's psychological calls for help, filled with stories of loss, anxiety and loneliness.
This experience gave Norbury a deeper understanding and empathy for those whose hearts are trapped. Combined with his own personal feelings, Norbury began to try to spread love and healing through his own paintings on the Internet.
The graphic of "Those Small but Important Things" was originally published on Instagram and accumulated 110,000 followers in just 4 months.
Since the publication of "Small but Important Things", the entry page of "Big Panda and Tiny Dragon" on Instagram has thousands of "punch card photos" from readers from different countries, and every day new readers post to share how they have been warmed by the book.
As the blockbuster work of the penguin of the year in 2021, "Those Small but Important Things" sold the copyrights of 9 countries and regions including the United States, Germany and the Czech Republic as soon as it was listed. No matter where or how old the reader comes from, they can draw warmth and strength from the book.
Since its publication, the book has been on the Sunday Times bestseller list for 20 consecutive weeks and is still on the list (21 March 2022 week).
The UK's Amazon rating is as high as 4.9, ranking first in the UK's Graphic Arts in Illustration charts.
The British newspaper The Guardian commented on the book: "The illustrations have the charm of Winnie the Pooh, and the words are as profound and timeless as the ancient proverbs."
According to the British news website National World, the book says: "The words in this book can inspire anyone who has gone through difficult times, life difficulties or struggling with mental health.
CGTV commented that the book "helped millions of people find the beacon of their hearts." ”
On Amazon's website, readers described the book as "a great way to get your mind out of the competitive everyday and what's happening right now" and "a great way to escape, recharge and move forward with new hope," and many parents buy books for their children at Christmas in the hope that "this book will grow up with them."
Globally uniform exquisite gilding binding
Collect the small but important beauty of life
The book adopts a globally unified hardcover design, the black photo frame freezes the beautiful moments of the journey of the panda and the little dragon, and the red plums are decorated with red gold.
The binding is uniformly styled with red plug cloth and a red bookmark band for easy reading.
The text in this book is made of 140g double adhesive paper, lock line binding, and the picture quality is calm and beautiful.
The Little but Important Thing is an eternal gift for all readers, and for all readers to share with the person who is important to them.
"Important" may be a very subjective word, everyone will have different "important things" for themselves, perhaps "companionship" or "forward", perhaps "insisting on self" or "looking for a distant place", no matter what is important to you, in this book you can find a page that makes you either smile or be moved.
Having the eyes to discover beauty and the mind to feel the good, you can discover the small and important things in life. "Those Small but Important Things" is exactly like this, giving us a chance to calm down, take a closer look at the world, and love ourselves a little more.
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2022.3.27
Editor: chu xu | Review: Yoyo
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