Free as a Cloud

Originally published in China, this is the story of a wild myna bird who befriends a family, becomes their pet, then is set free once again. The award-winning illustrations by Rong are eye-catching: a mix of very sketchy pencil drawings and bold, thick, cut paper silhouettes, which creates a dramatic contrast on each page. There is very little color, merely well-composed scenes of town life on tea-stained pages. Unfortunately, the story does not match the beauty of the visuals. Perhaps as a result of the translation, the text is stiff and stilted: "Singing is what small birds dream of, and singing makes them happy." Additionally, the story closes with the bird being released into the "jungle," though the pictures contradictorily depict her in some sort of zoo or park, which may confuse readers. VERDICT Libraries with large picture book collections or those with a focus on Chinese literature may want this book for its artistic merit, but for the most part, it is an additional purchase.

Yurong's delightful illustrations lead us into a magical worldwhich is both familiar and extraordinary. Here are birds andanimals of every size and shape living in harmony with people andwith each other; here is the local park, the city street and thebusy riverside transformed into elegant theatrical settings. Yurongtakes a traditional medium - the paper cut-out - and uses it in abeautifully-crafted and thoroughly contemporary way; there is somuch to see in each detail of these lively and expressive images. Full of fun and playfulness, warmth and good-humour, the storyeventually leads - of course - to a happy ending.