If H Is For Hong Kong, as specified in a new children's book, then the next letter of the alphabet represents the intriguing illustrations inside.
Written by Tricia Morrissey and illustrated by Elizabeth Briel, H Is For Hong Kong, A Primer in Pictures (2008, ThingsAsian Press, 36 pages) is bilingual (English-Chinese) and makes quick reading. But it should fascinate children (or adults) keen on Asia.
Readers receive an irresistible invitation: “Imagine visiting a new city today. Imagine flying to Hong Kong! Journey through this wonderful, busy place and what will you see? Soaring skyscrapers? Shiny, amber goldfish? Ferry boats sailing on a sparkling bay? Turn the page and imagine....”
Briel's illustrations highlight the journey. Initially photos, they're transformed by a “blueprint” process to resemble paintings. Each attracts readers' eyes, invites study and pleases brain cells.
There's a temptation to pounce at Morrissey and scold her for not providing more text. Each page has only a line or two, but the few words often enhance the illustrations. A page showing goldfish for sale in plastic bags reads: “Carry home a sliver of gold swimming in a silver bubble.” That stirs the imagination, so maybe the minimal wording works.
Briel's work stresses details: swords waved by a kung fu practitioner and suspenders holding up his pants; smoke curling from incense sticks; markings on wooden chess pieces; contours of buns in a dim sum basket; and glass jars in a Chinese-medicine shop.
A Hong Kong resident, Briel studied painting at the University of Minnesota. She processes her “blueprint photos” using the sun and cyan chemicals.
Born in Kenya, Morrissey lives in California. Earlier, she had another well-titled children's book: My Mom is a Dragon and My Dad Is a Boar.
To quote more of the author's best lines about Hong Kong:
-- “Buildings reach into high clouds like rockets ready to launch.”
-- “Inside a spider-web of bamboo cages, up grows the city.”
-- “Step, twirl, fold and unfold: an early morning dance draws ladies to the park.”
-- “Songbirds in cages swaying overhead serenade the teahouse with warbling chatter.”
At other times, Morrissey, working by “imagination” from the United States, badly misses the mark. She writes: “City streets rumble with endless waves of shiny motorbikes.” Unlike some Asian cities, Hong Kong has no abundance of motorbikes. Its people prefer Mercedes automobiles.
The illustrations alone make this book worthwhile. For the most part, it's like visiting Hong Kong – and much less expensive.
Approval rating: 80 per cent.
For more information: www.thingasianpress.com
(December 5, 2008)
Goldfish: 'Carry home a sliver of
gold swimming in a silver bubble.'
Dim Sum: 'Steamer baskets filled with
soft, savory buns warm a cool morning.'
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