On 30^th September 2021 the WPEO Arts and Culture Development Center and the Zhuhai Boundless Art Center co-organized a workshop on Creativity and Innovation of Picture Books, which invited Mr. Ye Feng, the illustrator of the “The Messenger with the Lantern”, to share his creative work.

During the workshop Mr. Feng introduced various picture books and the stories behind them, explaining that the picture book is still a book which uses pictures and simple texts to tell a story. Therefore, consistency, connection and creativity are the three important elements of the picture book. Mr. Feng further explained that picture books are typically for children, so the pictures must be imaginative and the text must convey mood and emotions. They do not aim to teach, but rather tell stories and invite young readers to enter the worlds they create.

Mr. Feng, who spends time at rural primary schools as a volunteer teacher, has gained an insight from the daily contact with the children. Their imagination, innocence and creativity help him to better understand his readers. Mr. Feng said “We aim to cultivate talents with creativity, rich emotion and imagination, instead of just teaching a person how to draw.”