This true story of a poor Chinese peasant boy who, plucked unsuspectingly at the age of ten from millions of others across the land to be trained as a ballet dancer, is a fairytale that has already captivated many children and young adults. But it is a story that has always held special charms for even very small children – Li’s childhood growing up in a small village in China – the games he played, the snowball fights, the love of his parents and brothers, and the extraordinary day at school when his life changed for ever. It is a story that is just perfect for the picture book format. Now Li’s story will be enjoyed by children everywhere as his remarkable tale is brought to life visually through the beautiful artwork of Anne Spudvilas.
Once again, Li tells his story with disarming simplicity and charm, with humour and compassion. But here he speaks directly to the small child, his special audience. He has a personal story to tell you, and he begins by introducing you to the land of his childhood, and to his beloved father, and to a small child who was once Li himself: he tells us of that boy growing up in hardship, yet with love and affection, as he shares with us the lives of his large family, the special stories in his life, the inspiring teachers, the experiences and moments he will never forget. The seven lonely years of training at the Beijing Dance Academy, all of the events in his life, are set against the background of China brought to life by some amazing images from Anne Spudvilas, who travelled to China herself to witness first-hand the life that Li remembers and to bring to her artwork an unparalleled authenticity and passion.
Li’s courage as a young boy in the face of extreme loneliness, his determination to succeed no matter what, his undying devotion to his family, make for an awesome, inspiring and moving story that will speak to small children everywhere. It is like reading a 20th Century fairytale.
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Li Cunxin was born in 1961, in the New Village, Li Commune, near the city of Qingdao on the coast of north-east China. The sixth of seven sons in a poor rural family, Li's peasant life in Chairman Mao's communist China changed dramatically when, at the age of eleven, he was chosen by Madame Mao's cultural advisers to become a student at the Beijing Dance Academy. After a summer school in America, for which he was one of only two students chosen, he defected to the West and became a principal dancer for the Housten Ballet.