{"product_id":"a-song-for-china-9781773061511","title":"A Song for China","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis is the fascinating story of how a young Chinese author, Guang Weiran, a passionate militant from the age of twelve, fought, using art, theater, poetry and song, especially the famous \u003cem\u003eYellow River Cantata\u003c\/em\u003e -- the anthem of Chinese national spirit -- to create a socially just China. Set during the period of the struggle against the Japanese and the war against the Kuomintang in the 1920s and '30s, this book, written and illustrated by Guang Weiran's award-winning artist son, Ange Zhang, illuminates a key period in China's history. The passion and commitment of the artists who were born under the repressive weight of the Japanese occupation, the remnants of the decaying imperial order and the times of colonial humiliation are inspiring.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eZhang's words and wood-block style of art tell us the story of his father's extraordinary youth and very early rise to prominence due to his great talent with words. We see and hear the intensity of what it meant to be alive at such a significant moment in the history of China, a country that understands itself as the heir to one of the greatest civilizations the world has ever known. The humiliations and social injustice the Chinese people had endured in the colonial period were no longer bearable. And yet there were major factional differences between those who wanted to create a modern China. Ange's words and art paint the picture for us through his father's story, accompanied by sidebars that explain the historical context.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe book ends in a burst of glorious color and song, with the words of the \u003cem\u003eYellow River Cantata\u003c\/em\u003e in Mandarin, as well as newly translated into English. This great song turns eighty years old in 2019, and will be sung and performed by huge orchestras and choirs around the world, as the Chinese diaspora has embraced the cantata as its own.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Groundwood Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/03\/2019\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781773061511\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 80\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.30lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 11.00h x 8.00w x 0.60d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 07\/01\/2019\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e 06\/01\/2019 pg. 82\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 10\/01\/2019 pg. 108\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Ange Zhang","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":36668384870556,"sku":"9781773061511","price":16.96,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/products\/img_d25fa947-8115-484c-a26f-8bc22f4647ec.jpg?v=1603917388","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/a-song-for-china-9781773061511","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}