James McMullan is an internationally recognized designer and illustrator. His work has appeared in many notable books for adults and young readers. In 2002, McMullan received the New York Times Best Illustrated Book award for the picture book I Stink! He was an early member of the famed Pushpin Studios with Milton Glaser and Seymour Chwast, as well as the developer of the High-Focus Drawing Program at the School of Visual Arts. His posters can be found at Triton Gallery in New York City.
"A compelling and intricate tale." --VanityFair.com "The complex
family relationships are carefully and delicately described, and
details of the history of the period . . . are intriguing. The
artwork nicely balances the text . . . And beyond their aesthetic
qualities, the paintings bring significant emotional and cultural
context to this story of a young artist's struggle for
self-acceptance." --NewYorkTimes.com "Evocative . . . McMullan
brings his early years alive through sprightly prose and the
delicate, violet-tinged paintings that grace every page."
--Entertainment Weekly "[A] compelling story . . . Leaving China is
a collection of 55 short stories, each illustrated with a stunning
full-page watercolor impressionistically illuminating McMullan's
recollections." --TheAtlantic.com "Who knew that behind all those
wonderful watercolors I have admired since coming to New York are
all these magic memories of childhood? It is like finding pearls
inside unexpected shells." --Peter Sis, author of The Wall: Growing
Up Behind the Iron Curtain "[McMullan] tells his tumultuous story
in a series of spreads with a one-page essay facing a full-page
illustration. This structure gives the reader time to exhale and
contemplate between emotional episodes. There are soldiers in the
streets, long painful separations, and quiet pleasures. The
publisher recommends the book for ages 12 and up. I hope it finds
the large audience it deserves among the 'ups.'" --The Boston Globe
"Fascinating . . . Deeply affecting." --Minneapolis Star Tribune
"Leaving China is a beautiful book . . . The selection of events
and scenes is unerring. The prose and the art go together
remarkably." --E. L. Doctorow "The exquisite full-color pictures
are filled with air and space, reminiscent of the Chinese scrolls
that fascinated him as a child. These pictures and the evocative
text are a happy exercise in harmony. A fascinating, seamless
portrait of a young life and the wartime world that will have
appeal not only to young readers but to adults as well." --Booklist
(starred review) "[A] poignant memoir . . . Delicate layers of pale
green, soft lavender, and rich ocher tones bleed and blend into
deep violet shadows--a subtle visual nod to the themes of
nostalgia, isolation, and loss explored throughout the work.
McMullan's compositions are both quiet and stirring in their
depiction of a lonely little boy struggling to find his place in a
chaotic and often unkind world." --School Library Journal "James
McMullan's book is so hauntingly evocative that it made me
nostalgic for a time and a place I never experienced." --Gene Luen
Yang, author of American Born Chinese
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