“Amazing! just a glimpse of the farewell in the text is a bit too much to bear, and when I turn to the image of the white horse lying down, it feels like I'm suffocating, my eyes well up instantly. Good illustrations and stories are like this, they can touch people's hearts." —— Comment by Xiaohongshu user @YitouPashanh on the comment section.

★Selected Works of Shortlisted Artists from the Golden Pinwheel International Young Illustrators Competition!
◎The Golden Pinwheel International Young Illustrators Competition was established in 2015, aiming to provide a platform for emerging illustrators around the world to fully showcase their talents. The regular awards include Domestic Gold Award, International Gold Award, Special Mention Award, and Public Choice Award. All shortlisted and winning works will be exhibited at the China Children's Book Fair (CCBF) and included in the annual the Golden Pinwheel International Young Illustrators Competition Yearbook.
★"Welcome to My House" is a shortlisted work of the 2024 Golden Pinwheel International Young Illustrators Competition, telling a joyful story about a little witch being invited to her different friends' homes to do various things together.
★"One Last Adventure" is also a shortlisted work of the 2024 Golden Pinwheel International Young Illustrators Competition, and it was shortlisted for the 2023 Hii illustration competition - Children's Picture Book Unpublished Category. This is a story about death and parting.
★"The Ship of Books" won the Gold Award for Best Picture Book Comic at the 15th China Animation & Comic Competition Golden Dragon Award (CACC)! It is one of the works by Cui Chao, the winner of the 2020 Golden Pinwheel International Young Illustrators Competition.
★"Strange Fish" is a shortlisted work of the 2020 Golden Pinwheel International Young Illustrators Competition. This book is not simply emphasizing individual uniqueness, but is rich in philosophy.
★"Praise" won the Jury Recommendation Award at the 2nd Oriental Doll Original Picture Book Award in 2023.
★"Distance" won the Special Mention Award at the 2018 Golden Pinwheel International Young Illustrators Competition. This book runs through with the basic questions of philosophy, provoking readers to think deeply!
★"Itself" is a shortlisted work of the 2021 Golden Pinwheel International Young Illustrators Competition. Migration is not only for reaching home, but also for finding a dwelling place for every soul.

This special topic includes a total of 15 books:
2 books by Olivia Feng, the shortlisted artist in 2024: "Welcome to My House" and "The Imaginary Journey of Litttle Fox"
1 book by Yu Ke, the shortlisted artist in 2024: "One Last Adventure"
5 books by Xiaotu Tu, the shortlisted artist in 2020: "Strange Fish", "Praise", "Bad Rabbit", "Monster", "Heart Hole"
5 books by Cui Chao, the shortlisted artist in 2020: "The Ship of Books", "Hurry Up!", "Mom's Secret", "Bad Cat Big Flower and Grandma", "I'm Traveling Alone!"
2 books by Yu Miao, the award-winning writer in 2018: "Distance" and "Itself"

"The inspiration for this book comes from daily life contemplation. I often think about death, but I don't feel afraid. I see death more as the bell signaling the end of an exam. Before the bell rings, all we need to do is answer the questions with all our might, write as much as possible, and make it as beautiful as we can. Therefore, I often ponder what we should do while we're alive to feel calm and composed when facing death.

Shi Tiesheng wrote a passage in 'Me and Ditan', he said, 'Death is something that need not be rushed; death is a holiday that will inevitably come.' I feel this statement is the soul of this picture book. 'The Final Journey' is a story of farewell. The old king and his best friend, a white horse, enter the last stage of life together. They have known and accompanied each other for decades, never parting. However, death is a journey one must take alone. Amidst companionship and memories, they each head towards their final destination."

— Yu Ke

Illustration finalists abstract:
The Old King Is Sick
All We Ever Had
All We Ever Remembered
When The Wind Blows
Arrival

Yu Ke, a graduate of the School of Visual Arts in New York, Class of 2024. Awards received include:

　•3x3 International Illustration Awards
　•IJungle International Illustration Awards
　•Communication Arts Award from the United States
　•Finalist in the 2024 Golden Windmill International Young Illustrator Competition
　•Finalist in the CIB9 9th National Illustration Biennale
　•Finalist in the 2023 Hii Illustration Competition - Unpublished 　Children's Picture Book Category
　•CQ International Creative Review Awards