Best Picture Books of the Year

When the snow comes around,
No more are there sounds.
Without a sound, the snow blows in the air.
Without a sound, it lays on the ground.
The birds chirp, so quiet that we can’t hear,
Same the dogs—no bark, air is clear…

“A transcultural masterpiece based on a poem by a distinguished Chinese writer put into pictures bt a world-acclaimed illustrator (…) The work celebrates the Human love for Nature, and invites the readers to immerse themselves into their natural environment, to feel it and understand it. It is a brilliant combination between the voice of the poetic words and the silence of beautiful pictures”.

About the authors

Mei Zihan (Shanghai, 1949) is an author of children's literature, professor at Shanghai Normal University, member of the Chinese Writers’ Association, and a promoter of children's literacy. Mei’s portfolio includes the works Daughter’s Story and Dai Xiaojiao and his Buddies, amongst others. He has also written and edited many theoretical works, such as The Narrative Style of Children's Novels.

Igor Oleynikov (Moscow, 1953) is a Russian painter and illustrator. Trained as a chemical engineer, he rapidly switched  his career path and began working as an artist at the animation studio, Soyuzmultfilm in 1979. In 1986 he began working as an illustrator for children’s periodicals and on book projects.
He has illustrated more than 80 books for children and young adults, including many classic fairy tales and works of children’s literature. Among these, Ballada o malen’kom buksire (The ballad of a little tugboat, 2011) by Joseph Brodsky was included in the 2012 IBBY Honour List. Other important titles include Mahalia Mouse goes to College (2007) by John Lithgow and Fairy Tales (2016) by Alexander Pushkin. In addition to numerous exhibitions in Russia, he has exhibited at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in 2004 and 2009 and at the BIB in 2003 and 2005.