Yulu's Linen - by Cao Wenxuan (Hardcover)

About the Book

Aspiring artist Yulu tries to paint the perfect self portrait, but when the canvas rejects her attempts, she refuses to give up.

Book Synopsis

Joy hums from this "glorious...beautifully styled" (Booklist, starred review) picture book celebration of the richness of the African heritage behind braids, locs, cornrows, and all manner of crowning glory, from ancient times to present day--perfect for fans of Sulwe and We Are the Ship.

Yulu has all the makings of a great artist, her teachers and parents agree. But can she paint a self-portrait? Yulu isn't sure, even when she finds the perfect canvas made of special linen. She summons her courage and paints. But the next day, the paint has run and oozed and dripped--the painting is ruined!

Yulu picks her brush back up, but day after day, the linen of her canvas itself seems to be rebuffing her attempts. Yulu, undeterred, works on and on. More than a battle with the opinionated linen, this artistic battle is one Yulu wages with herself. Through determination and hard work, can she grow past her natural talent and prove herself worthy of the task before her?

Review Quotes

Originally published in South Korea and China, an enchanting portrait of a young artist from two Hans Christian Andersen Awardees. [...] South Korean illustrator Lee elevates Chinese author Cao's celebration of talent and tenacity into artful delight, combining impeccable line drawings with reams of exquisite floral fabrics from Dad's shop. She uses single-color washes--yellow, beige, blue, black--to augment her black-and-white sketches, mimicking linen-esque textures on the page. [...] Wang returns as Cao's experienced translator. A visually moving reminder that artistic success means trying again and again.--Kirkus "November 15, 2025 Issue"

In this finely wrought picture book portrait of the artistic process, a canvas of "yu-lu-ma--rain-dew linen" seems destined for young Yulu's brushes, so her father, a frustrated artist who's nurtured her talent, buys it for her first self-portrait. [...] Printed on linen-textured paper, this story of making, part folktale, part love letter to hanging in there, honors the work and wonder at the heart of creation.--Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW "11/3/2025"

About the Author

Cao Wenxuan is the first ever Chinese recipient of the Hans Christian Andersen Award for his book Bronze and Sunflower. As the author of dozens of books for children, he is considered one of China's most revered writers. He is also a professor of Chinese literature and children's literature at Peking University. His work has been translated all over the world.

Suzy Lee is a recipient of the Hans Christian Andersen Award, the first Korean illustrator to win the honor. She's twice had books chosen for the New York Times Best Illustrated Award, has won a Gold Medal at the Society of Illustrators, and has won the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Excellence in Children's Literature. Her titles include Wave, This Beautiful Day, and Shadow. A graduate of Seoul National University, she lives and works in Seoul.

Helen Wang is a London-based translator who won the Marsh Award for Literature in Translation for her translation of Bronze and Sunflower by Cao Wenxuan. In 2017 she was awarded the Chen Bochui Special Contribution Award for her translations and increasing visibility of Chinese children's books. She is also a curator of East Asian Money at the British Museum.