On the Tip of a Wave: How Ai Weiwei’s Art Is Changing the Tide
Joanna Ho
Illustrated by Cátia Chien
Orchard Books
Available October 31st, 2023!
Ages 4-8
Opening with evocative images and lyrical writing, readers immediately feel Ai Weiwei’s importance, regardless of their familiarity with his politically provocative art. Ho deftly embeds the narrative of Weiwei’s life within the story of his notable exhibit “Safe Passage,” which called attention to the global refugee crisis by hanging discarded life jackets from refugees on a famous concert house in Berlin. Weiwei’s life is not unlike refugees displaced from their homes—as a child, authorities forced Weiwei and his family into a labor camp, where he taught himself to draw and sculpt. Similar to refugees, Weiwei “lived on the tip of a wave, far from home and always in danger” (p. 14), ultimately learning to harness the injustice into power through art.
Using almost exclusively complimentary colors, Chien’s woodblock printing contrasts a bold orange hue with many deep, textured blues—as if the bright orange color, like a life jacket, represents a beacon of hope or safety. Although some may find the unevenly spaced words choppy, this creative choice almost gives the reader a glimpse of living—or reading—“on the tip of a wave” (p. 14), without security and unsure of what may come next. Ho ends with an appendix about Weiwei’s life, his impactful art installations, and a brief overview of the global humanitarian crisis. Balancing the severity of the global refugee crisis with hope, this accessible story might inspire readers to make their own waves and stand up for causes they deem important.
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