“Wouldn’t you
rather be free, just for a day, than spend a lifetime in a cage?” Little Leap Forward: A Boy in Beijing
Written by: Guo Yue and Clare Farrow
Illustrated by: Helen Cann
GUO YUE is well known in the music world for the soaring beauty of his
bamboo flute playing and compositions. He has performed and recorded
worldwide, creating sounds which, in the words of one film director,
‘haunt the soul’. Yue and his wife, Clare Farrow, are also
the authors of an adult memoir, Music, Food and Love.
CLARE FARROW is a writer and journalist specializing in modern contemporary
art. She and Yue have two young children and live in Richmond, London.
HELEN CANN enjoys using patterns in her artwork and she has a large
collection of reference material from around the world, taken from textiles,
ceramics, furniture, jewelry— even body paint.
It’s the summer of 1966 and Mao Zedong’s communist regime
is about to move to a new level. Little Leap Forward lives in Beijing,
with his mother, brother, and four older sisters. When he is not running
errands or attending school, he loves to play the flute and to fly kites.
One day, Little Leap Forward and his best friend capture a small yellow
bird. Little Leap Forward wants her to accompany him on his flute –
but behind the bars of her bamboo cage, she is not happy. What will
he do – persist with his experiment or set her free?
In a year when China is banning the sale of wild songbirds, ending a
2,000 year history of selling and trading caged thrushes, this story
of a young boy learning about freedom of spirit is all the more timely.
Little Leap Forward’s touching story is based on author Guo Yue’s
boyhood experiences of the Cultural Revolution in China. Sensitive,
authoritative and deceptively simple, it offers young readers many intimate
and powerful insights into one child’s life and dreams as the
Cultural Revolution tightens its grip.
As China modernises and prepares to host the 2008 Olympic Games, interest
in this superpower and in the rapidly changing lives of its people is
escalating. The games in Beijing this August will bring half a million
international and 2.5 million domestic spectators to a newly sanitised
city.
Ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, DK
launches “Watch Me Grow: Panda” in Chinese and English
Proceeds of the book to be donated
to the Chengdu
Panda Research Centre to support earthquake
aftermath
DK celebrated the publication of the Chinese language
edition of Watch Me Grow: Panda with a launch at the Chengdu Research
Base of Giant Panda Breeding in the capital of Southwest China's Sichuan
Province on Wednesday 16 July.
Watch Me Grow: Panda was published in English in the UK earlier this
year and is aimed at 6+ children. The Chinese launch was attended by
panda experts, representatives from DK's UK and Chinese offices, journalists
and primary school students.
All photos in both the Chinese and English-language editions were taken
by Chief of the Research Base, Zhang Zhihe and the book features Jing
Jing, a female panda at the Base, telling the story of her habits and
lifecycle. Born in August 2005, Jing Jing has been chosen as one of
the mascots of the Olympics to be held in Beijing next month.
DK has pledged to donate the global profits from sales
of “Watch Me Grow: Panda” to support the Research Base and
its important work in the wake of the May 12 earthquake, which damaged
many mountainous panda habitats in Sichuan Province. The panda is an
animal unique to China, and 85 per cent of pandas live in Sichuan Province.
John Makinson, Penguin Group Chairman and CEO, says: “We are
proud to support the vital work at the Chengdu Panda Base, both in teaching
young people about this endangered and fascinating animal, and in donating
the proceeds from ‘Watch Me Grow.’”
A planned launch of “Watch Me Grow: Panda”
was postponed out of respect for the victims of the recent Sichuan earthquake.
The decision now to hold an event in Chengdu ahead of the August Olympic
Games was made in part to highlight the difficulties faced by the Chengdu
Panda Base, which relies heavily on income generated by tourists and
visitors. Says Zhang Zhihe, Director of the Chengdu Panda Breeding and
Research Center, daily visitors currently stand at less than 100 per
day – down from an average this time last year of more than 4,000
per day. “We expect that over the next six months, the total
loss of tourist income will be more than RMB12 million,” he
says. “This decreased income affects our ability to provide
for the needs of our pandas – and this is why the publication
of ‘Watch Me Grow’ is particularly important to us at this
time. By reading this book, children and parents around the world can
learn more about pandas and their homeland. Conservation education begins
with children.”
New online burrow for Peter Rabbit!
Peterrabbit.com has relaunched
this week moving Peter Rabbit into a new era of digital technology!
Publisher Frederick Warne has
created a website which retains the charm of Beatrix Potter’s
illustrations whilst providing visitors with a richer, more fulfilling
online experience. A dynamic new children’s section, based on
the idea of a pop-up book, provides interactive games and activities
for parents to enjoy with their children. A new online bookshop offers
gift-buyers a far more intuitive and informed shopping experience and
collectors and fans can find the definitive information on Beatrix Potter
and her work.
Stephanie Barton, Managing Director
Frederick Warne, said, “It is vital that Peter Rabbit remains
relevant and contemporary. By embracing the latest developments in digital
technology we have been able to bring the storybook characters to life,
with new flash games, sound and animation. As an extremely astute business
woman, Beatrix Potter was ahead of her time in harnessing the opportunities
that Peter Rabbit afforded as a brand, and our digital developments
reflect that same ethos by offering children access to a classic, much-loved
literary character on multiple platforms.“
The new website delivers
for all users on every level, whether it’s parents looking to
introduce their children to Peter Rabbit for the first time or collectors
searching for memorabilia. But don’t take our word for it, log
on to www.peterrabbit.com
and let us know what you think. We’d love to hear your comments!
Skulduggery Pleasant: Playing With
Fire Derek Landy
RRP £12.99
Just when
you think you’ve saved the world… "You will kill her?" the Torment asked. Skulduggery sagged. "Yes." He hesitated, then took his
gun from his jacket. "I'm sorry, Valkyrie," he said softly.
"Don't talk to me," Valkyrie said. "Just do what you
have to do." Valkyrie parted her tunic, and Skulduggery pointed the gun at the
vest beneath. "Please forgive me," Skulduggery said, then aimed the
gun at the girl and pulled the trigger.
With Serpine dead, the world
is safe once more. At least, that’s what Valkyrie and Skulduggery
think, until the notorious Baron Vengeous makes a bloody escape from
prison, and dead bodies and vampires start showing up all over Ireland.
With Baron Vengeous after the deadly armour of Lord Vile, and pretty
much everyone out to kill Valkyrie, the daring detective duo face their
biggest challenge yet. But what if the greatest threat to Valkyrie is
just a little closer to home…? Praise for Skulduggery Pleasant
Hugely enjoyable –
a thrill-a-minute adventure.' Jonathan Stroud
'It's exciting, pacy, nicely
handled and fun. I sincerely hope Landy revisits these characters.'
Philip Ardagh, Guardian
'A gripping debut.'
Phil Hogan, Observer
'Skulduggery Pleasant serves
up a thoroughly satisfying blend of humour, magic and adventure. Once
you've met Stephanie and Skullduggery, you'll be clamouring for a sequel.'
Rick Riordan
"A remarkably accomplished
debut with wonderful dialogue."
Robert Dunbar, Irish Times
"[Landy's] fight scenes
are perfectly pitched. His characters are exceptionally well drawn and
delightfully colourful… Reading [this book] is like riding a rollercoaster.”
Irish Independent
"Landy's witty style
will win him fans of all ages… With writing of this standard,
a rattling plot and definite potential for cross-over appeal, it's a
good job Harry's [Potter] resigning before he's forcibly retired."
Irish Mail on Sunday
"Humour and magic combine
in this thrilling adventure."
Waterstone's Books Quarterly
The Magic Returns...
HarperCollins announce global digital strategy for Narnia
The movie adaptation of The Lion,
The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis took $750 million at the global
box office and the HarperCollins tie-in programme was the most successful
ever with 15 million titles sold during the film period release. From
July 2005 – February 2006, Narnia book sales in the UK alone increased
by 980% and The Chronicles of Narnia sold over 100 million copies worldwide
in over 70 countries and in 48 different languages.
On the 27th June 2008, the magic
of Narnia returns with the release by Walt Disney Pictures and Walden
Media of Prince Caspian; one of the most eagerly anticipated films of
the year.
Following on from the unprecedented
success of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (LWW), HarperCollins
UK are delighted to announce a global return of the ‘Read it before
you See it’ marketing and pr campaign to promote their comprehensive
Prince Caspian film-tie in programme which includes tie-in editions
of Prince Caspian, activity, puzzle and colouring books, young reader
editions, as well as groundbreaking new titles including The Chronology
of Narnia, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian Official Illustrated
Movie Companion, The Crafting of Narnia: a Behind the Scenes Visual
Guide, The Chronicles of Narnia: A Pop-Up Adaptation of CS Lewis’s
Original Series by the acclaimed Robert Sabuda and audio editions read
by Kenneth Branagh, Michael York, Alex Jennings, Lynn Redgrave, Derek
Jacobi, Jeremy Northam and Patrick Stewart respectively (May 2008).
With a dedicated Narnia brand
champion employed to work in the UK and with foreign publishers to create
marketing synergy across all international territories, HarperCollins
are putting digital marketing and social networking at the forefront
of their plans. With the creation of a dedicated microsite –
www.discovernarnia.co.uk – to go live on 21st February,
and the launch of a specially developed flash game in addition to Prince
Caspian Facebook and Bebo profile pages, HarperCollins aim to drive
the online community to the books by immersing them in the magic of
Narnia before the box office opens.
Alison Ruane, Children’s
Marketing Director, HarperCollins says: "Building on the success of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe,
we are focussing our communications firmly on digital channels in the
lead up to the Prince Caspian film release. By tapping into social networks,
on-line communities and existing fan forums we intend to convert Narnia
film-goers into fan of the books on a global scale."
Supported by a major Disney
marketing campaign, a specially developed Narnia Widget will feature
evolving content and images from the movie and messages about the books
and will drive traffic to the HarperCollins microsite. Education channels
will also be targeted via the Collins education division with a mailing
to all primary schools of a classroom kit and competition package to
win a class trip to see the movie.
Extract from JIMMY
COATES: SABOTAGE by Joe
Craig
Publication Date: 1st October 2007
Price: £5.99
Jimmy Coates: Sabotage is the
fourth instalment of eleven year old Jimmy’s ongoing mission to
overthrow NJ7, the secret government agency.
Jimmy Coates is a boy with
a difference. He is only 38% human. Jimmy has been genetically engineered
to function as a government assassin, but his abilities are not supposed
to develop until he is fully grown. His programming has malfunctioned
and Jimmy is fighting back. He must resist his instincts to kill and
find out the truth about his family and the government that created
him.
Here below is an extract from
the book, destined to be another huge hit, especially with teens...
01 EXILE When you know the British Secret Service wants you dead, it’s
hard to relax. But Jimmy Coates was forcing himself to try. Every second
that passed, every mile he was driven away from New York, it became
a tiny bit easier. No hand burst through the window of the car to grab
him. No sirens pierced the quiet drone of the road. He had really done
it. He had fooled NJ7, the top-secret British intelligence agency. They
thought he was dead.
According to NJ7 files,
Jimmy Coates – the boy their scientists had genetically designed
to grow into a killer – had been terminated by machine-gun fire
and his body lost in New York’s East River. They could call off
the search. Jimmy didn’t want to let himself smile. Not yet. He
wasn’t far enough away.
“Welcome to Blackfoot Airbase,” announced Agent Froy, the
CIA man who had grasped Jimmy by the shoulder
to lift him out of the East River a few hours before.
The black sedan slowed down and Froy pulled into a driveway. The iron
gate in front of them rolled back
automatically. Jimmy sat up in his seat to look for whatever device
must have identified the car. His eyes scanned the foliage that lined
the road. The hedge wasn’t a hedge; he noticed that immediately.
It was an iron wall, six metres high and at least a metre thick, constructed
to resemble a line of Leyland cypress trees and painted dark green.
In a second, Jimmy picked out four security cameras and a laser scanner
all concealed in the fake hedge.
A cockroach couldn’t get into this place without being microwaved
by the lasers first.
He twisted in his seat as
they drove through and watched the gate slide back into place. The last
sliver of
the rest of the world disappeared. He was cut off from everything, sealed
inside Blackfoot, the classified military airbase on the outskirts of
Piscataway, New Jersey.
Jimmy’s family was a lifetime away. He had left his sister Georgie
and his best friend Felix Muzbeke with Felix’s parents back in
New York. They were also in the care of the CIA. Jimmy could see them
now, in the safehouse apartment above a Korean restaurant in Chinatown.
He didn’t know when the CIA would relocate them, but he hoped
it would be soon.
Meanwhile, his mother had been on her way to find Christopher Viggo,
the former NJ7 agent who had helped Jimmy escape Britain. Viggo had
run off back to Britain, full of anger. Jimmy pictured him trying to
overthrow the Government single-handed.
He had to hold on to the hope that he would see them all again. Even
if it wasn’t for several years, whatever happened or however he
changed, Jimmy knew he must always remember his family.
But Jimmy had no idea how he would change. Inside him was a powerful
organic programming. It enabled him to do amazing things, but day by
day the assassin instincts in his DNA took over more of his mind, subduing
his human voice. Would that voice become just an echo in his memory?
And what if his memory itself was pushed aside to make room for the
assassin’s skill?
For a horrible minute, Jimmy imagined himself in a few years’
time, about to turn eighteen. His programming would be fully developed
– what would he feel when he looked at a picture of his mum? Or
Georgie? Would they be like forgotten files, lost in the back of a computer’s
hard-drive, never accessed? Jimmy tried to imagine looking without any
hint of
emotion, thinking of them as just two more faces. It made him feel sick,
so he closed his eyes and dropped
his head back on to the leather.
A few seconds later, the car stopped abruptly. Jimmy sat up. The long
driveway had opened out to reveal an expanse of concrete stretching
for at least two miles ahead of them. Right in the middle was a one-storey
breeze-block bunker, covered in a jumble of satellite dishes.
The wind whipped across the tarmac, buffeting the side of the car. There
was none of the noise or bustle found at a commercial airport. The place
was deserted.
“Where are the planes?” Jimmy asked.
Froy was busy punching numbers into his mobile phone. “That’s
what I’m going to find out,” he grumbled. Then he barked
into his phone, “Where’s our plane?!”
Jimmy leaned forwards, but he couldn’t make out what the person
on the end of the line was saying.
“Get one down here now! Anyone!” Froy went on. “I
don’t care about the weather conditions. Colonel Keays is overseeing
this operation himself. There are only two people more powerful than
Colonel Keays: the President and God Almighty. Have either of them called
you? No. So get the closest military air vehicle out of the sky and
on to that runway.”
Froy snapped his phone shut and stuffed it back into his pocket. “Sorry,
Jimmy. An operation like this is usually planned weeks in advance. This
obviously had to be a bit last-minute.”
Jimmy felt the panic swirling in his chest. He had to get as far away
from NJ7 as possible, as quickly as possible. Every second he spent
sitting in the back of that car was a second too long.
“Don’t worry,” Froy reassured him. “Your plane
was diverted to McGuire because of high winds, but I’m not going
to let a little breeze get in our way. I’ve told them to ignore
the weather. They’ll find us something.”
How long will that take? Jimmy wondered – though he didn’t
dare say it aloud. He scanned the sky. With nothing to distract him,
he couldn’t help returning to one thought he wanted more than
anything to forget about for now – his father. It still seemed
amazing to Jimmy, but Ian Coates had just taken over as Prime Minister
of Great Britain.
Already the man had shown that he planned to continue the policy of
not letting the public vote. He called it ‘Neo-democracy’
and the more Jimmy found out about it, the worse it sounded. The Government
held on to absolute control, with no opposition, and everything was
run by the Secret Service.
Even worse than that, Ian Coates had threatened to go to war with France
over a tiny misunderstanding. The only thing that had stopped him so
far was the fact that the American President wasn’t going to support
him unless Britain spent billions of dollars on American weapons.
In spite of all this, the one thing that stuck out for Jimmy was the
moment when Ian Coates had revealed that he wasn’t Jimmy’s
biological father. Jimmy took a deep breath. It doesn’t matter,
he insisted inside his head. He’s nothing to do with me now. Forget
his lies. Jimmy longed to believe the words he was repeating to himself.
But underneath it, he could feel a mist of confusion. Britain could
never be his home as long as the Neo-democratic Government was in power
– his
fake father included.
Suddenly, Jimmy felt his muscles tense up. He could hear something.
A drone.
“Here it is,” announced Froy.
The noise was huge now, and getting louder all the time. The shadow
of the plane loomed over them. Then Jimmy saw it – like a sharpened
bullet, the EA- 22G Growler scythed through the wind. The slim grey
fuselage was almost camouflaged against the sky, but the fins were tipped
with red and they flashed like flames. Then, with the thunder of the
plane touching
ground, a glimmer of sunlight caught the emblem on the side of the cockpit
– a white star on a navy disc.
Jimmy gasped. For the first time, he was awed by the power of the organisation
that was taking care of him now. Colonel Keays hadn’t just used
his CIA resources – now he’d mobilised the US airforce.
Jimmy felt a smile creep over his face, confident that they would be
able to escort him anywhere in the world in safety.
But where? Jimmy laughed at his own stupidity. In all the fuss of escaping
NJ7 and the trauma of leaving
his family behind, he hadn’t thought to ask where in the world
he was going to be taken.
“Where will it…?” he started, almost overcome by excitement.
“I mean, where am I…?”
Froy broke into a huge smile.
“I hope you like Mexican food.”
