Frame of Happiness

Hong Kong Original Picture Book "Frame of Happiness" Text & Illustrations by Xiao Ban ----------------------- When life feels dim, if someone told you that simply stepping through the "Frame of Happiness" would make you happy, would you believe it? ----------------------- Book Title: Frame of Happiness Author: Xiao Ban (Illustrations & Text) Category: Hong Kong Original Picture Book Price: HK$108 Dimensions: 240 mm (w) x 170 mm (h) Binding: Hardcover Page Count: 48 pages ISBN: ISBN 978-988-75725-5-8 Publication Date: July 2023 Publisher: gezi workstation ----------------------- {Picture Book Synopsis} Willow Village, choked with weeping willows, was perpetually rainy and rarely saw the sun. The villagers were all unhappy. One day, a little girl stumbled upon the "Frame of Happiness." Anyone who walked through it, no matter how sorrowful, would instantly become happy! The little girl resolved to transform Willow Village into a village of joy! * * * Are you happy in life? Why do people feel unhappy? What truly makes people feel a little better when they are sad? What brings genuine happiness? When life feels dim, if someone told you that simply stepping through the "Frame of Happiness" would make you happy, would you believe it? Dedicated to all who love Hong Kong— "May we, through sunny spells and sudden showers, remain kind, remain gentle, and remember to occasionally look up, take in our surroundings, and treat those around us with care." — Xiao Ban ----------------------- {About the Author} Xiao Ban (Kathy Chan) was born and raised in Hong Kong. As a child, she was exceptionally shy and timid, struggling with words, and felt like an oddity. Her childhood dream was simply to be a normal, ordinary person. She studied mathematics at university and then drifted through office life for years before suddenly feeling a desire to be more than ordinary. In 2014, she picked up her brush and created the illustrated character "Xiao Ban," a round-faced, slightly plump, shy girl. She began painting full-time in 2016. Over the years, through "Xiao Ban," she has expressed many inner fears, struggles, moments of courage, hopes, and love. In 2019, she bravely pursued further studies at Anglia Ruskin University in the UK, completing her Master's in Children's Book Illustration in 2021. She hopes to create a few touching stories in the remainder of her life. ----------------------- {Author's Postscript} (Excerpt) "Frame of Happiness" is my first published picture book. This story was created in 2019 while I was pursuing my Master's in Children's Book Illustration at Anglia Ruskin University in the UK. Being far from home then, England often had rain and little sunshine, and I particularly missed Hong Kong and everything about it. At that time, many people were unhappy, so I wanted to create a story about finding happiness. May we, through sunny spells and sudden showers, remain kind, remain gentle, and remember to occasionally look up, take in our surroundings, and treat those around us with care.