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The Oxherd Boy

Parables of Love, Compassion, and Community

Author Regina Linke
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Hardcover
$20.00 US
Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed | Clarkson Potter
On sale Mar 12, 2024 | 160 Pages | 9780593580547
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Inspired by thousands of years of Chinese thought, an enchanting and heart-opening illustrated fable about a young boy who explores the many ways to make meaning and find joy in the everyday.

Sometimes you can only do a small, small thing. And that can make all the difference.

In this exquisitely illustrated parable grounded in the three pillars of Chinese philosophy, a young boy, his family ox, and a rabbit living in his garden help each other navigate the daily work of love, compassion, and community. Examining the world through the lenses of Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism, their conversations convey tender, uplifting messages for life's various crossroads.

As they adopt a sparrow, bathe in rivers, comfort their neighbors, and tend to their chores, the characters’ different perspectives are reflected in their conversations: the boy’s Taoist love of nature and all it entails, the ox’s Buddhist compassion for others, and the rabbit’s Confucian practice of mutual respect and care. While they don't always agree, the friends settle on the basic truth that purpose comes from simply engaging with life—and with each other.

Painted in a contemporary gongbi style, one of the oldest continuous art forms in the world, the atmospheric illustrations from Taiwanese American artist Regina Linke conjure a timeless, mystical land where the friends have made their home. The potent combination of magnificent art and gentle revelations will capture the hearts of readers, whatever their age.
Introduction

“You’ll never be a great gongbi artist.”

Having grown up through a supportive American school system in the 90s, I found this verdict, delivered so definitively by my painting teacher in Taiwan, surprising and harsh. Though he continued to advise me that I’d have greater opportunities if I developed my own style separate from tradition, I didn’t feel any better. It wasn’t clear to me how I would change the direction of my career as an artist.

I was thirty-five years old, living in my parents’ home again in a new city on the other side of the world. It was a place where I could navigate the matters of daily living but struggled to plumb the depths of cultural nuance. And it was here that my husband and I chose to raise our young son who was at an age where he demanded answers to some big questions on life and death, love and fear, fairness and forgiveness—basically, what it meant to be a human being. It was strange to be confronted with my own ignorance about such fundamental, universal topics; and it was in this crucible that I began The Oxherd Boy.

The three friends you’ll meet—the ox, the oxherd boy, and the rabbit—take shape around the Three Harmonious Teachings, which are the pillars of Chinese philosophical thought. We first encounter the boy, a character inspired by Taoism. He looks at the world without judging right from wrong, accepting both as a source of balance in the world. The ox, a strong and simple character who views the world through a Buddhist lens, joins the boy’s innocence with kindness. We all experience pain and suffering on this earth, and therefore, we are all capable of compassion. Lastly, the rabbit, representing Confucianism, comes into the fold. She is an active and industrious participant concerned with how we look after each other here on earth. Together, they help one another develop peaceful relationships with nature, their community of family and neighbors, and themselves.

As delightful as it’s been to create this collection with my son in mind, what I didn’t expect was how much the project would shape my own self-awareness and understanding. Working on The Oxherd Boy continues to inform and guide my own patterns as a parent, an emerging artist and author, and in general, a person engaged in the slow work of illuminating previously unexamined corners of her heart and mind.

As it would turn out, The Oxherd Boy became the book that I most needed to create for myself. But this world is for you, too. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.
Copyright © 2024 by Regina Linke. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Regina Linke is a Taiwanese American artist specializing in contemporary Chinese gongbi painting, an ancient form of brush painting that depicts narrative subjects in colorful high detail. She writes and illustrates stories that celebrate East Asian folklore and philosophy in an accessible and modern way. She lives with her family in Westerly, Rhode Island. View titles by Regina Linke

Discussion Guide for The Oxherd Boy

Provides questions, discussion topics, suggested reading lists, introductions and/or author Q&As, which are intended to enhance reading groups’ experiences.

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

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About

Inspired by thousands of years of Chinese thought, an enchanting and heart-opening illustrated fable about a young boy who explores the many ways to make meaning and find joy in the everyday.

Sometimes you can only do a small, small thing. And that can make all the difference.

In this exquisitely illustrated parable grounded in the three pillars of Chinese philosophy, a young boy, his family ox, and a rabbit living in his garden help each other navigate the daily work of love, compassion, and community. Examining the world through the lenses of Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism, their conversations convey tender, uplifting messages for life's various crossroads.

As they adopt a sparrow, bathe in rivers, comfort their neighbors, and tend to their chores, the characters’ different perspectives are reflected in their conversations: the boy’s Taoist love of nature and all it entails, the ox’s Buddhist compassion for others, and the rabbit’s Confucian practice of mutual respect and care. While they don't always agree, the friends settle on the basic truth that purpose comes from simply engaging with life—and with each other.

Painted in a contemporary gongbi style, one of the oldest continuous art forms in the world, the atmospheric illustrations from Taiwanese American artist Regina Linke conjure a timeless, mystical land where the friends have made their home. The potent combination of magnificent art and gentle revelations will capture the hearts of readers, whatever their age.

Excerpt

Introduction

“You’ll never be a great gongbi artist.”

Having grown up through a supportive American school system in the 90s, I found this verdict, delivered so definitively by my painting teacher in Taiwan, surprising and harsh. Though he continued to advise me that I’d have greater opportunities if I developed my own style separate from tradition, I didn’t feel any better. It wasn’t clear to me how I would change the direction of my career as an artist.

I was thirty-five years old, living in my parents’ home again in a new city on the other side of the world. It was a place where I could navigate the matters of daily living but struggled to plumb the depths of cultural nuance. And it was here that my husband and I chose to raise our young son who was at an age where he demanded answers to some big questions on life and death, love and fear, fairness and forgiveness—basically, what it meant to be a human being. It was strange to be confronted with my own ignorance about such fundamental, universal topics; and it was in this crucible that I began The Oxherd Boy.

The three friends you’ll meet—the ox, the oxherd boy, and the rabbit—take shape around the Three Harmonious Teachings, which are the pillars of Chinese philosophical thought. We first encounter the boy, a character inspired by Taoism. He looks at the world without judging right from wrong, accepting both as a source of balance in the world. The ox, a strong and simple character who views the world through a Buddhist lens, joins the boy’s innocence with kindness. We all experience pain and suffering on this earth, and therefore, we are all capable of compassion. Lastly, the rabbit, representing Confucianism, comes into the fold. She is an active and industrious participant concerned with how we look after each other here on earth. Together, they help one another develop peaceful relationships with nature, their community of family and neighbors, and themselves.

As delightful as it’s been to create this collection with my son in mind, what I didn’t expect was how much the project would shape my own self-awareness and understanding. Working on The Oxherd Boy continues to inform and guide my own patterns as a parent, an emerging artist and author, and in general, a person engaged in the slow work of illuminating previously unexamined corners of her heart and mind.

As it would turn out, The Oxherd Boy became the book that I most needed to create for myself. But this world is for you, too. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.
Copyright © 2024 by Regina Linke. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Author

Regina Linke is a Taiwanese American artist specializing in contemporary Chinese gongbi painting, an ancient form of brush painting that depicts narrative subjects in colorful high detail. She writes and illustrates stories that celebrate East Asian folklore and philosophy in an accessible and modern way. She lives with her family in Westerly, Rhode Island. View titles by Regina Linke

Guides

Discussion Guide for The Oxherd Boy

Provides questions, discussion topics, suggested reading lists, introductions and/or author Q&As, which are intended to enhance reading groups’ experiences.

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

Read More

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