Paper Son

The Inspiring Story of Tyrus Wong, Immigrant and Artist

By: Julie Leung

Narrated by: Feodor Chin

Length: 13 mins

Publisher's summary

Winner of the American Library Association's 2021 Asian/Pacific American Award for Best Picture Book!

An inspiring biography of animator Tyrus Wong, the Chinese-American immigrant responsible for bringing Disney's Bambi to life.

Before he became an artist named Tyrus Wong, he was a boy named Wong Geng Yeo. He traveled across a vast ocean from China to America with only a suitcase and a few papers. Not papers for drawing - which he loved to do - but immigration papers to start a new life. Once in America, Tyrus seized every opportunity to make art, eventually enrolling at an art institute in Los Angeles. Working as a janitor at night, his mop twirled like a paintbrush in his hands. Eventually, he was given the opportunity of a lifetime - and using sparse brushstrokes and soft watercolors, Tyrus created the iconic backgrounds of Bambi.

Julie Leung perfectly captures the beautiful life and work of a painter who came to this country with dreams and talent - and who changed the world of animation forever.

©2019 Julie Leung (P)2021 Listening Library

Critic reviews

"A beautiful, must-read tribute to hardworking families and the magic they create." (Kirkus, starred review)

"[A] gorgeous picture book biography about an unsung hero of animation and Chinese American history." (Booklist, starred review)

“Confidential, fluid prose deftly captures the stress and strangeness of his immigration experience and his artistic blossoming and impact.... A window into the troubled history of transpacific immigration and a look at a long-undersung contributor to our visual landscapes.” (Bulletin)

“A well-told story that spotlights the too-often unrecognized talent and contributions of America’s immigrants.” (School Library Journal)