The book tells of Giant Panda and his friend, Little Dragon. They are a bit like Winnie-the-Pooh and Piglet if you will (just not by their character). They go on adventures together. Or they are just trying to get from A to B. The problem is that they often make mistakes and thus get lost. But don't we all? They sometimes need help or think of life in general and how to be happy, how to make it better. As we all should. Their musings are life-affirming and giving solace. This is the uplifting, beautifully illustrated story of two beloved friends as they journey through the seasons of the year together, into the wild, exploring the thoughts and emotions, hardships and happiness that connect us all. While the drawings have the charm of Winnie-the-Pooh, the captions have the depth of ancient proverbs' GUARDIAN Explore your surroundings with the inquisitive eye of Tiny Dragon, our friend who is big in heart if not in stature.

As with Milne's work, Norbury also banks on illustrations getting the point across and getting people interested (he even mentions it in his foreword). For me, it's the art that gives the musings that little extra boost. I mean, look at these two cuties: James Norbury, pisac i likovni umjetnik je na vrlo jednostavan, lijep, interesantan, kreativan i slikovit način uspio prikazati vrlo složene, tužne, teške, u biti životne situacije koje uz njega sagledavamo s osmijehom na licu. Misli su to koje su njemu pomogle tijekom najtežeg razdoblja života gdje svakako pomažu ilustracije, koje su stvarno lijepo nježne, jednostavnih, ali jako dojmljivih crteža. And yes, I got a signed special edition as you can see. Couldn't resist. Especially since it helps a relatively unknown artist with great talent. The charming, illustrated story of two friends, who travel through the seasons sharing the lessons they learn on their way; the perfect gift to uplift and inspire your loved oneslive in the moment- enjoy the small beautiful things- relax- don't give up- even the smallest steps are better than none- sometimes you need to have a break, so try again tomorrow

Norburry προτρέπει τον αναγνώστη να ζήσει τη στιγμή, ή αλλιώς να μην ξεχνάει να ζει προσπαθώντας να καταφέρει να τα βγάλει πέρα με τη ζωή την ίδια, αλλά και να μην καταβάλλεται από την αβεβαιότητα που περιβάλλεται σε κάθε πτυχή της ζωής του.

Retailers:

A guiding light in the darker months, Big Panda and Tiny Dragon is the beautifully illustrated and mindful journey of two friends through the seasons, inspired by Buddhist philosophy Friends Big Panda and Tiny Dragon journey through the seasons of the year together, day and night, in rain and in sun. Travelling through nature, they find hope and inspiration in the world around them, realising that even in the darkest of days, Spring will always return. Full of the Buddhist thoughts and teachings that helped the author/illustrator overcome some of his own darkest times, and presented in an engaging, illustrated format with two characters you can’t help but grow to care for, this is a book that will leave you feeling a little bit better about the world, and yourself, than you did before you read it.

Big Panda and Tiny Dragon will be published in the UK by Penguin Michael Joseph on 16 September. It features two friends, who often find themselves lost, but discover beautiful sights that they never would have found if they had gone the right way. Together, they overcome life’s obstacles. While the drawings have the charm of Winnie-the-Pooh, the captions have the depth of ancient proverbs: “‘What if I meet people who don’t like me or the things I do?’ asked Tiny Dragon. ‘You must walk your own path,’ said Big Panda. ‘Better to lose them than lose yourself.’” James has a way to speak to your soul. This book is nothing short of comforting and heartwarming' VEX KING The book is divided into 5 chapters, by the way: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring again (the illustrations above show one for each season). James Norbury has been living below the poverty line but now plans to ‘get a house with some land so I can start a sanctuary’.For almost two years, he spoke to callers to the Samaritans about everything from their depression to thoughts of suicide. “That’s one of the reasons I started doing the drawings. That’s perhaps why my pictures connect with people. I understand sadness.”