Some pages of the Little Mu Ke series by Xiong Liang, who is a fan of classical Chinese works, and gets inspiration from age-old Chinese myths for his illustrations.[Photo provided to China Daily]

On Aug 29, the first two books of the Little Mu Ke series were launched in Beijing, which is Xiong's first new work in three years. The books are also his first work after he was shortlisted for the Hans Christian Andersen Award for illustration in 2018, which made him the first Chinese artist to be shortlisted for the award since its inception in 1956.

Xiong, a fan of forests since young, wants to share his love for the forests with his readers. And he recalls a time of enlightenment when he was exploring a local forest while he lived in Canada years ago.

"Usually forest explorers have a safe line they draw to indicate where to stop," he recalls, speaking of that time, "but one day I did go a lot further, and a whole new world unfolded itself-layers of fallen leaves piled up on the ground, not trodden on by a human step; and when I whistled all the birds were flying down from the trees and squeezed on the floor to watch me."