On the Tip of a Wave: How Ai Weiwei's Art Is Changing the Tide

by Joanna Ho, Catia Chien (Illustrator)

From New York Times bestselling author of Eyes That Kiss in the Corners, Joanna Ho, and critically acclaimed illustrator, Cátia Chien comes a moving, powerful picture book about the life and work of activist and artist, Ai Weiwei.

He [Ai Weiwei] felt the life jackets and an idea curled and crested through his fingertips. The way it always did.



Told in Joanna Ho’s signature lyrical writing, this is the story that shines a light on Ai Weiwei and his journey, specifically how the Life Jackets exhibit at Konzerthaus Berlin came to be. As conditions for refugees worsened, Ai Weiwei was inspired by the discarded life jackets on the shores of Lesbos to create a bold installation that would grab the attention of the world. Cátia Chien masterfully portrays the intricate life of Ai Weiwei with inspirations from woodblock printing and a special emphasis on the color orange, the same color of the life jackets that became a beacon of hope. Through Cátia’s dynamic and stunning illustrations, we see how Ai Weiwei became the activist and artist he is today while proving the power of art within humanity.

Genres: Picture Books, Biography, Art, Nonfiction, Activism, Childrens, History

48 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 31, 2023

About the author

Joanna Ho Bradshaw is the author of Eyes that Kiss in the Corners (HarperCollins, Jan 2021), Playing at the Border: A Story of Yo-Yo Ma (HarperCollins, Fall 2021), and One Day (Winter 2023). She is a writer and educator with a passion for anti-bias, anti-racism and equity work. She holds a BA in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, and a master’s from the Principal Leadership Institute at Berkeley. She has been an English teacher, a dean, the designer of an alternative-to-prison program, and a professional development mastermind. She is currently the vice principal of a high school in the Bay Area, where she survives on homemade chocolate chip cookies, outdoor adventures, and dance parties with her kids. Keep your eyes open for more books to come!

Reviews

[Katie Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely beautiful! A wonderful look at how Ai Weiwei has used art to speak to human rights, prejudice and the struggle for freedom. The illustrations are stunning. I loved the use of orange in the midst of waves of blue. Ho does not hold back with regard to what Ai Weiwei has experienced as a child as well as an adult activist today.

Thank you to Orchard Books for the ARC received at ALA Annual 2023

[Felicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful if a bit of a difficult topic for children to grasp.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moving Picture Book

A moving picture book about Ai Weiwei and his art. I learned more about him than I knew. As I teach refugees, I’m happy to learn about his work about refugees. The US is getting more Syrian and Congo refugees just recently. They’ve been in camps for many years and it’s quite an adjustment. This is a beautiful book about a great artist who cares.

[Amanda Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't get me wrong, this is a great book. A necessary read. It was nominated for the 2025 Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award #WCCPBA so I'll be reading it to 370 K-5 students. I think I'll start at the back, but it will lead to so many questions.

[Jessie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly about Ai Weiwei's art about refugees, with some about his background and other art.

The main text is pretty general about Ai Weiwei himself; the concrete biographical information is mostly in the endnotes.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stunning picture book that shares how Ai WeiWei has created art, often on a monumental scale, using everyday objects to help people feel the plight of our fellow human beings. It starts with WeiWei assisting refugees from boats and follows how he used thousands of life jackets from that experience to cover massive building columns so people could feel the scale of the refugee crisis in Europe. Catia Chien’s gorgeous illustrations use the blue of the waves from that rescue and the orange of the life jackets throughout the story to pull Weiwei’s real life experiences through his art. Joanna Ho’s poetic text took my breath away. Look at this line: “He discovered dignity with his hands.” She writes it in reference to how Weiwei found a way to make art during and after his childhood in a forced labor camp. I think it is something many young readers will resonate with, this very tactile and human act of expressing yourself through your creations and connecting with others through art when they’re not understanding your words. Fantastic back matter puts the story in perspective of the global refugee crisis, including within the US, and has photographs of the art installations that Catia Chien illustrates in the book. What an amazing introduction to Weiwei’s art for children as well as a great way to get them thinking of how art can make a difference in understanding each other and improving human rights. Thank you to Scholastic for the chance to read early with an arc. Highly recommend!!

[Tracy Lander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!

It's Empathy Action Month and Non Fiction November. Read this! It's both.

Ai Weiwei's life alone needs to be read about - his family were not treated well in their homeland. I'm no artist and I really hadn't heard of him but his life and his art is amazing.

He stands up for what he believes in. Very importantly, he has become an artist and activist for those who were displaced from their homes. This book looks specifically at one art installation in his adopted homeland of Germany. In 2016 he used life jackets from those crossing to Lesbos, an island in Greece, to highlight the "wave riders" hopes for a better life for their family after taking a perilous journey by boat. Ai Weiwei was on the beach watching one such boat helpless until they reached the beach and he could help them.

The art installation made people remember.

This quote could be needed right now:

"Establishing the understanding that we all belong to one humanity is the most essential step for how we might continue to coexist on this sphere we call Earth. There are many borders to dismantle, but the most important are the ones within our own hearts and minds - these are the borders that are dividing humanity from itself"

Stunning story of the artist and this art installation, beautiful illustrations by Cátia Chien.
Thanks to Kiran at Scholastic for the copy.
TA, ESCP.

[Stephanie Bange · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fascinating introduction shines a light on the work of Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei, whose work was vandalized earlier today (9/24/24) at the opening of his solo exhibition in Bologna.

Growing up in a labor camp, Ai used art as his escape from the harsh realities of life. Many examples of his works of art are featured in this book about his art. The artwork often speaks for itself. Ho's lyric text gives context to it. Four pages of backmatter gives more information about his life and artwork.

Illustrations by Cátia Chien were created with pencils, pastels, and Photoshop. Largely in shades of blue, white, and black, orange is often added to give pop to each page. Why orange? That was the color of the life vests of refugees that he helped save and used in his work "Safe Passage", 2016.

An amazing way to bring this artist's life to the attention of children today.

Highly Recommended to include in studies of contemporary art collections and studies of art history for grades 4-9.

[Jj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent text and illustrations here, and I love the limited palette that is in use. But I do wish more attention had been given to readability. The text is difficult to see and distinguish on many of the pages, and issues like text size and contrast of color with/against illustrations come up on most spreads. However, the font chosen was perfect. I'd just love to see it enlarged and tinkered with in terms of color and position on some of the pages.

I do hope this inspires readers and especially young audiences to seek out more information about Ai Weiwei and his work.

[Christine Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it was too abstract. I wanted to learn about who Ai Weiwei was as I hadn't heard of him before, but I didn't get to do that until the informational pages at the end.

If you had switched the order of the information pages to be first and the story by Joanna Ho second, I would've enjoyed and understood the story more.

Other than that, I like the illustrations and what Ho was trying to get across to the reader. I just wish I knew who Ai Weiwei was and what he does and tries to portray through his art before reading the story.

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the Tip of a Wave may not captivate a child reading solo, but in the hands of a thoughtful elementary school art teacher, it could spark real creative exploration. Ai Weiwei’s reimagined objects—like a violin fused with a shovel handle or stools clustered like a bunch of grapes—offer powerful prompts for thinking about everyday things in entirely new ways. While the artwork is vibrant, the text leans poetic and abstract, so younger readers may need some guidance. Still, for classroom discussion about social justice or an art project launchpad, this book could be a quiet powerhouse.

[Raven Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

An activist artist and the powerful messages he has given the world about the injustices he has seen and knows is out there. You may or may not say his art is actually art, but it does make a statement. The illustrations on the other hand, are both creative, familiar and odd. The afterwards is a great compilation of all we saw, plus extras in a straightforward manner, in contrast to the more lyrical story.

[Kiera Beddes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't know much about Ai Weiwei, just enough to recognize his name. This picture book combines his artistry with his background to illustrate his activism. It was engaging enough that I want to learn more about him. I wonder at using this in the classroom as the teacher might have to do a bit of frontloading so students can understand it better, but I also see a lot of project-based learning that could be tied to the text too.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of the suppressed of China, Weiwei uses his art to help change the world. Hopefully we will all act kinder toward each other.
He has used abandoned life bests from Greek beaches, to surround the pillars of a German concert house and to make various large installations to attract attention.
Four pages of back matter.
"Establishing the understanding that we all belong to one humanity is the most essential step for how we might continue to coexist on this sphere we call earth." Ai Weiwei

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story itself wasn't as powerful as the message it wanted to send by profiling the artist/activist Weiwei who completed several influential art installations to draw attention to the dangers of immigrants fleeing their native countries.

The choice in style and presentation was all right, but nothing that moved me from the pages of the story.

[Peacegal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful, thought-provoking story that highlights the plight of refugees and the power of activist art to draw attention to an important cause.

I was pleased to see photos of some the actual art installations provided at the end of the book, along with more information about the artist and the issues he champions.

[Clackamas · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up. This was lovely. After I read it, I wanted to know more about Ai Weiwei. Once I'd learned more, I read it again and it made even more of an impact. I want to use this in a classroom but will have to think about how to do so. Parents get mad when we try to teach their kids empathy and such... :-(

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful story about artist Ai Weiwei who creates art to bring awareness to global issues around the refugee crisis. A powerful reminder that we cannot be complacent in those issues that surround us.

[Claire Wrobel]

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[Dolores · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful picture book biography about artist and activist Ai Weiwei.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A biography of artist Ai Weiwei that focuses on refugees' rights. I was not familiar with Weiwei before this and this was really eye opening. The author's note in back was especially interesting.

[Lucy Kirby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a great time learning more about Ai Weiwei through this picture book.

[BAM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant biography, beautiful illustrations

[Cara Byrne · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly powerful picture book biography of Ai Weiwei, an artist and humanitarian.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous, thought provoking book with limited palette art. I will be recommending it to my art teacher brother-in-law along with Ai Weiwei's graphic novel Zodiac.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent text and back matter. Great art.

[Ranell Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book to include in an art class!

[Anna Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

"When life gives you lemons, make lemonade" is a perfect way to sumrise this book.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tough one to rate. I agree with other reviewers that the informational section should have been first or better weaved into the story. I learned so much from that section!

[Lyla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was phenomenal. The illustrations was as unique as the words, which flowed so beautifully. I could picture everything perfectly. This book definitely deserves 5 stars.