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Kirkus Reviews Apr. 15, 2025, review of Huang, Yinfan: YELLOW SINGING SAIL.
School Library Journal vol. 71 no. 5 May, 2025. Abdul, Alicia. , “HUANG, Yinfan. Yellow Singing Sail: A Memoir of an Only Child in China.”.
Booklist vol. 121 no. 19-20 June, 2025. Thornburgh, Rebecca. , “Yellow Singing Sail: A Memoir of an Only Child in China.”. p. 58.
Until she was twenty-two, Yinfan lived in Guangzhou, a city in southern China, with her nuclear family. She was born in Xintian, a small town in Hunan County, where she lived until the age of six. Although she spent most of her childhood in Guangzhou, she has always considered herself a proud Hunanese rather than Cantonese. To fit in, she picked up both Mandarin and Cantonese—languages she learned not by choice, but by necessity.
At twenty-two, she moved to the United States on her own, barely speaking English. Now based in New York City, she works as a cartoonist for The New Yorker and The New York Times, writing and drawing in a language she once struggled to speak. Despite the distance from where she began, she has never felt more at home.
Her debut graphic memoir, Yellow Singing Sail: A Memoir of an Only Child in China, tells the story of her childhood and upbringing. It is available online and in bookstores.
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Artist Interview: Yinfan Huang
profile_yinfan
Meet Yinfan Huang. Yinfan is a freelance illustrator based in New York, creating whimsical and playful work influenced by world travel and folk art. She grew up in a city called Guangzhou in Southern China, and briefly studied animation and printmaking in Chinese college before she came to the US to pursue her BFA in illustration at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. She has worked for clients such as 3M, Anorak Magazine, Children's Theater Company, and more.
We're excited to chat with Yinfan about her inspirations, travels, ongoing projects, and more! We have had the pleasure of working with Yinfan for the Smart exhibition, Anymistics, and presently Patches + Stitches. We'll talk about her interest in textiles and soft sculpture, and details about her piece for the Stitches side of the Patches + Stitches show. You can see more of Yinfan's work on her website as well!
Tell us about your workspace! How does your environment affect your creativity?
Because I work traditionally, having a quiet workspace with lots of light is important for my practice. Right now my workspace is in the living room and bedroom of my apartment. It is perfect for my current situation, but I would love to have a separate studio someday.
studio_yinfan
Your work focuses heavily on playful colors and textures. What is your approach to using materials to accomplish this?
I have a deep appreciation for everything handmade, so I want to keep the tactile quality in my work. Colored pencil has a soft feeling to me and I like to use it for illustration. I also use materials like wool, felt, and clay for my 3D work- they just feel natural for me to work with. Even for my digital work I tried to keep the handmade touch. I like bright and playful colors, which make me feel happy, and I hope my work makes people happy as well.
There is a sense of happiness and innocence in your creations. How do you get inspired and stay motivated to make your work?
I get inspired a lot by the places I live in. Walking in the city and taking the subway provide me with endless inspiration. Although I have spent most of my life living in big cities, the early years of my childhood living in a small town has played a big role in my life. I still connect deeply with nature and animals, I think that’s why my work has an innocent feeling to it.
Yinfan Huang_Fun Playing Cards
Moving from China, to Minneapolis, and now living in New York, has moving around influenced your work in any way?
Definitely! like I said before, I am influenced largely by the environment I live in. Moving to the US has broadened my horizons and made me grow as a person and an artist. Minneapolis is a beautiful city with great nature and nice people, which gave me so much freedom to play with my work. However, it got to a point where I needed to have more energy and a bigger art community around me, so I decided to move to New York. Living in New York has given me so much inspiration and my work has improved a lot because of that. I often have ideas when I was traveling, either on plane or train. I would like to travel more in the future, but moving is always a huge pain!
Now that you are located in New York, have you had any opportunities to collaborate with other creative people who live there?
I recently collaborated with my friend Xinyun Huang for my on-going creative project pomegrandate Boy. We took the life-size plush toy I made to different places in NYC and took pictures of him. We’ve made postcards out of these photos and we’ll sell them at the Renegade Craft Fair on June 27th which I’m excited to participate in- it will be my first craft fair in New York!
Who are some of your artistic role models?
Maria Kalman is one of my favorite illustrators I discovered when I first moved to the US. Her work is so innocent yet sophisticated with poetic text, which has inspired me a lot. I also like the art of Kiki Smith, Marc Chagall, Japanese textile designer Katsuji Wakisaka, Swedish graphic designer Olle Eksell,Marc Boutavant, Japanese designer Yoshie Watanabe. Just to name a few!
08.Yinfan Huang_Happy Wishes
Anorak Magazine, "Happy Wishes"
What has been your favorite project recently?
The UK children’s magazine Anorak recently asked me to do a two-page activity illustration for their Cats & Dogs issue. The illustration I did is called “Happy Wishes”, which was inspired by one of my personal illustrations called “ List of Happiness”. The art director gave me the freedom to design the whole double-page spread. I drew some happy scenes on the left side of the page, and put some empty boxes on the right hand side for kids to fill in with their own wishes. It was such a fun project to work on!
You work a lot with textile and soft sculpture. How does this kind of work relate to your illustration work?
I started making clay sculptures and plush toys when I was studying animation in China and we had to make puppets for a stop-motion animation. Years later, I first made a 3D piece for one of my illustration assignments in MCAD, which made me realize I could incorporate 3D materials into my illustration to make it look more interesting. I think my 2D illustration and 3D work inspire each other which creates a nice balance for me. I’m so glad I have something else to work with besides drawing on paper or on the computer, that way I will never get tired of doing illustration!
Yinfan_Cat Faces
Patches and Stitches is a show that will celebrate the beauty and breadth of textiles. Could you indulge us a bit about your piece for the Stitches side of the show?
Seoul Memories is a hand-embroidered piece I created based on a sketch from when I was traveling Seoul, South Korea in 2011. I remember I was sitting in a coffee shop near Ewha Woman's University and I drew a quick colored-pencil sketch of the view by the window. It was one of the best trips of my life and I think that drawing captured my impression very well. So I decided to transform my memories into a tangible format as embroidery. It was a challenge for me because this is my first time doing a fully illustrated embroidery, and I tried different stitching technique in this piece. It took me forever to finish but I am very happy now that it is complete.
Thanks Yinfan! You can see Yinfan's piece, Seoul Memories, at the upcoming Patches + Stitches exhibition, which will be happening July 3rd at 7PM at Light Grey Art Lab! You can also check out Yinfan's website or blog to see more of what she is up to!
7-Imp’s 7 Kicks #563:
Featuring Up-and-Coming Illustrator, Yinfan Huang
h1December 3rd, 2017 by jules
It’s a pleasure to have illustrator Yinfan Huang visiting today on the first Sunday of the month, when I tend to feature debut illustrators or those who have just graduated from illustration programs. Yinfan was born and raised in China but now lives and works in the U.S.
I am going to hand 7-Imp over to her briefly, because she talks below about her inspirations, work, and much more. Best of all, she shares some art.
I thank her for visiting.
Yinfan: My name is Yinfan Huang, and I’m a Chinese illustrator, based in New York. I’ve been living and working in the U.S. by myself for six years now. (Next year will mark my seventh year — eeek!) I really enjoy the freedom to be who I am here in the U.S., especially in New York City. I’m inspired by big cities, happy beats, and bright colors.
I wanted to become an artist, starting at age five. I have a drawing from then to prove this. (The title in Chinese reads: “When I Grow Up.”)
And I created my first picture book dummy when I was seven years old. It’s called “The Adventure Of A Kitty Cat.” It was a hilarious story about a lazy kitty who tries to grow fishes out of a tree. (I think I’ve always had a unique sense of humor.) I also had a strong sense of perspective and colors in my drawings when I was little. Even now, I still try to keep a child’s perspective and imagination in my work.
I am deeply committed to my vocation as an illustrator. So much so that I left China to pursue my passion in the United States, where I felt I would receive a quality education in my chosen field. Additionally, I knew that living in the States, and especially in New York, would give me access to one of the best developed illustration markets in the world. This has been a great decision for my life and my career. Not only have I been able to thrive here in my field, but I’ve also been deeply inspired by the energy of New York City.
I create all my illustrations by hand, primarily in colored pencils combined with some gouache and watercolor. I really enjoy working with my hands. I believe hand-drawn art is timeless and has a magical power to touch people’s hearts and souls in this fast-paced digital world. Some children’s illustrators I really admire are Christian Robinson, Carson Ellis, Julie Morstad, Isabelle Arsenault, and Laura Carlin.
Aside from doing illustrations, I like to make functional and artistic ceramics and sell them at craft fairs and online. I have a side business, In Fun Handmade, dedicated to that. I also create comic strips, inspired by my life living in New York City and my tuxedo cat, Sesame.
(Click here to see more of Yinfan’s comics)
After graduating from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 2014, I started out by doing editorial illustrations for adult and children’s magazines. I’ve been very fortunate to meet some great art directors, who gave me lots of freedom and let me experiment with my work. Being an editorial illustrator has trained me to work fast under tight deadlines, which I find very helpful. But deep down in my heart I know children’s books are my true love.
Illustration for an article in PLANADVISER, May/June 2017
Illustration for an article in Plansponsor Magazine, 2016
Last year, I illustrated my first children’s book, Stories of My Dad [see art here], a novel by Chinese author Sifan Mei, based on her personal stories growing up with her dad (who is a renowned children’s writer in China). When I got the manuscript from the Chinese publisher, I felt an instant connection with the stories. I teared up when I read the chapter where Sifan’s dad sent her off to study in France. It was so relatable. The book has been released in only China thus far.
Earlier this year, the second children’s book I illustrated, a translated version of Helen Peters’ UK middle-grade novel The Secret Hen House Theatre [see art here], was released in China as well. I had lots of fun reading this story of a brave and passionate little girl, Hannah, and how she saved her family farm using her creativity. In many ways, I related to her. I truly enjoyed working on the book.
(Click images of interior art to enlarge each one)
I don’t get to visit China often, because of visas and all the hustle involved in international travel. My parents come to visit me sometimes — but not often (for the same reason). It didn’t bother me before, but I’m starting to miss China more and more. It’s hard to be apart from your own country and culture, especially one which roots deeply in you. I have many Chinese friends here in New York and I could get Chinese food easily, but it’s just different. I very much miss reading physical Chinese books. Working with clients and books from China has helped me connect with my culture and ease my homesickness.
Right now I’m illustrating my debut picture book, which I’m super excited about. This time it will be able to reach American audiences. One day, I hope to be an author-illustrator and write stories that are important to me and to create timeless, authentic picture books that will inspire and impact both children and adults. For now, I’m very happy to be an illustrator and tell stories through my visual language.
All images used by permission of Yinfan Huang.
Note for any new readers: 7-Imp’s 7 Kicks is a weekly meeting ground for taking some time to reflect on Seven(ish) Exceptionally Fabulous, Beautiful, Interesting, Hilarious, or Otherwise Positive Noteworthy Things from the past week, whether book-related or not, that happened to you. New kickers are always welcome.
* * * Jules’ Kicks * * *
I’m not gonna lie. The news has got me down, particularly the Senate and their tax bill vote. I’m trying not to feel hopeless about our country. But I can’t just give up here this week. I’m gonna do my best to find kicks, and I hope you’ll join me.
1) Beautiful new holiday music from Lowland Hum, pictured left.
2) “We will never be separated. WE ARE A FAMILY.” My daughters’ friend at their weekly D&D gathering when someone mentioned that the group might get so big, they’d maybe have to break into smaller ones.
3) Have I mentioned I really like my daughters’ friends?
4) Yinfan’s visit here.
5) Being reminded not to feel hopeless but to get angry and fight back. (Contact your representatives, please!)
6) Watching Elf with the girls. Again. It’s one holiday movie that doesn’t get old to me. (“It’s existential, yet it’s so accessible.” I’m totally gonna put that in a picture book review one day.)
7) Best of all, Blaine’s back after being away a whole week for a work training.
What are YOUR kicks this week?
Thursday, October 03, 2019
Interview with illustrator YINFAN HUANG
Let’s celebrate Yinfan Huang’s debut as a picture book illustrator: THE COUCH POTATO has just been published! Written by Kerry Lyn Sparrow, this book is laugh-out-loud funny and sure to be a big hit with children.
The story begins: “It didn’t belong there. No one knew where it came from. But there it was.” How does this family handle the appearance of a potato in their living room? “Sparrow and debuting Huang cleverly and inventively reaffirm a universal family truth: never underestimate how a little annoyance can quickly escalate into a laughably big deal.” Publishers Weekly
Continuing my series of interviews with illustrators from The School of Visual Arts, I hope you enjoy this "talk" with Yinfan about the creation of her delightful book!
It is exciting to hear about an artist's journey to publication. How did THE COUCH POTATO get started?
My agent recommended me to the editor of Kids Can Press, who was looking for an illustrator for the manuscript of The Couch Potato. And everyone thought it was a perfect match - the story is funny and quirky with dark-humor, which is exactly my style!
What was your favorite part of working on this book?
Doing character studies! I love drawing people and their expressions. And it’s a very interesting and unique book - I love the fact that the main character, Mr. Russet, is a stay-home dad, and the mom, Mrs. Russet, is a working mom. This is not mentioned in the text, but you can see that from the visuals and subtext. I love that the book challenges gender stereotypes.
And the most difficult part?
Researching/drawing all the “messes” in a creative, not disgusting way!
When the author and illustrator are two different people, people often wonder if you had contact or communication during the making of the book?
I didn’t have any contact with the author during the creation of the book, which is normal. I communicated directly with my editor, who shared my artwork with the author during the late stage, and she was very pleased!
Where do you live and what is your studio like? What are your art materials?
I live in a small studio apartment in Manhattan. Fun fact: I just got a small couch for the first time in my life and now I can’t fit my work desk in my apartment anymore! So I work at a co-working space now. I’ve been working a lot on the computer these days, and working outside of home helps me to concentrate, so the situation is perfect for me.
Before
and after!
For The Couch Potato, I used color pencils to create my art, plus some gouache and watercolor, and then I assembled everything on the computer. I’m not sure what I will do when I work with color pencils and paint again but my materials are very portable so I’m sure I’ll find a way to do it.
What were you like as a child? Did you always draw and paint since you were very young?
Yes! Ever since I was very young, I liked to draw and paint. In one of my earliest drawings when I was 5 or 6, I created this picture for a class assignment “When I Grow Up", of me painting as an artist!
Here is another picture, "My Friend".
And I created my first “book dummy” when I was seven years old. It’s called “The Adventure of a Kitty Cat.” It was a hilarious story about a lazy kitty who tries to grow fishes out of a tree. (I think I’ve always had a unique sense of humor.)
When did you decide you wanted to do children's books?
Growing up in China, I didn’t have much access to children’s books, let alone picture books. I first started to think about creating children’s books when I finished college in China. I started to read many foreign picture books which I found at second-hand bookstores, and they opened up a whole new world to me. I wanted to create my own stories but I didn’t know how. I didn't really take a step until later when I decided to move to the US to study illustration.
Did you have some rejections along the way? What have been some of the ups and downs?
Oh yes. I didn’t get to do my first picture book, The Couch Potato, until many years later, after changing my school, my career, and my country. I did have the opportunity to illustrate two middle-grade novels for a Chinese publisher after coming to the US, but I was really determined to get into the American children’s book industry. It was so competitive, and I knew I had to get an agent. I sent out many emails to different agents to get representation, and I got so many rejections. Because I started out as an editorial illustrator, I considered myself more of an illustrator rather than author/illustrator, and I had not yet finished a complete dummy before this first book! It was not a smooth journey, but it's all worth it!
Is there anything you learned back in class that has particularly stayed with you?
I think seeing the dummy books and sketches of actual picture books from you and the visiting artists were very helpful. I also enjoyed hearing your own experience working with different publishers and editors throughout the years - all these little tales and details made me feel close to the publishing world.
I also attended the SCBWI winter conference after taking your class. It was actually my second time at the conference. Nothing came out of the first one, but I decided to give it another try and prepared my portfolio with new work I’d developed throughout the year. Luckily, this time my agent (Sean McCarthy Literary Agency) found me at the Portfolio Review - so it all paid off in the end!
Do you have any special words of advice or encouragement for illustrators/writers starting out now?
Go to conferences and workshops, and connect with fellow illustrators/writers. Don’t give up!
To see more of Yinfan’s work go to her website: yinfanhuang.com
And her shop: infunhandmade.com
Born and raised in China, Yinfan Huang is a New York-based author and illustrator who creates joyful, whimsical work for children's books, magazines, brands and institutions worldwide. Some of her clients include the New Yorker, Flow magazine, Warby Parker and 3M Post-it Notes. Her love for children's books started at the age of seven when she created her first picture book dummy, about a lazy kitty who tries to grow fish from a tree. She came to the United States in 2011 by herself to pursue her passion for illustration and earn a quality education in her chosen field. After three memorable years in Minnesota, she moved to New York City to become a professional illustrator, where she is inspired deeply by the city and its people. She has since published several children's books and illustrated for children's and adult magazines in China, North America, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Her cartoons and comics have been published in the New Yorker in print and online since 2020. She has won prestigious awards from American Illustration, the Society of Illustrators and the World Illustration Awards. Yinfan lives in NYC with her two cats and two chinchillas.
Born and raised in China, Yinfan Huang is a New York–based author and illustrator who creates joyful, whimsical work for children’s books, magazines, brands and institutions worldwide. Some of her clients include the New Yorker, Flow magazine, Warby Parker and 3M Post-it Notes. Her love for children’s books started at the age of seven when she created her first picture book dummy, about a lazy kitty who tries to grow fish from a tree. She came to the United States in 2011 by herself to pursue her passion for illustration and earn a quality education in her chosen field. After three memorable years in Minnesota, she moved to New York City to become a professional illustrator, where she is inspired deeply by the city and its people. She has since published several children’s books and illustrated for children’s and adult magazines in China, North America, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Her cartoons and comics have been published in the New Yorker in print and online since 2020. She has won prestigious awards from American Illustration, the Society of Illustrators and the World Illustration Awards. Yinfan lives in NYC with her two cats and two chinchillas.
Awards
Graphic Novel
Yellow Singing Sail, 2025
Picture Books
The Couch Potato, 2019
Alumni '14
Education
BFA, Minneapolis College of Art and Design
Website
www.yinfanhuang.com
Social Media
Instagram
Current Career
Freelance Illustrator
Location
New York City, New York, USA
In a couple sentences, describe what you do for work and how you feel about it.
I'm a New York-based Chinese illustrator who creates joyful, whimsical work for children’s books, magazines, brands, and institutions around the world.
What was your major and how did you choose it? Was it the right choice?
I always wanted to study art, but It was not until my second year in Chinese college that I realized I wanted to study illustration. Later on, I decided to come to America to study illustration because I could not get the formal illustration training in China. It was the best choice I've ever made in my life.
The Secret Hen House Theatre illustration by Yinfan Huang
Tell us about your internships.
The summer before my junior year I interned at local paper-making studio Cave Paper where I collaborated on the regular production routine in the commercial studio to help make and design handmade paper for books and stationery. I was very drawn to papermaking and printmaking in college so it was really nice to learn how to make a piece paper from scratch and turn it into something both artful and functional. I also worked as a design intern for Alyssa Thomas (who is also an MCAD alum) at her studio Penguin & Fish during my senior year. I helped Illustrate and design seasonal product collections as well as assisted her in the day-to-day business functions. I love the work Alyssa does combining her graphic design background and her passion for handicrafts, and working with her helped me get a sense of how to run my own business. I also learned some modern marketing techniques from Alyssa. That was a great experience which was helpful when I later started working as a freelance illustrator.
Has your work evolved since leaving MCAD?
Absolutely. My portfolio has become much more clear which direction I’m heading to and my craft has improved a lot since graduation. And I have learned the most comfortable and effective way for me to work.
Family Portrait illustration by Yinfan Huang
Do the Twin Cities offer many opportunities for creatives?
I think the Twin Cities have lots of great opportunities in terms of fine art and design, but the illustration community is a little small to me due to its location and size.
How do you network yourself and your art?
The perks of living in a big city like New York is that I can go to countless industry events and meet like-minded people there. Social media has become a great way for networking/promotion as well, but a face-to-face connection is invaluable.
Current obsession?
My tuxedo cat, Sesame. I even created a series of comics based on him.
What advice do you have for current MCAD students?
Use your time to experiment as much as you can, make friends, work hard.
Grad Spotlight: Yinfan Huang
Yinfan Huang creates playful illustrations, inspired by her world-travel experience and multi-cultural background.
The Guangzhou-born, New York-based illustrator and designer recently graduated from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, where she picked up a BFA in illustration – and more than a few words of wisdom.
As part of our ongoing graduate spotlight series, we recently got in touch with Yinfan to see what those words were, and to talk shop about her journey into illustration, commanding the way that she works and her love of handmade crafts among much more.
So Yinfan, tell our readers a little bit about yourself and what encouraged you to pursue a career in illustration.
Well I was born and raised in South China, and showed a strong interest in art from a young age; I was always drawing, as well as creating my own zines and newspapers, and I was known as the crazy doodling kid to my classmates. I was very lucky that my parents let me pursue art and even sent me to art classes, but the art education in China was very academic and strict then, which I didn’t like. And I ended up not getting in to a good art school.
I didn’t really know about ‘illustration’ until I was a lot older… not until my second year of college, maybe. In China, illustration – even now – is very new to people. Thanks to the Internet though, I was able to discover lots of great illustration and illustrators from all over the world, and I started to build my own understanding and taste towards it.
I spent a year creating my own art portfolio, and the idea of studying abroad occurred to me during that time. I had no friends or schoolmates back then who were also pursuing illustration or art as a career, so I was pretty lonely and did everything on my own anyway. I applied to art schools in America which was the biggest challenge and gamble of my life, not least because my English was so poor back then. Surprisingly though, all of the schools that I applied to got back to me, and I chose a school in Midwest America that offered me a scholarship.
I love the feeling of using my hands and getting to touch the materials. In a fast paced world, it’s important to slow down, and produce something that you have really put time and thoughts into.
Wow – what a journey! Now then, how would you describe your style to our readers?
I would say that I have a very playful and lyrical style, with a bit of humour and naivety.
And what techniques and materials do you tend to use?
I use a variety of materials in my work. I use gouache a lot in my traditional work, and then programs such as Illustrator and Photoshop to do my digital illustration and pattern work. For my 3d and textile work, I use fabric and clay.
To pick up on your 3d and textile work, I know that you have a deep appreciation for handmade crafts. What is it about handmade crafts that you enjoy so much?
I love the feeling of using my hands and getting to touch the materials. In a fast paced world, it’s important to slow down, and produce something that you have really put time and thoughts into. I also think that handmade work has the magic of pulling an audience close to the artist, even if you’re just viewing it on a screen – it’s eye candy!
I like to observe people and imagine their stories. I also strongly connect to the places I go to… I just moved to New York, and just walking on the street and taking the subway has given me so much inspiration already.
Where do you find inspiration for your work?
I like to observe people and imagine their stories. I also strongly connect to the places I go to, and that often later provides ideas for my work. I just moved to New York actually, and just walking on the street and taking the subway has given me so much inspiration already.
You recently graduated from Minneapolis College of Art and Design, correct? What aspect of your course did you most enjoy and why?
I took as many different classes as I could there – not just illustration classes – and I met many different people from different majors, which I enjoyed a lot. Just getting to take classes outside of my major, such as 3d and installation really broadened my mind.
It doesn’t matter what medium or technique you use, you just need to be very confident and command the way that you work.
Did you pick up any profound words of wisdom during your time there?
My illustration teacher, Allen Brewer, once told me that people want to see your confidence. It doesn’t matter what medium or technique you use, you just need to be very confident and command the way that you work. I always try to keep that in mind now.
Did you work for any clients or show in any exhibitions while at college?
Yes. In my junior year, I was extremely lucky to be commissioned by the 3M company to design a new collection of their post-it notes, and the final product got produced and sold in stores. That’s actually how I got in to the surface pattern field. I also had shows at Minneapolis-based gallery, Light Grey Art Lab. And I even curated two group shows while I was in school, which was so fun!
And what have you been up to since leaving college?
After I graduated, I did some freelance work for the Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis; I created an illustration and title art for its series of children’s plays, which was very fun and I hope that I can do more work like that in the future!
Do you have a dream brief, client or collaboration then?
I would be thrilled to publish a book with Chronicle Books.
Over here, Chronicle Books! And what about any upcoming projects that you might be working on now – anything in the pipeline?
I’m working on a children’s book, which I wrote myself. I’m also creating illustrations based on the characters from my senior year project, ‘The Runaway Pomegranate’.
We’ll keep an eye out! Finally, where do you hope to be in 5-10 years time?
I like to travel, so I hope to be travelling more… perhaps working as an illustrator and artist in the US or Europe.
yinfanhuang.com
This post is part of our ongoing Graduate Spotlight series. If you’re a recent graduate and would like to get featured click here to find out more.
Huang, Yinfan YELLOW SINGING SAIL Kids Can (Children's None) $16.99 6, 3 ISBN: 9781525305511
In this graphic memoir set in China, Huang documents her childhood move from rural Xintian to bustling, big-city Guangzhou.
In Xintian, young Yinfan is surrounded by family and nature and encouraged to explore, experiment, create art, and stand out. Once she enters primary school, however, she must tamp down her self-expression when she struggles with her schoolwork. Just as she's started to adapt, her parents find new jobs in Guangzhou, leaving her in the care of her grandparents. She eventually rejoins her parents. They initially share an apartment with relatives, who criticize everything from the way Yinfan brushes her teeth to how her mother washes the dishes. Later, they move to a ninth-floor walk-up, where she experiences a home invasion and meets, then loses, her first friend. Though marked by loneliness and uncertainty, these years in Guangzhou are also full of small rebellions, as when Yinfan passes notes in class and wears braids, which violate the strict dress code. Huang's bold, comics-style watercolor art, in shades of coral and jade, capture and confront Yinfan's youthful struggle to be comfortable in her own skin; while she doesn't shy away from humiliating or painful episodes, she also fully celebrates moments of joy. Simultaneously specific and relatable, Yinfan's story will resonate with readers still seeking their own ways to belong. Simplified Chinese text appears throughout, occasionally translated.
Honest, vulnerable, and full of heart.(Graphic memoir. 11-14)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2025 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Huang, Yinfan: YELLOW SINGING SAIL." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Apr. 2025. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A835106465/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=a26a0291. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
HUANG, Yinfan. Yellow Singing Sail: A Memoir of an Only Child in China. illus. by Yinfan Huang. 184p. Kids Can. Jun. 2025. pap. $16.99. ISBN 9781525305511.
Gr 5-8--Set in 1990s China, Yinfan grows up under the country's one-child policy, surrounded by adults with few kids around outside of school. School is about conformity, from the red scarf she must wear to the unisex uniform and standardized education she receives, even when she moves around for her parents' jobs. She's lonely and seeks friendship where she can, but it is a struggle when Yinfan dislikes many of her own attributes. Providing an opportunity to learn about a global culture during a specific time period, Huang shows readers through watercolor what it looked like for her in 1990s China. Few struggles were specific to her situation, and many feel universal, such as body image and feeling loved by family. The resulting story is an identifiable experience for readers to make empathetic connections on a personal level. The uniform visual approach with a red and green color scheme and rectangular panels creates consistency in the storytelling for readers regardless of their comfort level with the visual format. One noticeable issue though is the memoir's abrupt ending, which offers no real sense of closure. It is only in the author's biography that readers learn Huang moved to the U.S. at age 22 to pursue illustration. However incomplete the ending may seem, this snapshot of a lived experience remains invaluable. VERDICT Graphic memoirs are a fantastic way to capture the sense of an era and experience, and Huang does so masterfully, bringing 1990s China to life. --Alicia Abdul
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Abdul, Alicia. "HUANG, Yinfan. Yellow Singing Sail: A Memoir of an Only Child in China." School Library Journal, vol. 71, no. 5, May 2025, pp. 141+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A846210306/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=83cb8e9a. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
* Yellow Singing Sail: A Memoir of an Only Child in China. By Yinfan Huang. Art by the author. June 2025. 184p. Kids Can, paper, $16.99 (9781525305511). Gr. 6-9.
A sensitive and imaginative child, Yinyin struggles to navigate changing, often unpredictable or uncomfortable family situations and rigid, often inexplicable expectations at school, even as she dreams of finding genuine friendships and a place of acceptance for her artistic inclinations. Picture-book illustrator Huang presents a tender and thoughtfully crafted graphic memoir of her childhood in 1990s China. Through a poignant series of episodic memories--exulting in the gift of a new mechanical pencil, exploring new spaces during a lonely stretch of summer, expressing individuality by wearing a "rebellious" hairstyle, yearning to be seen by the cool kids from another province--Huang's perfectly curated, sensitive observations of her own varying, deeply felt experiences capture the shifting inner landscape of any child growing up between duty and daydreams. With a somewhat more naive style than she uses for her witty single-panel cartoons for the New Yorker, Huang fills her simple linework with washes of blacks, reds, and greens in orderly panels to evoke Yinyin's world: structured, limited, but always minutely observed, emotionally authentic, and often revelatory. Rooted in specific cultural experiences yet reflecting every kid's worries and hopes about feeling safe, finding friends, and feeling comfortable in one's own skin, Huang's honest and vulnerable self-portrait will resonate with tween and upper-middle-grade readers. An impressive and memorable author-illustrator debut from a promising new voice.--Rebecca Thornburgh
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2025 American Library Association
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Thornburgh, Rebecca. "Yellow Singing Sail: A Memoir of an Only Child in China." Booklist, vol. 121, no. 19-20, June 2025, p. 58. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A847198047/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=388535b4. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.