Jimmy Liao

Jimmy Liao(Chinese Name: Lao Fu-Bin, 廖福彬, born November 15, 1958) is a famous Taiwanese illustrator as well as a picture book writer. The name Jimmy, pronounced just like “幾米” in Chinese, is his English first name, brought about his Chinese pen name, 幾米. After graduating from Chinese Culture University in which he majored in art, Jimmy worked in an advertising company for twelve years, and then he worked as an illustrator for newspapers, magazines, and other printed things. In 1998, his picture books, Secrets In The Forest(森林裡的秘密) and A Fish With A Smile (微笑的魚) was published in Taiwan. The two books earned him several book awards and were regarded as “The Best Children’s Books” in several Chinese newspapers, such as The China Times, Min Sheng Bao, and United Daily News. His picture book “Turn Left, Turn Right”(向左走, 向右走), which was published in 1999, was voted “One of the Ten Most Influential Books” in Taiwan by KingStone Bookstone. This leads to more Taiwanese writing picture books. Jimmy’s books have been translated into dozens of languages and sold around the world. Some book critics hold that his works usually reveal a little loneliness by delicate touches through the brushes, which have become the public’s favorite. Some of Jimmy’s picture books have been adapted for theater, movie, television, and animation. Many characters in his picture books have come to dolls and pictures on other authorized products.

Jimmy used his paintbrushes to depict his dreams and thus made many fans crazy for him. Despite his sudden fame, he is still a shy and kind man of middle age. He prefers simple family life, not showing off at all.

Jimmy is shy and introverted, not good at talking, but he has felt what happened with the people and things around him through his sharp mind. By painting, he expressed his feelings and thoughts about the big world. His creativity has made his works of various appearances, allowing people to walk into his inner world. Jimmy’s stories in picture books caused the readers to see and believe in the beauty and goodness in the world, and meanwhile, they reflects many things in the modern life. Therefore, every reader can identify themselves with people in the books and felt comfortable in their hearts. That is why Jimmy’s works are fantastic.