The Big Universe / 大宇宙

The Big Universe / story written and illustrated by Weichuen You 

吳妞妞去年生日得到我做的繪本「用心聆聽的公主」，今年妞妞媽邀我去生日派對時，剛好我的良心又被喚醒，想到我已經好幾個月沒有認真畫圖，不禁感到羞愧，我覺得這是上帝給我的好機會，於是我以幫妞妞準備六歲的繪本為目標。

Nio got my handmade picture book The Listening Princess last year for her birthday. This year when Nio's mom Daphne invited me to her 6-year-old birthday party, my conscience was roused. I actually felt ashamed about not having drawn any picture book for months. I took this as a great opportunity from God for me to reform myself. So I decided to make another picture book for Nio.

        這一個月接觸到很多小朋友，我想不通為什麼小朋友小時候那麼喜歡畫圖，長大之後全都變成一堆愛滑手機的成人，為什麼上學之後反而變得沒有創造力，我希望要上小學的妞妞可以保留愛畫圖的心，還有很多可愛的特質。

   I've seen a lot of kids this month. I can't figure out how come these children, who draw so instinctively, will turn into a bunch of boring adults who can do nothing but touch their mobile screens all the time. I wonder if school deprives them of their creativity too. I hope Nio, who is going to elementary school in fall, will draw forever and be a child at heart forever.

        我用了之前沒有嘗試過的形式來做這本書，連盒子都是我實驗數遍才做成功的。

   This time I tried a new form of handmade books, which is called "step book." The box was also completely handmade.

Your ears hear the raindrops dancing. 

You love to smell the fragrance of flowers. 

When you smile, stars all light up.

Your hugs sooth sad Dad and Mom.

You are as free as the wind. 

You are curious about everything. 

You are a grown-up in many ways. 

You've conquered many mountains and oceans. 

Don't buy their words when adults tell you, 

"You've never been anywhere!" 

Buttoning your shirt might be a little bit challenging, 

but you're almost there!

Mosquitoes are not scary at all, no. 

Don't let them take away your imagination! 

Don't believe that 

your hand is too small to make any difference. 

You are not an ant. 

You are not merely a little star. 

Please don't cover your sensitive nose. 

Don't block your ears either. 

Because you are the big universe of a six-year-old.

You have stars, the moon and the sun. 

Don't believe that you are just a tiny six-year-old child. 

        做完繪本我再次領悟到一直知道卻暫時忘記的事：不管世界或生活怎麼變，我只要專心於喜歡做的事，很多孩子就會來到我的身邊。

   A truth which I'd always known dawned on me again after I was done with the book: However the world or my life changes, all I have to do is concentrate on what I love to do, and then many kids will come to me.