This project is my first long-term picture book. In fact, the outline of the story has been developed five years ago. Since then, I have been polishing the story structure and my own skills, and the story has finally been realized in 2020. After lots of tweaking and even overhauling, the protagonists remain the same: a pair of circus friends, a marmot and a little boy. All pictures are drawn by hand with composite materials, and I have also explored some different techniques and ways of expressions. Since the story is related to a certain cultural environment such as knights, kings and clowns, the overall illustration style aims to be classical and retro.

The marmot and the little boy used to be a close, glamorous pair. But as the challenges of fate emerged and the king's command separated them briefly, they began to have different expectations for the future, and then embarked on completely different paths. In fact, if they had everything went smoothly, there might not be much growth, so I gave them their own challenges. These challenges seem to be external, but actually, they were caused by their own inner selves, all due to ego and self reinforcement. The marmot and the little boy were both stuck in their own minds. Only when they finally got frustrated and had to face themselves, did they realize their limitations and the importance of each other. In the end, they were able to forgive each other and continue to grow together.

I love stories about growth, so I cherish the marmot and the little boy I created. I think they embody something I often experience in my life: separation and conflict with those close to me, and the forgiveness and reconciliation afterwards. I have gone through a lot of separations and choices during this project, some of which still influence me a lot, and I hope this story will inspire others as well as myself.