Telling Stories Without Words: Guojing and the Language of Images
by Lucy Xi Lin and Guojing • Jun 3, 2025 • 2-min read
Images can transcend language barriers and become a universal language that connects us all.
Background
Guojing, also known as 郭婧, is an author of picture books and graphic novels. She is renowned for her award-winning wordless picture book, The Only Child, which has garnered several international awards. The book was included in the year-end best books lists of The New York Times, Publishers Weekly, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today in 2015. In addition to The Only Child, she has published other books, including Stormy in 2019 and a graphic novel titled The Flamingo in 2022. Her new graphic novel, Oasis, was published in 2025.
Xi Lin (XL): What inspired you to create such visually stunning, wordless stories? How do you feel the use of art without text enhances the emotional impact of your stories?
Guojing (GJ): I believe everyone has their own way of expressing emotions and thoughts — some through music, dance, images, or words. Today, with so many forms of expression available, creativity has become even more diverse. I chose visual storytelling because it feels natural and fills me with passion. The first time I truly realized the power of graphic novels was when I encountered Shaun Tan's masterpieces — and I've admired him ever since.
Visual narratives can deliver a strong emotional impact through the rhythm of panels and the flow of composition. In this boundless imaginary world, I get to be both the director and the dreamer, and that gives me endless joy. The purpose of narrative imagery is to convey emotions and storylines in a way that is more direct and visually powerful. Images can transcend language barriers and become a universal language that connects us all. At the same time, they offer a different kind of imaginative experience — one that words alone cannot fully capture.
XL: How does your East Asian background inspire your creative work?
GJ: The environment and culture I grew up in have shaped me in ways I'm often unaware of. They may be sources of my inspiration. I incorporated lines from the traditional Chinese poem "Shuidiao Getou" (水调歌头) in my graphic novel, Oasis, to express the children's deep longing for a family reunion. In the poem, the moon's waxing and waning symbolize the cycles of separation and reunion, mirroring the children's emotions in the story. However, I try not to let my cultural background become a limitation or label. I see it as one of many lenses through which I create rather than a fixed identity. I aim for my work to transcend cultural boundaries, eliciting universal human emotions and experiences that resonate across different cultures and contexts.
XL: Are there any particular themes or messages that you hope readers take away from your work?
GJ: I usually prefer not to confine readers to a particular theme or message of a book. Beyond offering an enjoyable reading experience, I hope to leave the readers with space and freedom to find their own imagination and meaning. My role is to offer a mirror-like vessel — something that reflects the reader back to themselves. Sometimes, I find readers discover insights I never anticipated, and their interpretations, in turn, inspire me. For example, in my first picture book, The Only Child, some readers found the moment when the character swims out of the whale as a symbol of rebirth — a meaning I hadn't considered during the creative process.
I feel incredibly lucky to create children's books — it's as if I've found my own "Peter Pan," allowing me to remain forever a child at heart in a complicated world.