Yulu’s Linen
by Cao Wenxuan
translated by Helen Wang
illustrated by Suzy Lee
Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2026. 44 pages. Originally published in South Korea in 2020.
Review written September 30, 2026, from my own copy, sent to me by the publisher.
Starred Review
My favorite thing about this picture book is the luxurious feel of its pages. Let me explain:
Yulu’s Linen is about an eight-year-old girl who has been encouraged in her love for art since she was small. Her own father wanted to be an artist, but opened a fabric shop instead. He has gotten tutors and famous artists to teach Yulu, and now she is ready to make her first self-portrait.
When they go to the art store, the shopkeeper shows them a piece of the highest-grade canvas, already cut to portrait size.
It’s yu-lu-ma – rain-dew linen,” said the shopkeeper.
It was Yulu’s turn to smile. “That’s my name.”
The shopkeeper fetched the piece of rain-dew linen.
Yulu stroked it gently. “Dad, I like this one,” she said.
The canvas was originally ordered by a master in oil painting, but he moved away before picking it up.
Yulu happily takes the canvas home. She’s a little afraid to start painting, but she spends a week painting, and her parents are so happy with it, they invite their friends and Yulu’s art teacher to come see it.
But in the night, the paint runs and the painting is a mess.
Yulu does seven more tries, trying various things. Her mother throws away the canvas at one point, but Yuli recovers it. She’s determined. Apparently the canvas doesn’t want to be the background for a beginner.
With every try, Yuli drapes one of her father’s beautiful fabrics over the painting. But the final time, she tries something different.
And through the whole book, we only see the ruined paintings – until the final page, when Yulu’s self-portrait is smiling back at us.
This is an odd story. I’m not sure it has a message except persistence. But the art is beautiful and varied – with different angles on the painting and the characters in each scene. And the paper! I couldn’t find a note on what kind of paper they used, but it feels like linen, with even a feeling of a weave on the pages. The cover, too, is made of this luxurious high-fabric-content paper. It’s the perfect accompaniment to this story. I kept running my hands along the pages, and was haunted (in a good way) by the story when I closed the book.
It’s too bad this book isn’t eligible for the Caldecott Medal, but it should be eligible for the Batchelder Award, given to translated books originally published in another country. I’d love to see it on the list in January!
Find this review on Sonderbooks at: www.sonderbooks.com/Picture_Books/yulus_linen.html
Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.
Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but the views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.
Subscribe for more reviews and talk about books.
Join the conversation: What did you think of this book?