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Leaf
In this wordless, all-ages graphic novel, our protagonist discovers a leaf that radiates a vibrant life. He returns to a meticulously wrought metropolis—depicted in somber grays and blues—and searches for answers. During his quest, he stumbles upon a man who knows what's really happening in the city's labyrinthine ducts; a woman who spends her life studying and classifying obsolete flora; and the truth about the ever-dwindling environment.
96 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2015
About the author
Daishu Ma
21 books12 followersDaishu Ma (马岱姝) is a Chinese illustrator working in Spain.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 131 reviews
February 11, 2016
Powerful and subtle Chinese silent graphic novel that reminds one of Shaun Tan's The Arrival in style, exquisite pencil drawings, muted allegorical story of industrialization and the need for light and color. A leaf, representative of the natural world opposing the oppressive urbanscape, emanates colored light in the dark city. There's an environmental theme as we see both the increasing loss of the natural world and the possibility, maybe even necessity, of the presence of nature in our increasingly stressful urban lives.
I see now that the back cover also mentions Chris Van Allsburg's Jumanji as another comparison, and that seems right, too.
Don't know silent graphic novels for all ages? Check out the three mentioned here or go to my GN-Silent list for suggestions!
Here's some of her work on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/daishu.ma/
and her website:
http://www.daishuma.com
I see now that the back cover also mentions Chris Van Allsburg's Jumanji as another comparison, and that seems right, too.
Don't know silent graphic novels for all ages? Check out the three mentioned here or go to my GN-Silent list for suggestions!
Here's some of her work on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/daishu.ma/
and her website:
http://www.daishuma.com
February 24, 2023
میتونین از اینجا کتاب رو قرض بگیرین برای یک ساعت و بخونین:
https://archive.org/details/leaf0000m...
اخیرا خیلی به گرافیک ناولهای بدون نوشته علاقه پیدا کردم و متاسفانه سخت پیدا میشن توی اینترنت. تجربهی جالبیه خوندنشون، مخصوصا این کار چینی از نظرم اثر قابل توجهیه.
https://archive.org/details/leaf0000m...
اخیرا خیلی به گرافیک ناولهای بدون نوشته علاقه پیدا کردم و متاسفانه سخت پیدا میشن توی اینترنت. تجربهی جالبیه خوندنشون، مخصوصا این کار چینی از نظرم اثر قابل توجهیه.
May 27, 2021
Amongst the humdrum day of the city autumn, where cables replace vines, lamps smother fireflies and factories obscure mountains, a young man finds a curiously glowing leaf.
An utterly exquisite, wordless story of natural beauty in a mechanical world. Although mostly printed in dull pencil grey, the book is splashed with serene and sombre blues and warming gold lights, adding a tranquil, at times cozy feel to the expressive faces and compact streets of our protagonist, making the greyscale all the more morose and lifeless whenever the fleeting colour vanishes.
As to the story, there is none to some extent, save our hero's quest to find the secret of his luminescent tree feather, but really the answer is irrevelevant. If I could sound like a complete ponce for a moment (rather than just a regular one), the story is less a narrative and more a sensation, invoking nostalgia, alienation and, crucially, hope. Hope of what, nostalgia for when and why we should feel so alone and isolated is never overtly stated, but the feelings it invokes are palpable and very universal. Although the setting is distinctly East Asian at times, the city itself can feel like any town, in any country, with its narrow alley ways, lifeless bricks, street hawkers and dreary jobs, but everywhere dimly glows with both real and false, but always comforting, little lights.
It's just bloody lovely. Read the damn thing.
An utterly exquisite, wordless story of natural beauty in a mechanical world. Although mostly printed in dull pencil grey, the book is splashed with serene and sombre blues and warming gold lights, adding a tranquil, at times cozy feel to the expressive faces and compact streets of our protagonist, making the greyscale all the more morose and lifeless whenever the fleeting colour vanishes.
As to the story, there is none to some extent, save our hero's quest to find the secret of his luminescent tree feather, but really the answer is irrevelevant. If I could sound like a complete ponce for a moment (rather than just a regular one), the story is less a narrative and more a sensation, invoking nostalgia, alienation and, crucially, hope. Hope of what, nostalgia for when and why we should feel so alone and isolated is never overtly stated, but the feelings it invokes are palpable and very universal. Although the setting is distinctly East Asian at times, the city itself can feel like any town, in any country, with its narrow alley ways, lifeless bricks, street hawkers and dreary jobs, but everywhere dimly glows with both real and false, but always comforting, little lights.
It's just bloody lovely. Read the damn thing.
February 7, 2017
Really gorgeous and interesting concept...it was a little unclear what was happening in some parts, but I think with longer time spent dwelling on the details, more meanings could be found.
February 26, 2023
You can borrow and read this graphic novel here online.
March 19, 2020
Gorgeous artwork, inventive and beautiful world, though I was somewhat puzzled by the story.
November 8, 2017
Shaun Tan’ın Uzak eserindeki gibi sözcük kullanılmamış. Çizimleri Uzak’a benzer ama daha basit denilebilinir. Hiç kelime olmadığı için Türkçe baskısını beklemek zorunda değilsiniz. Amazon ya da bookdepository gibi sitelerden alın derim.
June 18, 2021
Lovely and magical!
February 4, 2017
Beautiful, beautiful art, but the lack of dialogue made this a little too obtuse for me. This definitely requires a 2nd read as there was a lot that I just didn't "get" here, though I understood that it was an examination of technology vs nature and a critique of industrialization.
The artwork showcased here is *beautiful* though. Ma's style is very soft and uses pencils (or maybe charcoals) to draw these barren urban landscapes that are packed with detail. The judicious use of colour (blues and yellows) is used to good effect as well. The art alone makes it worth a "read" (it's a wordless comic, so you're not reading per se, but you know what I mean).
The artwork showcased here is *beautiful* though. Ma's style is very soft and uses pencils (or maybe charcoals) to draw these barren urban landscapes that are packed with detail. The judicious use of colour (blues and yellows) is used to good effect as well. The art alone makes it worth a "read" (it's a wordless comic, so you're not reading per se, but you know what I mean).
September 2, 2015
Lovely illustrations, but the story had little impact on me. I believe I am a person who needs a few words with my illustrations.
January 31, 2016
Recommended for fans of The Arrival.
September 27, 2025
[2.25/5]
[Book Riot Read Harder 2025 Challenge - Prompt 23 - Read a wordless comic]
This book itself looks like such an art piece, the librarian even commented on it during checkout! I love this art style in a graphic novel, with beautiful shading. I particularly found the expressiveness of our main character well drawn. I am not sure the story overall resonated with me; I felt it lacked some of the emotional clarity and depth that could have driven its message home. I don’t think this is because of its wordlessness. One of my top 5 books of all time is The Arrival, which this is often compared to. I don’t think that is entirely true, but it does have the same quiet loneliness. I’m sad this didn’t have the impact I hoped for but overall, beautiful art.
[Book Riot Read Harder 2025 Challenge - Prompt 23 - Read a wordless comic]
This book itself looks like such an art piece, the librarian even commented on it during checkout! I love this art style in a graphic novel, with beautiful shading. I particularly found the expressiveness of our main character well drawn. I am not sure the story overall resonated with me; I felt it lacked some of the emotional clarity and depth that could have driven its message home. I don’t think this is because of its wordlessness. One of my top 5 books of all time is The Arrival, which this is often compared to. I don’t think that is entirely true, but it does have the same quiet loneliness. I’m sad this didn’t have the impact I hoped for but overall, beautiful art.
July 2, 2026
Lovely art, but the story didn’t do much for me.
May 27, 2020
This reminded me of The Arrival, so of course, I loved it. I may incorporate it in my classroom as an alternative choice.
December 22, 2015
En bok som med sin ordlösa historia, allegoriska tematik, alternativa, lätt steampunk-inspirerade verklighet och mjuka, semirealistiska, sepiafärgade blyertsteckningar är tydligt inspirerad av illustratören Shaun Tan i allmänhet och hans hyllade storverk Ankomsten i synnerhet. Sämre förebilder kan man dock ha, och Mas serieroman står på egna ben. Berättelse är öppen för tolkningar, men handla övergripande om kontrasten mellan industrialismen och naturen, representerad av glödande löv som huvudpersonen försöker förstå sig på. Serien är vacker, med en enfärgad verklighet som bryts av visuellt av blå och gula element, som bär olika allegoriska konnotationer. Inte riktigt en fempoängare, men helt klart en av de bättre serieromanerna jag läst på ett bra tag.
English:
A book that with its wordless history, allegorical themes, alternative, steampunk-inspired reality and soft, semi-realistic, sepia pencil drawings are clearly inspired by illustrator Shaun Tan in general and his acclaimed masterpiece The Arrival in particular. But you can of course have worse role models, and Ma's graphic novel has its own merits. The story is open to interpretation, but seems to discuss the contrast between industrialization and nature, represented by glowing leaves that the main character tries to understand. This graphic novel is beautifully rendered, with a mono-colour reality that is visually interspersed by blue and yellow elements, which carry different allegorical connotations. The Leaf is not perfect, but it's definitely one of the better graphic novels I've read in a while.
English:
A book that with its wordless history, allegorical themes, alternative, steampunk-inspired reality and soft, semi-realistic, sepia pencil drawings are clearly inspired by illustrator Shaun Tan in general and his acclaimed masterpiece The Arrival in particular. But you can of course have worse role models, and Ma's graphic novel has its own merits. The story is open to interpretation, but seems to discuss the contrast between industrialization and nature, represented by glowing leaves that the main character tries to understand. This graphic novel is beautifully rendered, with a mono-colour reality that is visually interspersed by blue and yellow elements, which carry different allegorical connotations. The Leaf is not perfect, but it's definitely one of the better graphic novels I've read in a while.
October 2, 2025
I don't get it.
It's beautifully drawn. The gray drawings warmed up with the glow of yellow as the light jumps from object to object.
It's interesting to have seen the city grow out from the one house and then become a labyrinth of pipes on the sides and roofs of all the houses leading out towards the what, light factory? time factory?
I don't know.
wordless comics apparently can be about nothing and something all at once.
It's beautifully drawn. The gray drawings warmed up with the glow of yellow as the light jumps from object to object.
It's interesting to have seen the city grow out from the one house and then become a labyrinth of pipes on the sides and roofs of all the houses leading out towards the what, light factory? time factory?
I don't know.
wordless comics apparently can be about nothing and something all at once.
March 12, 2017
I wasn't that excited about this book. While the premise was interesting, I was never pulled into the heart of the story. The book is full of wonderful line drawings with intentionally sparse colouring that helps to focus your attention to allow better understanding of the wordless story. I can't describe exactly what was missing for me - the pacing seemed good.
July 18, 2018
From an art standpoint, I thought the illustrations were beautiful. From a storytelling standpoint, I am not sure what the book was about. I had to read the summary on the back of the book so I could get a handle on the plot.
July 11, 2026
Hadn’t realized I had already read this. The art is well done.
May 31, 2020
Leaf by Daishu Ma is a dreamily realized story that is told in silent panels and beautifully illustrated pencil. The artwork displays gorgeous renditions of both the natural and industrial world while also breathing life on the page that almost feels so perfect that it could be rendered in a 3D program with a pencil shader. It reminds me of My Favorite Thing Is Monsters with the level of detail and precision (but this one does not have writing).
The lead character finds a special leaf and goes on an adventure that ponders around the mixture of organic and manmade. Unfortunately, the actual panels are more interpretive than narrative. I learned more about the story when I read the description of the book after finishing. I got the broad strokes while I was reading, but I didn’t catch as much of the detail in the narrative.
Nevertheless, the book is a nice read. I’m glad I got it through the library because the art was amazing but the narrative was just okay, so I saved some money on that front. Check to see if your library has a copy either physically or digitally for a nice, pleasant read.
The lead character finds a special leaf and goes on an adventure that ponders around the mixture of organic and manmade. Unfortunately, the actual panels are more interpretive than narrative. I learned more about the story when I read the description of the book after finishing. I got the broad strokes while I was reading, but I didn’t catch as much of the detail in the narrative.
Nevertheless, the book is a nice read. I’m glad I got it through the library because the art was amazing but the narrative was just okay, so I saved some money on that front. Check to see if your library has a copy either physically or digitally for a nice, pleasant read.
October 17, 2021
"grainy" covers-> if sticker remover skip ex-library
China!
Despite the excitement of rare origin and wordlessness, this is confusing and boring. It's only a bit endearing. I'm not going to try to describe it and what it MIGHT "mean" so read the others' takes on that.
The art is a very good pencilfest of nature versus metropolis.
China!
Despite the excitement of rare origin and wordlessness, this is confusing and boring. It's only a bit endearing. I'm not going to try to describe it and what it MIGHT "mean" so read the others' takes on that.
The art is a very good pencilfest of nature versus metropolis.
May 26, 2021
Beautiful, but a little hard to follow in places! The description says “all ages” but I don’t think this is a picture book that young children would enjoy. Better for adults who are looking for something similar to Shaun Tan’s Arrival.
April 25, 2017
Liked the drawing style, but the story was a bit hard to follow.
July 8, 2020
Dull, mundane, boring... You get the picture.
August 2, 2020
3.5 stars rounded up. Lovely and mysterious and maybe just a little lacking? I feel like there was a large idea here that was somewhat imperfectly communicated. Although, perhaps that was intentional? A gorgeously rendered sad world that I’m sure is intended as a warning for our own.
August 3, 2021
A wonderful gentle adventure, illustrated in a style very reminiscent of my favourite book, Shaun Tan's The Arrival. I love how the silent storytelling encourages you to read slowly and really soak in every panel. Beautiful book. Will be re-reading it for sure.
July 20, 2023
3.5! lovely
January 7, 2022
gorgeous!!
January 22, 2025
Cute little book about a leaf and a man who admires it, looking through the city to see where natural things go. Not bad, and wordless.
November 13, 2015
This wordless graohic novel is an allegory of the modern factory-driven world. The main character finds a vital piece of the remaining nature, which sparks his curiosity and ultimately the revolt of the young character. The whole mixes poetry and action, not dissimilar from Shaun Tan's The Arrival. However, Leaf is placed in a distinctly Asian world, whereas The Arrival's is a more mysterious universe.
The allegory is simplistic, but heart-warming. Birds fly away. Boy has to choose between nature and industry. Chooses nature. Birds return. Unlike The Arrival, Leaf fails to create for me the suspense of will this succeed?
The world is well built. The mechanical world is present everywhere. The factory dominates the town and seems to draw all its energy, returning only glimmers used as traffic lights. Humans live in tiny huts, day-in day-out work, striving to keep the industrial powerhouse online. The factory has suction pumps everywhere, through which with the help of human feeders it consumes all nature.
The characters, while nice, are stereotypically Asian, if not Chinese. The lead character is a hearty boy. He is helped by an old master of the factory, and by the knowledgeable girl who became a farmacist. The old master gives advice when the time is ripe, and operates the factory's machines himself. The boy can take or leave the help, but is clearly ordered around. The young girl answers questions late in the evening. She lets the boy roam around the shop and attempt to solve the problems by himself. See the gender and role stereotypes?
The graphic style is very similar to Shaun Tan's, crayon, bleak, lots of detail. However, the drawings lack Shaun Tan's crafty finesse, and the alien details of Shaun Tan's world is missing.
The allegory is simplistic, but heart-warming. Birds fly away. Boy has to choose between nature and industry. Chooses nature. Birds return. Unlike The Arrival, Leaf fails to create for me the suspense of will this succeed?
The world is well built. The mechanical world is present everywhere. The factory dominates the town and seems to draw all its energy, returning only glimmers used as traffic lights. Humans live in tiny huts, day-in day-out work, striving to keep the industrial powerhouse online. The factory has suction pumps everywhere, through which with the help of human feeders it consumes all nature.
The characters, while nice, are stereotypically Asian, if not Chinese. The lead character is a hearty boy. He is helped by an old master of the factory, and by the knowledgeable girl who became a farmacist. The old master gives advice when the time is ripe, and operates the factory's machines himself. The boy can take or leave the help, but is clearly ordered around. The young girl answers questions late in the evening. She lets the boy roam around the shop and attempt to solve the problems by himself. See the gender and role stereotypes?
The graphic style is very similar to Shaun Tan's, crayon, bleak, lots of detail. However, the drawings lack Shaun Tan's crafty finesse, and the alien details of Shaun Tan's world is missing.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 131 reviews