Ken Mochizuki, illustrated by Dom Lee
Be Water, My Friend / The Early Years of Bruce Lee
Lee & Low, 2006

Ages 4-8

Bruce Lee's rise to Hollywood stardom was cut short at the early age of 32.  This biographical picture-book gives an account of his childhood up to the age of 18, when he left Hong Kong to return to San Francisco, where he was born.  His father was a member of Hong Kong's Cantonese Opera company and Bruce himself was a born performer.  However, what will strike an affinity with many of the book's readers is that as a boy he struggled.   He does not do well at school, because he cannot sit still, although the story emphasises his love of reading; and as he gets older, he gets into fights, which eventually lead to his being in trouble with the police.  He is fortunate: he has the chance to learn from his mistakes and start afresh.  He also has a dedicated martial arts instructor, Yip Man, who not only teaches him the physical moves, but also leads him towards self-understanding and recognition of the 'gentleness and yielding' and discipline of his martial arts. 

Dom Lee has reduced his palate even further than the muted tones of his previous collaborations with Ken Mochizuki, to shades of brown.  There is however, plenty of finely-tuned detail in the pictures to hold the attention of even very young readers.  The shading, particularly the light, lends itself well to the contrasts between busy, peopled scenes and close-up focus on Bruce's hands: for example, letting the water flow through them during his moment of self-discovery.  The illustrations reflect Bruce's character as conveyed in the story — where he is being told-off by his mother, he listens, but his fist is clenched and you know that the message is not really going in!  Later, when being questioned as to his commitment by Yip Man, his stance is more relaxed and open to what he is hearing.   Young readers may not be able to analyse this but they will absorb it subconsciously and the message of the book will be as much conveyed by the 'harmony' of the pictures as by the text.

From an adult perspective, Bruce Lee is perhaps an uncomfortable role model but there is much that is positive to be gleaned from this story, especially for older children who, like Bruce Lee, struggle with traditional school environments in which it's difficult to thrive, and it is a good read, particularly for boys who may generally be reluctant to pick up a book.

Marjorie Coughlan
January 2007