Published picture book · 2025

The Grassland Mother: The Story of Duoguima

The true story of Duoguima, who at nineteen helped care for twenty-eight young children sent to Inner Mongolia during a time of hardship.

A mother guides a long line of children across an open grassland

About the book

Through illness, cold, and long separation from their families, Duoguima cared for the children and became their Eji—their grassland mother.

Artist’s note

The paintings of the Mongolian artist Chao Ge have long shaped how I see the grassland—its open distance, quiet light, and the presence of people within it. While working on this book, I kept returning to that sense of space, trying to let the landscape hold Duoguima’s story with calm and dignity.

Selected illustrations

A selection from the book.

The Grassland Mother: The Story of Duoguima — selected illustration 1

The Grassland Mother: The Story of Duoguima — selected illustration 2

The Grassland Mother: The Story of Duoguima — selected illustration 3

The Grassland Mother: The Story of Duoguima — selected illustration 4

The Grassland Mother: The Story of Duoguima — selected illustration 5

The Grassland Mother: The Story of Duoguima — selected illustration 6

The Grassland Mother: The Story of Duoguima — selected illustration 7

The Grassland Mother: The Story of Duoguima — selected illustration 8

The Grassland Mother: The Story of Duoguima — selected illustration 9

The Grassland Mother: The Story of Duoguima — selected illustration 10

The Grassland Mother: The Story of Duoguima — selected illustration 11

The Grassland Mother: The Story of Duoguima — selected illustration 12

The Grassland Mother: The Story of Duoguima — selected illustration 13

The Grassland Mother: The Story of Duoguima — selected illustration 14

Project details

Jieli Publishing House
Illustrations by Zhenjun Liu