Be Water, My Friend

September 18, 2006
More than three decades after his death at age 32, Bruce Lee (1940–1973) remains a martial arts legend. Mochizuki and Lee, whose previous works of historical fiction (Baseball Saved Us
; Heroes
) offered riveting perspectives on the Asian and Asian-American experience here trace the past of this fascinating figure, who straddled the cultures of Hong Kong and America. The team's narrative and artwork remain as vivid as ever; Lee's sepia-toned, almost photographically detailed illustrations set an album-like mood that perfectly matches Mochizuki's careful chronological account of Lee's life from his childhood in Hong Kong to his emigration to America at age 18. A bright boy and a voracious reader, Bruce was restless at school and teased by his peers until martial arts provided him with discipline—and a spiritual epiphany. Puzzled by his teacher's remark, "There is even gentleness in the martial arts," young Bruce finally understands it while sitting alone in a boat ("Water, the softest substance on Earth, could never be hurt because it offered no resistance. But with enough force it could break through anything in the world"). Mochizuki and Lee are compelling storytellers, but the facts of Bruce Lee's early years still pale in comparison to what he accomplished as an action movie star (briefly covered in an afterword). Still, the overall message of what can be accomplished, even by the least eager student, with dedication and passion, may well be encouraging to readers. Ages 6-up.