Sylvan


The protagonist of this story is a mysterious creature with both cat-like and lamb-like features —

Little Cat-Lamb Sylvan.
Sylvan was born in a beautiful place called the Ginkgo Forest. Her mother, Ginkgo, prayed to the spirit of the ancient ginkgo tree for a new life to come into the world. And so, a single ginkgo leaf drifted down from the tree, and Sylvan was born.
However, just after she was born, Sylvan was carried away by a sudden gust of wind and became lost in a maze of giant puzzles, where she met Granny Lili. Lili raised Sylvan and watched her grow up. When Sylvan grew older, she wanted to leave the maze and explore the world beyond it, but along the way, she realised that she had lost Lili.






As Sylvan slowly journeys onward, she searches for both her mother and Granny Lili. She arrives at a wild strawberry land inside a glasshouse, where she meets a girl named Muir, who has experienced something similar to her. Perhaps Muir is another version of herself in this world. Muir has created her own world of paintings inside the glasshouse, but Sylvan seems to hear someone calling out to them. Together, they try to find a way out of the glasshouse.



In the fields of paper airplanes, they meet Lili again. Later, they arrive in the Amethyst Kingdom, where they find Ginkgo. While spending time with the Bajji-Chan family, they discover a strawberry heart. Along their journey, they meet a new friend, Silver Garlic Sprout, and travel to many places together. Silver Garlic Sprout’s dog, Shirley, is always by their side. Later, they experience Shirley’s death together.


Sylvan begins to think about the place where she was born — the Ginkgo Forest — and decides to return there in search of traces of life. There, they discover that Shirley has transformed into a stone statue, eternally watching over and protecting them. And deep within the forest, they seem to see a newly born little Shirley walking towards them.


Throughout her journey, Sylvan often catches glimpses of a mysterious figure in the distance. This is Kusahara, a friend from the grasslands. Kusahara is like the fleeting feelings that appear and disappear throughout a journey — happiness and sadness, moments of loss, and the feeling of saying goodbye. And yet, Sylvan knows one thing:

The rainbow will always lift everyone up again and again.



Hi, I am Yinmei!

I am an illustrator and an art psychotherapy trainee based in Edinburgh.

On this site, you can see my illustrations and my journey as an art therapist trainee. You’ll also find stories about Sylvan, the little cat-lamb, and the world she inhabits. Sylvan is a character I created who lives in my art world alongside her family and friends. Through illustrations, comics, and picture-book stories, I invite you to explore their little world and the stories within it. I hope you enjoy your time here.  :)


©Crosskitten