Symbolic Artefacts
In Tom and the Lost Colour Kingdom (Book Two), the Colour Children uncover a collection of mysterious variations of the Yin Yang symbol while exploring the many adventurous corners of Colour Village. Alongside the original symbol, six surprising variations await—each discovered by members of the Huh? Wow! Colour Council at extraordinary locations deep within the Colour Forest.
Yin & Yang
The Yin Yang symbol is one of the best-known symbols in the world. Originating in Chinese philosophy, it represents the dynamic relationship between apparent opposites, such as light and darkness, stillness and movement, or the feminine and the masculine. Together, the two halves form a single whole, showing that opposites can not only complement one another, but also depend on one another. At the same time, the symbol expresses the idea that these apparent opposites constantly flow into each other.
In Tom and the Lost Colour Kingdom, the Yin Yang symbol serves as the inspiration for six new variations, discovered by the Colour Children during their adventurous quest.
Question mark & Exclamation mark
Tom came up with this variation of the Yin Yang symbol. It represents the continuous interplay between asking questions and gaining new insights. A single question can lead to a surprising discovery, while every new discovery gives rise to fresh questions. Behind every exclamation mark, another question mark is waiting to be found—and behind every question mark, a new exclamation mark is waiting to emerge. We need both. Those who only keep asking questions may never find solid ground. But those who stop asking questions altogether become rigid and eventually stop growing. Perhaps this is, in its own way, a symbol of lifelong learning.
The small white exclamation mark within the black question-mark half can also be seen as the expectation of what the answer might be. Meanwhile, the small black question mark within the white exclamation-mark half represents the healthy doubt that asks whether the answer is really the right one. Perhaps that little question mark should never be ignored.
Man & Woman
This variation of the Yin Yang symbol can be seen as an illustration of the idea that no one possesses exclusively "masculine" or exclusively "feminine" qualities. To a greater or lesser extent, we all carry both within us. The same is true for people who identify somewhere between these two traditional extremes.
Perhaps this perspective encourages us to think beyond stereotypes. A billiards player, for example, needs both the power to strike the cue ball decisively and the delicate touch required to apply spin with precision. The qualities needed to succeed have nothing to do with a person's sex or gender.
Perhaps, like the universe itself, we all carry both of these symbolic "energies" within us—two complementary forces that together form a greater whole.
Old & Young
This variation of the Yin Yang symbol suggests that there is already an adult within every child—and that a child continues to live within every adult. Children can be remarkably wise, while adults can sometimes be surprisingly childish. Perhaps we are never entirely young, and never entirely old.
Or perhaps we are only ever as old as we feel?
Rich & Poor
This variation of the Yin Yang symbol suggests that being rich or poor is about more than the balance in a bank account. Those who possess a great deal may still lack things that money cannot buy. Meanwhile, those who own very little can be rich in friendship, creativity, or the joy of living.
Perhaps this symbol invites us to recognise wealth and poverty not only in financial terms, but also in human values. After all, love won't pay for a plane ticket, and empathy won't cover the rent. Yet somehow life often seems to work like this: you either have time but no money... or money but no time. 😉
Plus & Minus
As the famous Dutch footballer Johan Cruyff once said, "Every advantage has its disadvantage." Perhaps the opposite is true as well: behind every setback, an unexpected opportunity may be waiting to be discovered.
This symbol also suggests that a situation is rarely entirely positive or entirely negative. What feels like a disappointment today may eventually lead to something wonderful. And what seems wholly positive at first can sometimes reveal an unexpected downside.
Even in difficult moments, there is often still room for humour, beauty, or love. Perhaps this symbol invites us not to see the world in black and white, but to remain open to the other side of every situation.
Whole & Part
This final variation of the Yin Yang symbol illustrates how every whole is made up of parts, while every part simultaneously reflects something of the whole.
Take the alphabet, for example. It consists of individual letters, yet each letter also refers back to the alphabet as a whole. The letter A even derives its identity directly from the whole: it is the very first letter of the alphabet.
A set of teeth is made up of individual teeth and molars, each contributing to a complete smile. A band is made up of individual musicians, each bringing their own unique qualities while representing the band both together and individually. Without any one of its members, the band simply wouldn't be the same.
Sometimes, a whole is itself part of an even greater whole. The same is true of the Colour Districts, which many residents regard as their complete world. Officially, they are residents of their own district—but not yet citizens of Colour Village as a whole.
Through their 24/7 role-playing adventure, Tom and the Huh? Wow! Colour Council hope to inspire every villager to see the four Colour Districts and the Grey Centre no longer as separate wholes, but as equal parts of one larger, shared whole: Colour Village.
Quite a challenge!