Reading Is Growing

by Zhang Xue

With the approach of International Childrens Day on June 1， promotional campaigns for various childrens books have been launched on major online book sales platforms in China.

In recent years， childrens books have become a highlight of Chinas publishing industry. Statistics show that in 2016， more than 520 out of 581 publishers in the country collectively presented more than 40，000 childrens books， ranking first in the world.

Chinas childrens book publishing industry has maintained an average double-digit growth for 17 consecutive years. Alongside the rise of local writers and increasingly active international exchange and cooperation， Chinese childrens literary masterpieces continue to emerge.

Children， Major Readers

Every Saturday morning， 8-yearold Zhang Shiqi appears at the section for children at the National Library of China in Beijing. Since the age of four， Zhang has come to read there every week.

“On our first visit， I accompanied her when she read a picture book，”grins Zhangs mother. “She can now choose her own books to read. Her growth makes me happy.” Unlike many children of the same age who shuttle between booster classes on weekends， Zhangs mother places greater value on independent reading.

“The new generation of parents is different from our parents，” notes Wang Feifei， a childrens book publisher with China CITIC Press. “They have more education and a better understanding of childrens reading. They are also pickier about childrens publications. This makes it hard to win the market.” In Wangs eyes， competition in childrens books has become tougher.

The report of the 15th National Reading Survey published by the Chinese Academy of Press and Publication shows that China has seen a growth of book reading rate and quantity among its school-age children. Last year， children under 17 years old read an average of 8.81 books in China， an increase of 0.47 year-on-year.

It should be noted that among the families with children aged at 8 or younger， 70 percent regularly read with their children， and parent-child reading is being embraced by more and more parents.

“Reading enables childrens hearts to bloom， gifts them freedom and comfort and helps cultivate global citizens with Chinese roots，” declared Xu Dongmei， organizer of “Close to Mother Tongue，” a childrens reading promotion campaign. She shared her insights on childrens books at the 14th China Childrens Reading Forum in Nanjing， Jiangsu Province before this years World Book Day on April 23.

Analyzing the reasons why Chinas childrens book market is growing so fast， Liu Haiqi， member of the Childrens Literature Committee under the Chinese Writers Association， opined that four main factors have boosted the market including promotion by the government and society， improvements in works of childrens literature writers， continuous reading promotion campaigns， and upgraded market promotion capacity of publishing houses.

Active International Exchange

This March， China attended the 55th Bologna International Childrens Book Fair in Italy as the Guest of Honor， where China launched a series of campaigns featuring original Chinese childrens books and illustrations.

At the Chinese Original Illustration Exhibition during the book fair， 150 works by 30 representative Chinese painters such as Cai Gao， Xiong Liang， Hei Mi and Zhu Chengliang were displayed for the first time for authors and publishers from around the world.

In recent years， the introduction of foreign childrens books resulted in them becoming a large segment of the childrens book market in China. Meanwhile， original Chinese works have “gone global” and proven successful in the international market， radiating the essence of outstanding traditional Chinese culture and providing rich cultural nourishment for children all over the world.

At the book fair， Dolphin Books signed copyright agreements for The 24 Solar Terms， a book about traditional Chinese culture， to publish Albanian and English editions and reached agreements on overseas copyright cooperation with publishing houses from Germany， Lebanon， Japan and Nepal.

According to statistics from the book fair， Chinese publishers reached a total of 800-plus agreements to export Chinese childrens books.

“China currently has many cutting-edge picture book authors with fairly high standard，” asserted Wang Feifei. “However， childrens book publishing is a monolithic project. Our publishing of childrens books is still in its infancy， and we need more opportunities like this fair to exchange ideas on the international stage.”

The trip marked Wangs first participation in the Bologna Book Fair. Despite witnessing original Chinese childrens books attract international attention， Wang also soberly realized the gap between Chinese childrens book publishers and their world-renowned counterparts.

Translation or Original

Over the past decade， the trend of young children learning English and the popularity of imported international copyrights have resulted in foreign childrens books occupying half of the domestic market. The most popular are original illustrated books， childrens literature and popular science books from Europe， Japan， South Korea， and the United States.

Faced with worries about foreign childrens books dominating the market， San Chuanling， an educator specializing in childrens book publishing， believes that original Chinese childrens books will follow the same path as Chinese films and engage in the process of imitating and learning before ultimately blazing a trail featuring Chinese characteristics.

In recent years， a large number of fine-quality childrens books reflecting the essence of traditional Chinese culture while meeting modern childrens reading tastes have become popular.

Atop lists of outstanding original works are Illustrated Chinese History for Children， Historical Readings for Teenagers， Chinese Children， Fairy Tales of Words， and Fairy Tales of the Twelve Chinese Zodiac Animals. One of the best-sellers in the country is Historical Readings for Teenagers published by New World Press， with a total sales volume of nearly 10 million copies.

Moreover， a number of Chinese original picture books that meet international standards have emerged， such as The 24 Solar Terms by Xiong Liang and The Seedling of An by Huang Li. Some authors received international awards including nomination for the Hans Christian Andersen Prize for Xiong Liang and awarding of the Bologna Gold Apple to Hei Mi. Stand-out Chinese authors are cutting a striking figure in the international arena.

With the introduction of the two-child policy in China， Chinese childrens books can find increasing numbers of readers. The mother tongue is the most profound cultural link in a country. In San Chuanlings opinion， original works will be the heart of Chinas childrens book market within 10 years.