Picture books take 'Little Travelers' to modern Chinese cities
2021-04-23
One of China's major publishing agencies, Juvenile & Children's Publishing House, has offered a new treat for young readers through the picture book series Little Travelers, launching the first six volumes this April, each centering on the history and cultural traits of one Chinese city.
The high-caliber creative minds behind the project include writers like Xu Jia and Meng Fei, as well as award-winning illustrators Qin Yinzhi and Chen Jinhong. To maintain the authenticity and charm of each city, the editing group insists on commissioning local artists and writers who have fond memories of the places.
Unlike books introducing ancient legends or classic tales, Little Travelers sets out to break stereotypes by showcasing contemporary China. Following the footsteps of six narrators as local guides, your imagination trots through the streets of Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Xi'an and Harbin – to understand the lives of Chinese children in today's world.
For instance, in Beijing, pupils are taught to paint traditional Shayan kites, while in Harbin, the little protagonist's father, an ice sculptor, participates every year in the Harbin Ice and Snow World fair, a renowned winter tourism destination.
Many trending topics are thoughtfully blended into the narrative, such as the second-child policy, stay-at-home dads, and single-parent households.
In the appendix, readers are able to browse through key subjects in the book with individual English entries. Scan the QR code to learn the pronunciations in both regional dialects and English. WeChat users can use stickers featuring illustrations from the book series to express themselves, adding more fun to the joyful theme.
Inspired by French book series Viens Voir Ma Ville, Little Travelers turns its scope to the vast and diverse regional cultures all around China. In the future, the series will continue to expand and cover more major Chinese cities.
At present, overseas copyrights are being discussed with publishing houses in Japan and South Korea, with English-speaking countries as the next focus.