Peep into the history of children's literature
Many academics say not much attention was paid to children's literature until the May Fourth Movement in 1919. Writing, publishing and studying children's literature became part of the social movement as people tried to break away from feudal traditions, sought after freedom and placed high hopes on the young.
Leading woman writer Bing Xin (1900-99) wrote a series of prose titled Post to Young Readers during her studies in the US in the early 1920s. Her beautiful works for children have been widely translated. In 1990, an annual children's literature award was established to mark her great contributions.
Zhang Tianyi (1906-85) began writing for children in the 1930s. Secrets of the Magic Gourd (1957) proved such a classic that Disney has worked with Chinese artists to adapt it. The film with animated figures and real actors was released over the weekend.
Yan Wenjing (1915-2005) created a number of stories still popular among children. Tang Xiaoxi at the Working-Next-Time Port (1957) talks about a lazy boy who is trapped in a fairyland where time stays stagnant. He must conquer himself to save his toy friends from the villains.
Science and technology seemed to inspire the writers greatly in the late 1970s. Lethal Light on the Coral Island (1978 by Tong Enzheng) talks about the laser beam, a novel technology at the time. Little Well-Informed Wanders in the Future (1979 by Ye Yonglie) probes the world around year 2000 through reports of a young reporter.
Zheng Yuanjie, 52, founded the country's first children's literature journal, which only published his own stories. Bimonthly King of Fairy Tales, founded in 1985, has become home to Pipi Lu, Lu Xixi and other much loved characters.
Children's writers are turning out works on more diverse subjects. Qin Wenjun, 53, created school children Jia Li and Jia Mei who constantly get into troubles and make friends in a series of books, which mock real life. Many experts have warned that Chinese writers need more imagination to attract their young readers, who are often fascinated by foreign works and the Internet.
China Daily
(China Daily 07/03/2007 page20)
