Global chapter

China's children's books are enjoying a boom at home, and now publishers are looking to overseas markets. Zhang Kun reports from Shanghai.

Adults in China are reading fewer books but children are reading more. Publishers for young readers, encouraged by the success at home, are planning to launch more Chinese children's books on the international market. Statistics from the first China Shanghai International Children's Book Fair showed that sales of children's books have been growing at more than 10 percent every year for the past seven years, much higher than other parts of the publishing industry. The book fair took place at Shanghai Mart from Nov 7 to 9 and drew more than 150 publishing houses from all over the world bringing more than 50,000 books.

A trade fair for industry insiders, it opened to the public for one day only, and attracted more than 12,000 children and their parents.