Children's books a tale of new cultural confidence

Hu Yifan, a 28-year-old Chinese picture book author and illustrator, is literally taking readers' breath away with his stories and minimalistic illustrations.

The three-volume Breathe In, Breathe Out is an eye-catching picture book with very few words. The illustrations in the books — such as blowing out candles or watching fireworks — work in pairs, leading readers to inhale and then exhale.

Published in June 2023, and intended as a children's book, it has been equally popular with adult readers. The book has gone on to win multiple domestic and international awards, including the Best Picture Book at the 35th Chen Bochui International Children's Literature Award, and The Beauty of Books in China design competition.

It was also selected for the dPICTUS 100 Outstanding Picture Books 2023 & 2024. A Portuguese version of the book was published in Brazil in 2024, and an English version and a French one are coming out soon.

Hu is part of a growing cohort of passionate and talented Chinese authors and illustrators who have been making every effort to deliver high-quality, original content for children in recent years, industry experts said.

"We have so many excellent original works in China, but they don't get many opportunities to reach a wider audience globally," said Solene (Fengbei) Xie, who has over 18 years' experience in the children's book industry and has been a consultant for the China Shanghai International Children's Book Fair since 2018.

Xie, who resigned from a national publishing house to establish an agency in Shanghai, said the original content in Chinese children's books is entering a new phase.

She is confident that with her experience and industry contacts she can promote this fresh Chinese content on the world stage. In 2021, Xie launched the Pictures and Words from the East project, and she also manages the rights of many local titles including Breathe In, Breathe Out.