BEIJING: “Our latest release features delightful content and captivating illustrations that align perfectly with the children’s book markets in the UK and Australia. We have high hopes for its success in these markets,” said Sophia Whitfield, a publisher from the UK.
The general manager of New Frontier Publishing was referring to “Playing Time with Dad,” a children’s picture book written by renowned Chinese author Shen Shixi and released in both Chinese and English editions at the ongoing BIBF.
Whitfield’s company, which mainly operates in Australia and the UK, has already completed the simultaneous publication of 48 original titles from Zhejiang Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House, the Chinese copyright purchaser of Peppa Pig, with 15 more currently in production.
The collaboration is one of many that reflect a growing international appetite for Chinese children’s literature. Amid bustling crowds and 220,000 titles on display at the 31st BIBF, which runs from June 18 to 22, Chinese children’s books are drawing attention from international publishers. Ghassan Rabin, general manager of the Emirates Publishers Association, has worked in children’s publishing for over 30 years. While flipping through a bookshelf of Chinese picture books, he noted, “Usually we work with European publishers, but this time we’re here to take a closer look at what China has to offer.” –Agencies
