Beijing, August 8: An international dialogue on children’s book creation took place during the 40th International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) World Conference in Ottawa, Canada, on Friday.
The discussion featured Chinese illustrator Tsai Kao, the winner of the 2026 Hans Christian Andersen Award in the illustration category, along with Shirin Kreidie, the chair of the 2026 Andersen Award jury, and several other participants. The theme of the dialogue was “How Stories Connect the World: Exploring and Accessing Children’s Books.”
During the event, Tsai Kao shared the essence of her creations. She explained that her illustrated books are inspired by the everyday activities of rural and urban life in China.
She incorporates local life, traditional customs, and Eastern aesthetics into her work. Tsai believes that cultural identity can be effectively expressed not only through symbols but also through small scenes of daily life.
Shirin Kreidie emphasized the importance of balancing local cultural characteristics with universal human emotions in modern children’s book creation. According to her, high artistic quality, rich literary value, and the ability to understand children’s perspectives are essential qualities of good children’s books.
Notably, the event was organized by the China South Publishing and Media Group, with joint operations by Hunan Children’s Publishing House and Life Tree Culture Promotion Center.
Experts and professionals from the children’s book publishing sector across various countries participated in the program, exchanging ideas on children’s book creation and their dissemination across different cultures.
(Source: China Media Group, Beijing)
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