Chinese children's books going global

A series of Chinese children's books that tells the story of kids with different skin colors who become friends will be released in Dutch, Arabic, and French editions.

"Milly, Molly" was originally about the adventures of two girls from different ethnic backgrounds. In 2018, the China Children's Press and Publication Group purchased the copyright to the book series from New Zealand and later added a young Chinese character, Lily, to the story.

An illustration in the children's book "Milly, Molly and Lily", which will be published in Dutch, Arabic, and French.[Photo: courtesy of CCPPG]

Renowned Chinese children's writers, including Gao Hongbo, Jin Bo, and Bai Bing, have worked on putting Chinese elements into the series, which now goes by the name Milly, Molly and Lily Growth Story series.

The new series highlights the multicultural backgrounds of the three girls, focusing especially on their cross-cultural competence as they deal with new experiences in their daily lives.

According to the publisher, the books are aimed at promoting cultural exchanges and mutual understanding among children from different countries. The publisher signed deals at the recent Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany for its release in the three additional languages.

The Milly, Molly and Lily Growth Story series is committed to helping young readers cultivate their self-esteem and gain a global perspective, said John Pittar, the executive director of MMCPG, during the deal-signing ceremony. He added that the addition of the new Chinese character, Lily, has further enriched the theme of cultural diversity in the stories.

The Chinese publisher (left) ink a deal at the recent Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany with other international publishers on the release of the "Milly, Molly and Lily" book series.[Photo: courtesy of CCPPG]