New Li Shanshan anthology previewed at Singapore Book Fair

WACCCE 2019-07-01

The 34th Singapore Book Fair was held on Children’s Day. The theme of this year’s fair was “Meet in the City of Reading”. Li Shanshan, a famous Chinese children’s literature writer, gave a preview of her new poetry anthology The Moon Was A Girl When She Was Young at the country’s Capital Theatre. Li spent three years writing this anthology after her previous volume, The Sun Was A Boy When He Was Young, was selected for Germany’s White Ravens children’s book catalogue. Li devoted a great deal of work to this anthology, and it was finally published by Anhui Children’s Publishing House.

According to Li, it was her second time to be invited to the fair, and she was also the only Chinese children’s literature author this year. She gave an excellent lesson to young readers at this year’s fair. Some young readers from Singapore like Li’s book very much and come to the Fair to take part in Li’s activity every year. Through the books, Li and the children become good friends.

Li talked about her inspiration and the anthology at the fair and taught the children to make the details of their daily lives useful by taking a few of her poems as examples. She also emphasized that observing, imaging and expressing the views of children are the keys to creating children’s poetry. Therefore, parents should pay more attention to what their children say about the world and discover the poetry of life together with them. Lin Jihua, a special-class teacher from the Ministry of Education of Singapore, recited the poem The Moon Was A Girl When She Was Young at the fair with emotion. Infected by Lin, many children and their parents also read Li’s poems on the stage. Lin Denan, president of the Singapore Writers’ Association, spoke highly of the anthology. He said childhood is just like the moon, and that Li’s childlike nature hides in her book, coming into readers’ hearts while turning the pages. He also expressed his wishes for Li’s poems to make more and more children feel their warmth.

Li sent her young readers handkerchiefs painted by children at the Imagination Studio in Chongqing as gifts. The children chose their favorites and wrote impromptu poems under the guidance of Li. Children from China and Singapore shared a strong connection through these works.

Li Shanshan’s writings have been selected for the White Ravens children’s book catalogue twice. Her full-length fairy tale Bread Boy was selected as an “Excellent Children’s Literature Publishing Project” by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China, and won many awards such as a “Good Books of China” from CCTV in 2016, and a “Chinese Excellent Publication”. The new anthology goes deep into the daily life of contemporary children, focusing on issues like the exploration of imagination and the relationship between children and parents. It leads readers in a humorous way to appreciate the beauty of poetry and look at life more poetically, a behavior of great significance to both parents and children. This anthology will go on sale in China in August, together with The Sun Was A Boy When He Was Young.

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