Picture books are "drawn books", and because of children's natural closeness to visual images, picture books have become one of the most close cultural communication carriers to children. Although domestic children's picture books started late, they have flourished in the past ten years and occupy an important position in the children's book market. However, some picture books lack attention to children's psychology and need to be improved in artistic aesthetics; The training mechanism of practitioners such as children's picture book editing is not mature... These problems still need to be solved if we want to meet the needs of readers and "paint" a more colorful picture for children.
The number of varieties is increasing The artistry and imagination of picture books need to be improved
Click into the list of best-selling children's books on major online shopping platforms, and children's picture books occupy prominent positions. Among them, "Our Body", "Guess How Much I Love You", "Magic School Bus" series and other imported picture books have been selling for a long time, and domestic original picture books such as "This is the Twenty-Four Solar Terms" and "Chinese History Painted for Children" have also been favored by readers. "At present, almost all the classic children's picture books published abroad in the past hundred years have been introduced into China; The number of domestic original picture books has also continued to increase since 2015, and great progress has been made, and even some excellent works have gone abroad. Ao De, founder of Genglin Children's Library, said.
Talking about the shortcomings of domestic original picture books, many parents think that "the picture lacks beauty" and "the story appeal is insufficient". "In general, there is still room for improvement in the quality and variety of domestic children's picture books. There is still a certain distance from some countries in terms of exploring artistic styles and integrating children's views, but this distance is slowly narrowing. Ao De said that good children's picture books are often contrary to the conventional logic of adults, reflecting a sense of humor and imagination. Creators with a sense of humor in their bones are still relatively lacking in China. ”
"In the children's picture book market, we found that the sales of series sets are relatively higher, especially for knowledge telling idioms and stories; However, the single picture books are somewhat ideological and artistic, but they do not sell well. Xiang Hua, a teaching consultant and picture book writer of the picture book creation studio of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, said. Ao De also said that the "wordless book" that uses pictures to tell stories from beginning to end is a pity that parents feel that they do not know how to tell it, so it is relatively unpopular in the picture book market. In his view, "the meaning of picture books is not only to acquire knowledge, but also to satisfy children's curiosity and desire to explore, so as to improve their artistic aesthetics, emotional intelligence and expression ability." Children need to comprehensively dabble in different picture books, and the themes and types of picture books need to be more 'blooming'. ”
The creative team grows Experienced children's picture book editors are in short supply
At the annual Central American Graduation Exhibition, as one of the incubation places of the original power of picture books in China, the graduate works of the picture book creation studio will attract the attention of the industry. "Young people are growing up and that's what I'm happiest about. In recent years, we have really seen some students grow into excellent picture book authors and can survive by creating picture books. Xiang Hua said. At the same time, many children's literature writers and painters are actively engaged in the creation of picture books.
"There are many people who are willing to make children's picture books, but there is a lack of professional editors to help them." Xiang Hua said that the world's excellent picture books will achieve "deep feelings" and "simple expression". In the process of picture book creation, the graphics and text are repeatedly run-in and constantly revised. The cycle of creating a picture book can range from one year to three or four years, and experienced children's picture book editors play an important role in this process. The drawing technology and aesthetic level of many illustrators in China are not bad, but they also need the help of experienced editors in terms of depth of thought and storytelling skills. However, at present, professional picture book editors are more scarce than authors, which has become a major bottleneck restricting the development of original picture books in China.
Zeng Zirong, art popularization promoter and executive director of CITIC Art Museum, said that a good picture book is indispensable in terms of story, gameplay, knowledge and fun. "Many people think that writing books for children is a very simple thing, but it is actually at least as difficult as writing books for adults. Good picture books without exception have a children's view, which can convey a profound outlook on life and the world, rather than simply preaching. "However, in order to attract more talents into the children's picture book editing industry, it is also necessary to solve the pain points of the industry such as the generally low discount sales of children's books." According to statistics, in 2022, the average discount of children's picture books in the short video e-commerce channel is less than 3%, and many practitioners call for standardizing the price order and attaching importance to the value of knowledge, thereby promoting a virtuous cycle in the industry.
Reading Mindset Change "Book of Companionship" Parents cannot be absent
With the accelerated integration of traditional reading materials and digital technology, audio picture books and picture book apps have also begun to rise. Technology seems to "liberate" parents, but it brings new problems. "Some parents use the reading machine to play the content of the picture book, let the children read it by themselves, and ask 'Do you understand' and 'Are there any good words and sentences'? In fact, picture books are 'companion books', and the companionship of parents during the reading process cannot be replaced by any electronic product. Parent-child reading can bring children a sense of security and happiness, which is of great significance for the formation of interpersonal relationships and the growth of the mind. Xiang Hua said.
In early childhood reading, parental companion reading also plays a leading role. Zeng Zirong said, "Some parents say they buy picture books for their children, but the children are disobedient and do not want to read them. Nowadays, short videos occupy a lot of people's time, and if adults often hold mobile phones, children will definitely learn to ask to play with mobile phones. Although parents' time is also precious, it is important to pay attention to the early development of children's reading habits, and do not lack places in this process. ”
"Children's picture books in the modern sense have only gone through about 20 years of history in China, so there is no need to be too anxious about the shortcomings in picture book creation, publishing, reading concepts and other aspects. China is rich in traditional culture and contemporary stories, and there are many passionate creators, but it takes some time to improve little by little. Zeng Zirong said that he expects domestic children's picture books to walk a broader road with the development of the times and nourish the hearts of more children. (Beijing Evening News reporter Wang Guangyan)