Meaningful literary gifts for Vietnamese children

On the afternoon of June 1, at Kim Dong Publishing House, children's books by famous Austrian writer Mira Lobe were introduced to Vietnamese readers.

Speaking at the event, Ms. Vu Thi Quynh Lien - Deputy Director, Editor-in-Chief of Kim Dong Publishing House expressed her joy at introducing to the public the excellent works for children by the Austrian writer on International Children's Day, June 1.

Translator Chu Thu Phuong shares about the book series. (Photo: Le An)

She hopes that the event will not only be an opportunity for Vietnamese readers to discover Austrian children's literature but also help connect and exchange the cultures of the two countries.

Works by writer Mira Lobe introduced on this occasion include the novella Grandma in the Apple Tree and three picture books: Come Here! Said the Cat; I Am Little Me; The City Goes Around .

At the launch, delegates, especially children, had the opportunity to interact with translator Chu Thu Phuong to better understand each children's book that the translator has devoted much effort to expressing.

A collection of books by Austrian writers was displayed at the event. (Photo: Le An)

Translator Chu Thu Phuong said that each book has many characters and each character has a different personality. The translator considered each character in the book he translated as a close friend, guiding them on how to behave in life, educating them on a humane lifestyle and love.

Notably, the comic book series launched today is presented by Susi Weigek and Angelika Kaufmann - two Austrian artists who have been working with children for many years, so the way it is presented is very bright, lively and attractive.

Talking about the book series, translator Thu Phuong shared: “Vietnamese people in Austria now have the second and third generation, born into many Vietnamese-Austrian families, enjoying Austrian education and culture.

Translator Chu Thu Phuong reads stories to children. (Photo: Le An)

Mira Lobe (1913-1995) was born in Görlitz (Germany) and lived for a while in Palestine (then part of Britain). In 1951, she followed her husband, actor and theater producer Friedrich Lobe, to Vienna to work.

She chose the Austrian capital as her home and the city had a great influence on her writing. When she became a mother, she wrote children's books, which quickly brought her fame.

Mira Lobe has written over 100 books and her works have been translated into over 30 languages. Each of her stories is filled with a wonderful language and full of love.

In order to help Vietnamese parents understand their children's souls better and at the same time motivate the young generation of Vietnamese living in German-speaking countries and territories to learn Vietnamese more, we have chosen to translate some children's stories by the famous Austrian author Mira Lobe.

Through these works, the translator hopes to contribute to building and further developing the bridge of friendship between the two countries, especially in the cultural field, to bring families closer together with the cultural experiences and childhood of parents and children.

Drama performance by members of the German Club - Diplomatic Academy. (Photo: Le An)

The highlight of this book series is the work Grandmother on the Apple Tree . Translator Chu Thu Phuong said: "The story is about the longing of a little boy Andi to have a grandmother.

That desire led him to beautiful games, realized his dreams, and bonded him with a real grandmother.

Thus, we can see that children's dreams and aspirations will lead them to a more beautiful and humane life. We, adults and parents, should cherish and preserve that.

At the event, children also listened to translator Chu Thu Phuong read stories, watched plays performed by members of the German Club - Diplomatic Academy, visited an exhibition of illustrations of Mira Lobe's works and participated in a quiz with prizes of books by the Austrian writer himself.

Children attending the event took photos with translators and members of the German Club - Diplomatic Academy. (Photo: Le An)

On the occasion of International Children's Day, the program "Weekend Reading Corner" and many promotional programs were also held at Kim Dong Publishing House. Works participating in the first Kim Dong Literature Award (2023-2025) or the book series "Vang danh nghe co" (Regarding ancient professions) written about ancient professions that have gone down in history books... were also introduced to the public.

Poet and translator Chu Thu Phuong is a member of the Vietnam Writers Association and a member of the Literature and Translation Council of the Hanoi Writers Association. Her representative works include: Red Maple Leaves, Lost in Autumn and Summer (poetry); translated works include the poetry collection Lyrical Remembrance (Heinrick Heine), Grimm's Fairy Tales, the suite Winter Journey (Franz Schubert) with Ngo Tu Lap, and the poetry collection Tangled Hair ( Yosano Akiko).

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/mon-qua-van-hoc-y-nghia-danh-cho-thieu-nhi-viet-nam-273455.html