Cai Gao, the first Chinese illustrator to win the Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration, said her children's books are for readers of all ages, not just children.
Cai, now 80 years old, won the award, the highest international honor for writers and illustrators of children's books, in April. She said it was a great honor, and a recognition to all of her generation of Chinese artists dedicated to childhood development.
"People always wish to be understood about the things they do. It's as if you shout in an open space, and suddenly you hear an echo, and that's from different countries, different people, transcending language. Isn't this the greatest happiness and comfort? That is what I think. I hope everyone will go and check out my works - they look much better than I do," Cai said.
Cai said her focus in creating children's books is on the purity of childhood.
"I often retrieve things from my childhood. I see childhood as something philosophical. I want to go back to the fundamentals and my origins. I particularly love the sound of babbling streams, the crisp, clear sounds which you only hear when you go back to your childhood," she said.
Over the years Cai had created many illustrated stories originating in Chinese culture, such as "Mulan", "The Boy Who Outfoxed a Fox" and "A Tale of Peach Blossom Spring".
Cai says she always bears in mind that children's books are often read together by children and their parents. She believes children's books should still carry value when their young readers grow up.
"A children's book's target audience is from 0 to 100 years old. Why? Because they are books for parents and children reading together. There is an adult present, and the adult will also find clever ideas here. A picture book can stand shoulder to shoulder with a masterpiece. A small picture book can have great influence, so I feel that books for small children do not need to be small. You must give them the most interesting material that accompanies their childhood. If the child grows up and still remembers the book, that would be true companionship," she said.
Award-winning Chinese illustrator says children's books are not just for children
