The poetry collection “The Little Fish and the Little Star” recently published by Kim Dong Publishing House on the occasion of International Children's Day 2025 continues to be a fresh continuation of the tradition of children's literature.
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“On a windy night/A dreamy little fish/Suddenly saw at the bottom of the lake/Shimmering stars/The fish whispered: “Hello friend!/Where do you come from?”/“My house is up in the clouds/In the middle of the vast universe”/“Then why don’t you sleep?”/“Ah, because I’m lonely/Living alone is very sad/Let me play with you”/Tonight the windy night/The little fish looks at the stars/From the distant universe/The stars glow with happiness”.
A poem written for children, telling about the unexpected encounter between a small fish at the bottom of the lake and a small star from the universe, the image evokes the imagination of children, but also contains simple philosophies about life for adults. It is the intersection of two worlds : water and sky, close and far, small and large, to convey the message that the world is vast, no matter how different, everyone needs friends to share their loneliness.
In the poems in the collection “The Little Fish and the Little Star” as well as the previous collections, poet Pham Anh Xuan uses simple language, short verses, rich in music, very suitable for the souls of children. Pham Anh Xuan’s poetic style does not pursue sophistication and complexity, but chooses to listen and talk to the inner world of children in their own language. Behind the simple images is the subtlety in the perception of life, of the first vibrations that children experience.
Each image is familiar, easy to understand, but still evokes deep emotions. This is also the unique feature of his children's poetry style: nurturing children's souls with simple but loving and humane things. That is the spirit of the times, when Vietnamese children today need to awaken their imagination, confidence and ability to perceive good values in the midst of a fast, modern life.
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Pham Anh Xuan's poetry works are enthusiastically received by young readers. Photo: NVCC |
In his journey of writing poetry for children, Pham Anh Xuan has acquired a considerable "fortune" with 4 poetry collections: "Warm and funny"; "Clear childhood"; "Growing buds and growing flowers"; "Because of love" and 2 short stories: "Nghe O two whirlpools"; "Cun Tun with pricked ears". The work "Nghe O two whirlpools" won the Jury Award of the De Men Award for children's literature in 2023.
It should also be added that the De Men Award is an award founded by the Sports and Culture newspaper of the Vietnam News Agency and organized annually since 2020 to award outstanding artistic compositions and performances “by children” (children are the creative subjects) or “for children” (children are the subjects of service). This is considered an important award for those who specialize in composing for children.
What is special about Pham Anh Xuan's literature and poetry is his ability to speak great things in the language of children: simple but not monotonous, profound but not losing the necessary innocence. The gentle verses sow in children's hearts the seeds of imagination, the desire to explore the world, love of nature, gratitude to parents and kindness in dealing with friends. Hidden under his bright appearance, Pham Anh Xuan is not afraid to suggest to children subtle lessons about loneliness, about the dream of overcoming limits, about the journey to find oneself - lessons that modern children really need.
“Poetry is the first “seed” of the soul. Nursery rhymes and lullabies are forms of poetry that have been passed down through generations. Children who do not yet know how to read or write can already listen, understand, memorize and remember language, images, stories and create emotions. I always write poetry for children with the following in mind: Easy-to-understand language, easy-to-remember stories, familiar images and especially the need to create positive emotions. And I believe that poetry contributes to nurturing the happy souls of children,” according to poet Pham Anh Xuan.
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Journalist and poet Pham Anh Xuan. Photo: NVCC |
Journalist and poet Pham Anh Xuan currently lives and works in Hanoi. He has been writing since he was very young. Loving children, his works are always directed towards children. Some of his poems have been selected to be introduced in Literature textbooks taught in schools.
Source: https://baophapluat.vn/cham-vao-the-gioi-tho-am-ap-cua-chu-ca-con-va-ngoi-sao-nho-post550460.html
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