“Meet me in the future” through 268 children's book ideas

“Meet Me in the Future” is an initiative initiated by The Initiative of Children's Book Creative Content (ICBC), in partnership with ECUE-VGEM and Kim Dong Publishing House. The program receives technical and financial support from Investing in Women – an initiative of the Australian Government.

The organizers shared about the program and exhibition "Meet me in the future". Photo: Phuong Minh Tien

The program aims to create more content that reflects career diversity, contributing to breaking down gender stereotypes that are hindering children in the process of self -discovery and pursuing their career dreams.

Kicking off with the call for creativity “Meet me in the future” (from April 21 to May 18, 2025), along with discussions and workshops on the topic of children's freedom to explore and choose careers, “Meet me in the future” has attracted 268 ideas from individuals and creative groups of many ages and regions.

Ideas are presented in a creative installation format. Photo: Phuong Minh Tien

Of these, 34% of the ideas came from children under 18 years old – a clear demonstration of the active participation and creativity of the “young writers”. The remaining 66% came from adults who are authors, illustrators, parents, educators , and people interested in the topics of gender equality and children’s education.

The ideas not only show the diversity of jobs and occupations in society in a close, friendly and easy-to-understand way for children, but also bring new perspectives on familiar occupations or introduce new occupations, thereby contributing to spreading the message of children's equal rights in access opportunities and career orientation from a very young age.

A corner of the exhibition. Photo: Phuong Minh Tien

The organizers held the exhibition "Meet me in the future", introducing 268 ideas expressed in creative installation forms.

Speaking at the opening of the exhibition, Ms. Vu Thi Quynh Lien, Editor-in-Chief of Kim Dong Publishing House, shared that the call for creative writing with the theme "Meet me in the future" is a creative idea, contributing positively to the innovation of children's book content in Vietnam. The number of submitted ideas exceeded the expectations of the Organizing Committee, showing the public's interest in the topic of careers and gender equality, which has not been widely seen in works for children by Vietnamese authors. Most of the ideas are on-topic, including many new and creative ideas, targeting disadvantaged groups...

The organizing committee and authors and groups of authors whose ideas were selected for publication. Photo: Phuong Minh Tien

Regarding this program, Ms. Pham Thi Hoai Anh, children's book author and co-founder of ICBC, said that the diversity of the subjects submitting ideas to the program, from age, gender to geography, makes the perspective on the topic of children's freedom to explore and choose careers be peeled and reflected through many new and creative lenses. "With the serious care and deep concern of the authors of the ideas, we will have more attractive children's books and meaningful stories about equal rights to choose careers and pursue dreams to help inspire and stimulate the joy of reading for children in particular and readers in general," Ms. Pham Thi Hoai Anh expressed.

On this occasion, the Organizing Committee announced 5 excellent ideas that will continue to be published to be developed into children's books. These are the idea of the book series "The Young Old Lady" (Nguyen Thu Yen); the idea of the picture book "The Little Seed of Thought" (Thuy Com); the idea of the book "Catch the Sound" (author group C404); the idea of the book "Tomorrow the Stones Will Bloom" (Pham Thi Thuy Trang); the idea of the interactive picture book series "Meet Me in the Future" (Cha).

The exhibition is open until July 6. As part of the exhibition, there will be activities such as “Sunset Concert: Meet Me in the Future” (June 29); and a book reading session called “Famous Ancient Crafts” (July 5).

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/gap-toi-trong-tuong-lai-qua-268-y-tuong-sang-tac-sach-thieu-nhi-707281.html