On the dreamy vegetable fields

Art in children's books should not simply serve to illustrate the story, but should also participate in the author's storytelling, creating harmony between text and illustrations.

From the vegetable fields at Cúc Cu Farm - Photo: Kim Đồng Publishing House

This is nothing new. In recent years, more and more domestic publishing houses have been investing in the aesthetics of their publications, especially children's books. They are not only targeting young readers but also seeking adult readers.

Open the book to welcome summer.

From the vegetable fields of Cuckoo Farm (Kim Dong Publishing House) by Dy Duyen is a gentle and charming work for young children. It's perfect for starting June with International Children's Day approaching. Especially if you choose to begin with a visually appealing work like this children's book.

Over 200 large-format, full-color pages with vibrant illustrations by Dom Dom (the pseudonym of artist Vu Thuy Ngoc Ha). This is Dy Duyen's third children's book in collaboration with Kim Dong Publishing House. In *Wild Chrysanthemums and Sunbeams* and *Things You Use to Fill a Hole*, she also collaborated with local illustrators.

Creating high-quality prints with artistic investment is a strength, especially in an era where parents and readers demand that domestically published children's books not only have valuable content but also be aesthetically pleasing.

In Vietnam, the role of illustrators in children's book publications is becoming increasingly important.

Sometimes, the initial visual impression plays a significant role in whether or not a reader pays attention to a book. This is especially true for books by domestic authors, who often lack the advantages of media exposure and tend to be lost among the vast array of books on bookstore shelves.

Observing the domestic publishing market recently, we see an increasing presence of impressive and visually appealing children's books, catering to the reading needs of students during their summer break.

At the same time, we also see professionalism in targeting specific audiences and age groups. This makes it easier for parents to choose books for their children.

Author Dy Duyên himself published two works almost simultaneously in the summer of 2025: "Things You Use to Fill a Hole" and "From the Vegetable Fields at Cúc Cu Farm," but they weren't designed as a pair; instead, they differed significantly in length, illustration style, and book size.

Kim Dong Publishing House also simultaneously released an English version of "Things You Use to Fill a Hole" under the title "Things You Use to Fill a Hole." This demonstrates that each work has its own publishing "strategy," thus avoiding fragmentation and instead focusing more effectively. It could be said that this is more efficient.

Both "Things You Use to Fill a Hole" and "From the Vegetable Fields at Cuckoo's Farm" are shortlisted for the 6th Cricket Children's Award in 2026.

A poetic world

Bats are often associated with negative stereotypes in literature. This is partly because their appearance is neither bird nor mouse, and partly because their nocturnal nature has been embellished by horror novelists with the image of vampires with the ability to transform into bats and terrifying fangs.

The bat – the main character in "From the Vegetable Fields of Cuckoo Farm" – will help to somewhat dispel that prejudiced image. Let's call it by its proper name: the Insect Bat. It's called that because one day, in the vegetable fields of the farm, next to the flock of ducks whose job was to catch insects that destroyed the crops, a black, stray bat appeared.

And this book is the journey of that bat, wanting to prove to the ducks and everyone else that he is not only not a harmful animal but also useful.

At first glance, the plot seems simple, but there's a lot of drama surrounding this Cuckoo Farm. It's a story of accepting differences, a nursery rhyme celebrating labor, set against the backdrop of relationships between animals that seem unrelated to each other.

If there's anything that puzzles the author of this article about "From the Vegetable Fields at Cuckoo Farm," it's the natural scenery and character design, which give the reader the feeling that, without seeing the cover, they might mistake it for a work by a foreign author.

But what does it matter! I still think that all children on this Earth live together in a dream world, a language of fairy tales, in general. Regardless of language or skin color.

Southern Forest Land (reprinted edition) - Photo: Kim Dong Publishing House

Investing in artwork isn't limited to newly published children's books. In recent years, classic Vietnamese children's books have also been reissued with elaborate illustrations.

One example is *The Adventures of Cricket* (by Tô Hoài), illustrated by Tạ Huy Long.

Recently, to commemorate the 100th anniversary (1925-2025) of the birth of writer Doan Gioi, his work "Land of the Southern Forests" was reissued with carefully crafted illustrations.

Besides "Southern Forest Land," Kim Dong Publishing House is also reprinting many other works by Doan Gioi this time, such as

The Search for the Armory, The Old Sailor on the Island of Exile, Rhinoceros in the Green Forest, Strange Stories About Fish, The Rustling Forest at Night, Grouper Fish, Sunflowers.

Back to the topic

HUYNH TRONG KHANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tren-ruong-rau-mo-mong-20250525094818319.htm