British children’s writer Enid Blyton had a wonderful knack for world-building. Many of her greatest stories for young children evolve over extended series of books about recurring characters who all live in the same little magical world.
In “The Faraway Tree” series, for example – published between 1939 and 1951 – three children befriend a cast of enchanted folk who live in a magical tree in the forest whose uppermost branches are a portal to distant mystical lands. While every episode is its own story, what children love most about these books is getting familiar with the various characters and their special quirks and funny turns of phrase.
We find the same magic in the work of celebrated Vietnamese children’s writer Trương Huỳnh Như Trân. Recently Metro Writers author Michael Arnold supported translator Trần Lê Quỳnh in his efforts to set a collection of Trân’s popular stories of the Vi Vu forest into English, many of which have been released individually in paperback. Together, the little tales weave a magical world of talking animals who share a forest home featuring distinctly Vietnamese elements, presented in a universal context that all children can understand and enjoy.
Now pending publication as an en face bilingual collected edition, “Tales of the Vi Vu Forest” (Chuyện ở rừng Vi Vu) will share these Vietnamese stories with an international audience, building a new enchanted world that will spark the imaginations of young readers everywhere.
We believe children are going to treasure this beautifully illustrated hardcover volume and eagerly anticipate future adventures in the Vi Vu forest.