about the life of Mongolian nomads and their children. To encourage the creation of
artistic works for children, a prize, The Golden Colt, is awarded every two years for
outstanding work in writing, illustrating or making films for young people.
VietnamIn Vietnam children’s literature has a clearly defined purpose; this is to prepare children
for maturity by encouraging them to learn and work, and to love their country.
Books intended for pre-school and younger children make use of animal stories, folk-
tales, legends and myths, to inspire a love of beauty, justice and honesty. Chep Con
Trong Ruong Lua by Nguyen Quynh is a notable example.
The main characters in realistic fiction for older children are children who excel in
their studies or who join their elders in fighting the enemy and helping to build their
country, and adults who are good role models such as exemplary parents, excellent
teachers or dedicated and loyal soldiers. In books intended to inspire patriotism a
popular character is the brave and resourceful child who serves as runner for the army,
but as well as emphasising the child’s bravery authors are at pains to describe the
beautiful countryside and its customs. Good examples of books set during the wars
against the French and Americans are Doi du Kich Thieu Nien Dinh Bang [Little
Guerrillas at Dinh Bang] by Kuan Sach, and Ho Phuong’s Khau Sung Nguoi Ong
[Grandfather’s Gun].
There are also stories about school life such as Mai Truong Than Yeu [My Beloved
School] by Le Khao Hoan, which describe children working hard and overcoming
difficulties, emphasising the joy of making progress.
MalaysiaMalaysia, like most countries, has a strong oral tradition. Story-tellers called
penglipurlana used to travel from village to village telling stories. These might be animal
tales about the witty mouse deer, Sang Kancil, humorous folk-tales about the dull-
witted simpleton, Pak Pandir, or the luckless Mosque caretaker, Lebai Malang, or
romantic folk-tales many of which take their plots from the Hindu epics, the Ramayana
and the Mahabharata. When the exploitation of natural resources began, the Chinese
came to work in the mines and the Indians to work on the rubber plantations, and
teachers came from China and India, bringing their own books with them.
After independence in 1957, Malaysia began to pursue an active policy to create a
national language, culture, ideology and image. Traditional Malaysian folk-tales,
including legends about the ancient Malay heroes such as Hang Tuah, Hang Jebat, Tun
Perak and Panglima Away, were promoted. Bahasa Malaysia (Malay) became the official
language although English, Chinese and Tamil are also still widely spoken.
The National Literacy Agency believed that an indigenous literature would help to
create a national identity. Children’s books were needed to promote patriotism,
understanding amongst the various ethnic groups, social responsibility towards the less
fortunate, and international goodwill. Children themselves needed stories which would
814 THE WORLD OF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE