As the summer break begins, a new wave of reading enthusiasm is sweeping across students and parents alike, with the new children’s book “Abul’s Monkey King” taking center stage.
Written by the young author Chen Weijun and published by the Hunan Juvenile and Children’s Publishing House, the book has become a bestseller within just 10 days of its release, prompting a rush for reprints to meet the high demand.
“Abul’s Monkey King” tells the story of a 12-year-old African boy named Abul, who grows up amidst the hardships of war, poverty, and disease.
His journey begins as he sets out to find Luo Fei, a Chinese doctor who helped fight a virus in Africa years earlier. In a daring adventure, Abul sneaks into a Chinese peacekeeping camp, where he meets Li Yao, a Chinese peacekeeper.
The novel beautifully weaves the tale of Abul and his encounters with Li, highlighting the bond between the African children and Chinese peacekeepers.
Chen revealed that the inspiration for this novel came from a poignant moment seven years ago, when he was moved by a speech delivered by the wife of a peacekeeping police officer, who happened to be Chen’s high school classmate.
“She was always gentle and intellectual, but her speech revealed a different side of her: brave and strong, filled with great love,” Chen said.
“Like many peacekeeping soldiers’ wives, while their husbands strive for peace overseas, they hold everything together at home,” he said. “Her husband served in Liberia and was awarded the United Nations Peace Medal. That profound moment inspired me to capture the resilience of peacekeepers and the tenderness of their families through children’s literature.”
A particularly noteworthy element of the book is Abul’s connection with the Monkey King. Through the legend of the Monkey King, a symbol of Chinese traditional culture, the peacekeepers impart valuable lessons on kindness, love, responsibility, freedom, and rules, building a strong spiritual foundation and high ideals for African children.
