Popular children’s poems revisited

A new illustrated version of a popular 1968 children’s poetry book, entitled Goc San Và Khoang Troi (The Yard Corner and Sky Interval), will be released in Hanoi on January 16.

The book by Tran Dang Khoa comprises about 60 poems, divided into five short volumes: Khi Me Vang Nha (When Mother Is Away from Home); Trang Sang San Nha Em (The Moon Shines on My House); Mang Bien Ve Que (Bringing the Sea to the Coutryside); Hat Gao Lang Ta (Rice Seed in Our Village) and Con Buom Vang (Yellow Butterfly). 

The book was illustrated by five young artist teams, including Wazza Pink and NHO.A; Vuon Studio; Pham Quang Phuc; Killien Huynh and Phung Nguyen Quang and Nho Huy. 

Wazza Pink and NHO.A won the Grand Prize of the Samsung Kids Time Award competition held early last year in Singapore; Killien Huynh and Phung Nguyen Quang took first prize at The Scholastic Picture Book Award - a joint initiative of the National Book Development Council of Singapore and Scholastic Asia. 

"We encourage all the artists to express their feelings as they read the poems. It is necessary before they begin to illustrate them," said Nguyen Quang Vinh from the Huy Hoang Book House. "All the artists were born in the 1990s. We chose them because of their new and fresh feelings about popular poetry."

The artists’ perspective is also shaped by the fact that they did not experience rural life in times of war, which some of the poems describe.

"Sometimes we cannot imagine exactly what the poet describes," said artist Nanh from Vuon Studio team. "We have to draw daily life in the north, which we have never seen."

"It is very surprising for me. I’m very happy to see beautiful illustrations by young artists," said poet Khoa. "Each illustration is an independent artwork blowing a new breath into my poems. I don’t know whether their paintings illustrate my works or my poems illustrate the paintings".

"I like two illustrations for poems entitled Nua Dem Tinh Giac (Awakening at Midnight) and Trang Sang San Nha Em (Moon Shines over My Yard) the most. They are creative and vivid. The book is very beautiful with poems printed on the paintings," said the poet.

Poet Khoa is a phenomenon of Vietnam’s contemporary poetry. Born in 1958, he was known as a child prodigy. Goc San Và Khoang Troi is his first collection of poems and was printed when he was ten years old. Vietnamese people born in the 1960s and early 1970s learned his poems by heart. 

This is not first illustration of the poems of Goc San Và Khoang Troi. In 2011, about ten poems were selected along with other poems by Khoa in a bilingual Vietnamese-French book was illusatrated by French artist Dominique De Miscault for publication in France.

The poet is currently working for Voice of Vietnam (VOV) as director of VOV Television. His books, such as Chan Dung Và Doi Thoai (Portrait and Dialogue) and Dao Chim (Submerged Island) have a following of different generations. 

Khoa was awarded the State Prize in Literature and Arts in 2001.

VNA

Other News

Vietnam secure berth at FIFA U17 World Cup 2026 for first time

Vietnam secure berth at FIFA U17 World Cup 2026 for first time

Vietnam national U17 football team secured a place at the FIFA U17 World Cup 2026 for the first time after defeating United Arab Emirates national U17 football team 3-2 on in the final Group C match of the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2026 in Saudi Arabia on early May 14 (Vietnam time).

Vietnam’s most beautiful railway station twins with French counterpart

Vietnam’s most beautiful railway station twins with French counterpart

A twinning agreement between Da Lat Railway Station in Vietnam and Trouville-Deauville Railway Station in France was signed at the French Embassy in Vietnam on May 7, creating new opportunities for cooperation in station management and operations, as well as cultural and tourism promotion between the two sides.

Hanoi gains two more craft villages in World Crafts Cities network

Hanoi gains two more craft villages in World Crafts Cities network

The recognition of Chuyen My and Son Dong craft villages as members of the World Crafts Cities network represents international acknowledgement of the cultural value, artisanal techniques, creativity and sustainable vitality of Vietnam’s traditional craft villages, he said.

Thang Long - Hanoi Festival 2026 to return in September

Thang Long - Hanoi Festival 2026 to return in September

Co-hosted by the municipal People’s Committee, the Department of Culture and Sports, and domestic and foreign agencies, the whole spectacle is meant to honour the city’s millennia-old heritage while reafffirming its strategy of establishing culture as a development engine.

Spreading Vietnamese cultural identity in digital space

Spreading Vietnamese cultural identity in digital space

In the context of deep international integration, cultural identity serves as both a “shield” against assimilation and a defining marker of a nation’s image. Protecting and promoting uniquely Vietnamese cultural values has therefore become a pressing task, particularly in an increasingly complex digital environment.

ITE HCMC 2026 to promote Vietnam’s tourism on global map

ITE HCMC 2026 to promote Vietnam’s tourism on global map

With its large scale, the ITE HCMC 2026 aims to promote tourism cooperation between Vietnam and priority markets such as Northeast Asia, Western Europe, North America, Southeast Asia, and Oceania while also boosting visitor arrivals from the Indian market

Vietnamese puppetry seeks renewal amid preservation challenges

Vietnamese puppetry seeks renewal amid preservation challenges

Although widely regarded as a cultural “speciality” attracting tourists, Vietnamese puppetry is facing multiple challenges in preservation and development, requiring renewed efforts to both safeguard its identity and adapt to contemporary cultural currents.

Project on digital transformation in cultural sector approved

Project on digital transformation in cultural sector approved

By 2030, the project targets the establishment of shared digital platforms across 100% of cultural sectors. All digitised cultural heritage will be standardised under the national data framework and shared in accordance with regulations, while 80% of public digital heritage assets are expected to receive digital identifiers to clarify ownership and management, encouraging organisations and individuals to do the same and support market development.

Vietnam eyes becoming region’s leading tourism destination

Vietnam eyes becoming region’s leading tourism destination

Vietnam has in recent years undergone a notable transformation in its tourism development strategy, placing a strong emphasis on nature-based and eco-tourism. This shift is not merely aligned with global trends, but represents a necessary step towards safeguarding valuable natural resources, while appealing to a growing segment of environmentally conscious travellers.