VietNamNet Bridge – The children's book market in Viet Nam has grown quickly, giving kids the chance to enjoy a wide range of titles from around the world, but this rapid expansion has become problematic for publishing houses.

Children books on sales in a bookshop on Ha Noi's Trang Tien Street. The Department of Publishing has instructed publishing houses to tighten editing procedures and scrutinise joint-venture publishing works. (Photo: VNS)

For example, they teach children how to cheat in exams and play tricks on other people.

The book collection is a joint work between the publishing house and Long Minh Culture and Education Company under a transfer contract with Michael O'Mara Books Limited, translated by Le Mong Han and Tin Viet.

"We had to spend a lot of money on the copyright for the books. I want to introduce young Vietnamese readers to books that children of the same age are reading in other countries," said Do Hoang Son, director of Long Minh Culture and Education Company.

"The cultural divide is one of the reasons the books have been condemned by parents. There is subject matter that is suitable for western culture but not for Vietnamese culture."

Some parts of the books had also been lost in translation, Son said, adding that some sections had not retained their original humorous content.

The collection was a best-seller in the UK and US among others, with more than one million copies sold. Its humorous style and interesting approach were said to help children develop their observational and analytical skills.

However, it was unacceptable that a State-owned publishing house such as Kim Dong could release a book that taught children how to cheat in an exam, said a mother of three boys, Dang Phuong Mai.

"I don't know how these books can be published. I used to let my children choose their own books, but now I have to check them before letting my boys read them," Mai said.

The Ministry of Information and Telecommunications' (MoIT) Department of Publishing is looking into operations at publishing houses.

According to the department, in the first six months of this year, over 2,000 children's books were released, despite high inflation and reduced purchasing power, highlighting the market's potential.

However, the department also found that there had been violations of industry regulations, with a number of titles recalled from the market.

The department has instructed publishing houses to tighten editing procedures and scrutinise joint-venture publishing works.

Many publishing houses were neglecting their responsibility to control content, said Le Doan Hop, MoIT minister at a publishing conference held in HCM City earlier this month.

Some were also out-sourcing their work to the private sector, leading to diminished quality and content, he said.

Nguyen Quang Vinh, director of the Kim Dong Publishing House, said that the company was reviewing its editing and translation process to avoid further issues.

Many international best-sellers were translated into Vietnamese if they were deemed suitable for Vietnamese culture, in particular for children, according to writer Le Phuong Lien, head of the Children's Literature Department of the Viet Nam Writers Association

"Children's books are just one way that society as a whole has a responsibility to help children grow and mature," said Lien.

However, she added that parents should choose books carefully for their children, from a large and messy market.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News