HCM City (VNA) – The Youth ಞPublishing House has decided, for the first time, to print 100,000𓂃 copies of a new literature book for children in its first edition.

The book, entitled Con Cho Nho Mang Gio Hoa Hong (Puppy Brings a Basket of Roses), is authored by Nguyen Nhat Anh. Fourteen distributors have bought 70,000 copies of the book before its release on February 28. The publishing house made the decision thanks to the writer's fame. Anh is a best-selling writer and is among Vietnam's most successful and prolific writers of children's books. "The HCM Book Fair will be held in March. It will be a good chance to introduce a new book," Nguyen Minh Nhut, director of the Youth Publishing House, said. Puppy Brings a Basket of Roses has five chapters, comprising of 86 stories about five puppies living with a family. The stories tell about the relationship among the puppies, between the puppies and the members of the family and the puppies and guests of the family. The five puppies -- Haili, Bato, Suku, Eme and Pig -- have human emotions and characteristics such as friendship, love, passion and bravery, besides fears and dreams. The Youth Publishing House's decision to print 10,000 copies is in line with an appeal for promoting writing for children by the Vietnam Writers Association's Children Literature Department. The department was re-established at the ninth congress of the Vietnam Writers Association, held in Hanoi last July. "We need focus on developing writing for children," Huu Thinh, chairman of the association, said. "Literary works for children were neglected during the 2010-15 period. I think we have to adjust in the new period," he said. The chairman said it is necessary to have an annual prize for children's literature just as other prizes for poetry, literature, translations and theory works. In addition, the association will co-ordinate with relevant bodies such as the Youth Union, the Women Union and the Young Pioneer Union to organise writing for children contests. The Children Literature Department will focus on uploading good stories written by professional writers and by children themselves on the association's website vanvn.net.-VNA