Blyton's tales blossom in Chinese

After more than 70 years, The Famous Five series of storybooks about the adventures of four children and a dog has finally come to China, one of the biggest markets for children's books in the world.

The Chinese version of the stories by the late British children's writer Enid Blyton was introduced by DookBook, a Shanghai-based book company, from British publishing house Hodder & Stoughton. The first five books came out in November.

China has more than 220 million children under the age of 14, representing 16.6 percent of the country's total population, according to the latest demographic statistics released in 2013. The number of children's books published has been growing at a double-digit rate annually over the past decade.

The Famous Five series is one of the best-sellers among the works of Blyton. The author was born in 1897 and wrote more than 700 titles throughout her life.

As one of the most well-known writers in the United Kingdom, Blyton's works have been translated into 90 languages, and the total sales of her books exceeded 600 million copies. Many of her books remain enormously popular.

"Since Enid Blyton is so popular in the UK, it took us a lot of effort to acquire the copyrights for a Chinese version from The Famous Five publisher," says Wang Jing, the editor of the series. "But we believe that the books stand the test of time and will benefit children who read them."

The Famous Five series consists of 21 books, each one an exciting tale of adventure. Each of the five characters has a unique character, imperfect yet adorable－the tomboyish Georgina, who insists on being called George; the considerate Julian; the resourceful Dick; the timid but caring Anne; and the ever-present loyal dog Timmy.