(Ecns.cn)--China's most influential series of elementary science books for schoolchildren, called "Shi Wan Ge Wei Shen Me" (also known as "Tell Me Why" and "One Hundred Thousand Whys"), has been prevalent among young readers here since the first edition was published in January of 1961.
Over the years, the China Children's Publishing House has published five editions of the set, re-editing the books each time to make them more relevant to modern developments in science. Currently, preparations for the sixth version are underway, but the company has not announced a release date.
For the latest edition, the editors are still collecting questions from children nationwide via the Internet and questionnaires, which is expected to last till the end of this year.
For each new generation of readers, the series holds many surprises, yet the stories behind how it was originally made are also interesting, if seldom heard by the public.
The idea came from the young daughter of an employee at the China Children's Publishing House in 1958. Cao Yanfang, a then 30-year-old editor at the publishing house, had been constantly questioned by her daughter with different "whys," such as "why do ducks swim, but chickens don't?" and "why does it snow in winter?"
As the only firm approved to edit books for children, the publishing house had already made attempts at popular science reading material for children, which had received some welcome. But the editors were not satisfied with previous efforts, thinking that the books were too shallow.
Inspired by her daughter, Cao thought that the publishing house might consider a book to answer questions raised by children like her daughter, but in simple and lucid words. After a discussion with the other editors, the publishing house began to take action.
The editing group found seven teachers from universities in Shanghai to start editing content from different textbooks, but after more than a year's effort it was still not what the editors wanted.
"The content and the language looked just like those found in textbooks, which does not attract children," said Hong Zunian, one of the editors. The first trial for the book finally proved a failure, but this did not discourage the group.
In order to make the books more suitable, the editors began seeking every possible way to appeal to children. Those efforts included questionnaires, which asked children to write down questions starting with the interrogative "why." After three months, they received over 7,000 answer sheets with questions like "Why did the dinosaurs die out?"
"Children's questions are always helpful, and that's why this time we are also collecting questions," said Ye Yonglie, chief editor of the new edition.
In collaboration with scientists and experts, the group jointly edited the first edition of the books and published them in 1961. As the first set of its kind in the country, the publication created a major stir.
The group received thousands of letters from readers, some of which expressed surprise, while others raised new questions for the group to solve. In 1962, the books also received praise from the central government, which said that everyone could learn from the books.
The success of the series exceeded the expectations of the editors, and in order to respond to questions raised by readers, the publishing house published four other editions in the following years. The latest was published in 1999.
The different editions of the books are like people who have seen the history of the country. During the "Cultural Revolution," for example, the books, like many scientists, were also criticized for political reasons.
"Times have changed," said an editor. "The Internet has changed our way of life and China has moved passed the time when only books could impart knowledge."
The editors are also considering a new look for the series, but "whether it will be another hit among children depends on the content," said Ye.
