Much red reading books

IN CHINA in Mao Zedong’s day, frivolous childhood pursuits such as reading were frowned on. The few children’s books that were tolerated told stories of revolution and class struggle. These days, toddlers are allowed to have more fun. But though the message has changed, parents and the state still believe the primary role of such works is to shape young minds, not amuse them.

Sales of children’s literature have risen by double digits in most of the past ten years, much faster than the growth of book sales overall. The number of children’s titles has more than tripled since 2005. This partly reflects a growing demand for products aimed at indulged only-children. A cost-conscious reluctance to have more offspring, which was reinforced by the country’s recently relaxed one-child policy, helped fuel that demand. The richer parents are, the more they splash out on children’s books.