“This book is exceptionally captivating. It draws readers in with every page full of fresh, humorous, and incredibly clever details that are completely unpredictable. What’s especially remarkable is how the plot, the stories, and the life lessons are seamlessly woven into everyday situations and playful moments. Children absorb these lessons naturally, without ever feeling like they’re being lectured. And that is the true magic of the book.”

Said poet Tran Dang Khoa, former Vice President of the Vietnam Writers’ Association when commenting on Papelucho.

Written by Marcela Paz and first published in Chile in 1947, 12-volume Papelucho is a diary of an imaginative, humorous, and emotionally perceptive eight-year-old boy.

The series has been translated into eight foreign languages with Vietnamese being the latest.

Sergio Narea Guzmán, Chilean Ambassador to Vietnam, was speaking at a ceremony to launch the book in Hanoi last month, “Papelucho is a classic series of children’s literature. These books were written a long time ago and have been reissued many times. I clearly remember that, when I was sick as a child, my mother read Papelucho to me. The stories are universally appealing and very well written. Children from different countries enjoy them.”

According to poet Tran Dang Khoa, “Papelucho is a famous book series dating back to the 1930s and even today it remains incredibly engaging and feels remarkably fresh, as if it were just written.”

“Writing for children, in my opinion, is not an easy task. A writer must understand both children and adults. A truly great children’s book is one that both kids and grown-ups can enjoy,” said Khoa, adding, “Without that dual appeal, something essential is missing. Because within every child is an adult in the making, and within every adult is a child that never grew up. I really believe Papelucho will soon be included in school curricula in Vietnam, just as it is in Chile.”

The first two volumes of the Vietnamese edition of Papelucho came out last December and received positive feedback.

Now, two more titles in this heartwarming series – Papelucho, the Orphan and Papelucho, the Historian – have been released.

Nguyen Tien Thanh, Director General of the Vietnam Education Publishing House, said, “Introducing Papelucho to young Vietnamese readers enriches our children's book collection and reflects our strategy of internationalizing our products and introducing Vietnamese readers to world culture.”

“In this age of integration, children’s literature is no longer bound by language or geography. It is a place to connect hearts, nurture dreams, and foster humanistic understanding. Papelucho, with its diary format and lively characters, will inspire Vietnamese children to write their own stories,” Thanh noted.

According to poet Tran Dang Khoa, one of the series’ strengths is its accessibility for Vietnamese readers despite its Chilean setting.

“What’s fascinating about this book is how modern and simple the language is. It’s incredibly accessible. Though the story is set in Chile, it doesn’t feel foreign to Vietnamese readers. The situations feel familiar, as if they could be happening here in Vietnam.”

“But by the end of the book, what stands out clearly is the personality of the Chilean people. The beauty of their spirit and the richness of Chilean culture shines from every page,” said Khoa.

The Papelucho series, originally published between 1947 and 1974, has become part of Chile’s primary education curriculum, has inspired theatrical plays, comics, and animated adaptations, and was nominated for the Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest international recognition for children’s authors.

Papelucho, no longer just a Chilean treasure but a bridge between continents, invites Vietnamese children to explore another culture and inspires them to write their own stories.