22 October 2026 was the 90th anniversary of the end of the Long March. In an article titled “What books can today’s children read to learn about the Long March?”, published in Literature Art News 1949 《文艺报 1949》on 30 October 2026, Zhang Dandan surveyed children’s books about the Long March in the New Era.
[今天的孩子们读什么书能了解长征？(原标题：新时代长征题材儿童文学的 — 叙事开拓与价值表达) https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/3x30Khv1qmGjm0PfyKS1XQ Accessed 31 Oct 2026
I looked online for children’s books in English about the Long March and found this one:
China’s Long March. 6,000 Miles of Danger, by Jean Fritz, illus. Yang Zhr Cheng (Putnam Books, 1988). ISBN 9780399215124 — Jean Fritz, 1915-2017, lived in China until she was twelve. Yang Zhr Cheng is better known as Ed Young, 1931-2023.
Back to the article… In addition to the patriotic content, the focus on Red Literature, red genes and revolutionary spirit, the article highlights that recent stories are increasingly written from a child’s perspective. I’ve listed the titles below, with an image (when I could find one). The books listed below are all in Chinese. Note that this is a selection of the vast number of children’s books about the Long March.
Old classics
- Yang Xu, The Golden Fishing Hook (1959) – While crossing the grasslands, the food runs out. An old cook caring for three sick children, uses a sewing needle to make a fishhook, feeds fish to the ailing soldiers, but eats only grass roots and fishbones himself, eventually dying of exhaustion and hunger, sacrificing his life for others // 杨旭:《金色的鱼钩》
- Wang Yuanjian, Seven Matches (1958) – During heavy rain on the grasslands, a dying Red Army soldier hands his Party membership card with seven dry matches tucked inside to his comrade to pass to the Party organization. The comrade catches up with the troops, lights a bonfire for the soldiers, and hands over the remaining six matches // 王愿坚:《七根火柴》
- Wang Yuanjian, Young Guerrilla (1977) – Orphan Zhang Yazi helps Red Army scouts obtain intelligence after his parents are killed by the White devils (KMT), and eventually grows into a young guerrilla fighter in the anti-Japanese war // 王愿坚:《小游击队员》
- Lu Yanzhou, Finding the Red Army (1959) – After his mother is captured by the White Army (KMT), 9-year-old Xiao Gu and his injured father go in search of the Red Army. They find the Red Army in Qingsongling, and Xiao Gu becomes a young Red Army soldier // 鲁彦周:《找红军》
- Li Xintian, The Glistening Red Star (1972) – About youngster Pan Dongzi and his revolutionary spirit // 李心田:《闪闪的红星》
Several themed series in 2006 (the 70th anniversary)
- Zhang Pincheng’s The Long March at Age Fifteen (Mingtian Publishing House) // 张品成 : “十五岁的长征”系列 (明天出版社)
- Thousands of Rivers and Mountains (Jiangsu Children’s and Young Readers’ Publishing House // 《万水千山》 (江苏少年儿童出版社)
- Grandparents’ Stories of the Long March (China Children’s and Young Readers’ Publishing House) // 《爷爷奶奶的长征故事》(中国少年儿童出版社)
- The Unforgettable Red Maxims (Children’s and Youth Publishing House) // 《不可忘却的红色箴言》(少年儿童出版社出版)
The Long March Picture Book Series in 2016 (the 80th anniversary)
- Long March Picture Book Series – 8 books published by the People’s Liberation Army Literature and Art Publishing House //《长征绘本丛书》(解放军文艺出版社) :
- Xing Tong, illus. Lu Yifeng, Little Sun // 星瞳, 卢一锋: 《小太阳》
- He Jiesheng, illus. Shen Yaoyi, The Sound of Hooves Fading Away // 贺捷生, 沈尧伊: 《远去的马蹄声》
- Tong Yan, illus. Bing’er Xiao xiao, Spring Flowers Bloom // 童妍, 冰儿萧萧:《迎春花开》
- Mei ge lun yang si, illus. Su Lin & Chen Xiaoxi, Loved Ones // 梅格伦杨斯, 苏麟, 陈晓曦: 《亲人》
- Tong Yan, illus. Duan Erduan, Together // 童妍, 端儿端: 《在一起》
- Xie Qianni, illus. Wang Zumin and Wang Ying, Father’s Wooden Boat // 谢倩霓, 王祖民, 王莺: 《爸爸的木船》
- Gao Hongbo, illus. Liu Mai, The Red Army Willow // 高洪波, 刘麦:《红军柳》
- Dong Baocun, illus. Meng Ziru, Big Guo and Little Guo’s Marching Cooking Pot // 董保存, 孟子茹:《大郭小郭行军锅》
Zhang Pincheng’s books about the Long March
Zhang Pincheng 张品成 is probably the most prolific author of children’s books about the Long March. His works place children in historical scenes – raising livestock, playing football, guarding river crossings – finding a narrative entry point close to children’s perception. They include:
- The Red Boy (1995) //《赤色小子》
- My Regiment, My Soldiers (2018) // 《我的军团我的兵》
- Final Score” (2020) // 《最后的比分》
- Thirteen Gold Bars (2022) // 《十三根金条》
- Long March Heavenly Number Operation (2024) //《长征天字号行动》
- Chishui Drip Drip (2026) //《赤水嘀嗒》
- The Long March: Operation Tianzihao //《长征天字号行动》- Focuses on the night before the army’s departure by the Yu River. The pivotal event of constructing a floating bridge that would determine the Red Army’s fate is depicted through concrete actions such as child scouts dismantling door panels and patrolling at night to relay messages.
More books about the Long March
Liu Jianwei, Forever Following (2017) // 柳建伟：《永远追随》- Confronts the brutality of the Xiang River Battle through the eyes of a young boy. When the Red Army arrives at Xianghua Ling, the Tao family voluntarily offers their home and kitchen to assist the troops, and twice lend their donkeys to the Red Army, sacrificing their own means of subsistence to suppsort the army.
Liang Anzao, Hong Xiya (2019) // 梁安早:《红细伢》- Villagers in northern Guangxi assist injured young Red Army soldiers during the Xiang River Campaign, documenting the history of the march through northern Guangxi.
Tan Heping, The Brave Red Army Division Commander (2021) // 谭和平:《勇敢的红军师长》- graphic novel telling four major events and depicting Chen Shuxiang’s heroism.
Yu Chunfang, Fourteen-Year-Olds on the Long March (2021) // 俞春放：《十四岁的长征》- Chronicles the indomitable spirit of young Red Guards in desperate situations as they cross snow-capped mountains.
Haixiao Qiangqiang’s “Long March: I Am a Red Child Soldier” series (2021–2024) // 海小枪枪的“长征・我是红小鬼”系列 – six books portraying the collective image of the Red Army’s young soldiers：
- The Resounding Suona //《嘹亮的唢呐》
- The Little Ferry Boat //《小渡船》
- A New Force //《新的力量》
- The Snow of 1935 //《1935年的雪》
- My Women’s Army Company //《我的女兵连》
- The Young Scouts //《少年侦察兵》
“The Long March!” compiled by Wang Zhigeng, illus. by Shen Yaoyi (2025) // 王志庚编著、沈尧伊绘:《长征！长征！》- the Long March styled like a black-and-white print.
Bi Hai, Dongmen Riverbank (2026) // 毕海:《东门河畔》- The journey of young people from Hubei, Henan, and Anhui as they transition from resisting oppression to following the Red Army.
Nan Fengzi, Ten Thousand Miles of Song: Intertemporal Rescue (2026) // 南风子:《万里长歌：跨时空救援》- A 22nd-century girl named Bei Xiaolu establishes a sensory connection with a Red Army youth through an “emotional quantum resonator,” allowing her to personally experience the Long March.
Zhou Min, Stars Lighting Up (2023) // 周敏:《星星点灯》- Set in Zunyi, the story depicts the awakening and growth of local children before and after the arrival of the Red Army, using children’s observations and questions to recreate history.
Tao Chun, The Survivor (2026) // 陶纯:《幸存者》- Seven-year-old Tian You, under the protection of the Red Army, traverses snow-capped mountains and treks through swamps before finally reaching Northern Shaanxi.
Zhang Pincheng, Young Heroes of the Long March series (2025) // 张品成, “长征少年”系列 – 6-book series, depicting the youngsters as real children who experience fear, homesickness, make mistakes and argue, and their growth into brave young warriors.
- Crossing the Grasslands //《长征少年·过草地》
- A Special Companion //《长征少年·特别伙伴》
- A Life-or-Death Decision //《长征少年·生死抉择》
- A Secret Mission //《长征少年·秘密使命》
- Ready to Set Out //《长征少年·出征在即》
- My Legion, My Soldiers // 《长征少年·我的军团我的兵》
Jin Zhibo, The Little Soldier on the Long March (2025) // 金之波:《长征路上的小战士》- Young Red Army soldiers narrate their choices and personal growth amidst hunger, extreme cold, and warfare.
Xu Lu, The Brave Little Red Army (2026) // 徐鲁:《勇往直前的小红军》- Young Red Army soldiers narrate their choices and personal growth amidst hunger, extreme cold, and warfare.
Xu Lu, Bonfire on the Snowy Ground (2026) // 徐鲁:《雪地上的篝火》- Over thirty short stories, showing warm human connections along the Long March, with a focus on ordinary soldiers such as propagandists, buglers, and horse handlers, in historical scenes.
Li Meihua, Golden Shell (2025) // 李美桦:《金色的弹壳》- The “shell” in the story begins as a simple wish of a child, transforms into a means of survival in times of crisis, and ultimately embodies the youth’s faith. Transforms the Long March from an abstract military route into a vivid depiction of the authentic landscapes and local cultures along the route.
Chang Xing’er, Colorful Clouds Send Me Across the Jinsha River (2016) // 常星儿:《彩云送我过金沙》- Set in the Jinsha River area, narrating the intersection between ethnic minority youths and the Red Army.
Lü Yi, The Child Who Wanted to Be a Red Army Soldier (2024) 吕翼:《想当红军的孩子》 -Chronicles the life-and-death bond between young Mu Chu’s family and the Red Army in a remote Miao village deep in the Wumeng mountains. The ethnic customs and local features of regions along the Long March route, such as Guangxi, Guizhou, and Yunnan, give the narrative of the Long March a more concrete geographical texture.
Picture books about the Long March
Dong Baochen, illus. Meng Ziruo, Da Guo, Xiao Guo Marching Pot (2016), 董保存创作、孟子茹绘制:《大郭小郭行军锅》
Li Donghua, illus. Gu Yukun, A Handful of Barley Grains (2021), 李东华创作、顾宇坤绘制:《一把青稞粒》
Wenxin Publishing House’s “Long March Story Picture Book” series (2024) // 《长征故事绘本》（文心出版社） – 5-part illustrated series:
- Half a Leather Belt //《半截皮带》– Soldier Zhou Guangcai‘s starving squad preserve half a uniform belt as a memento of survival.
- Half a Quilt //《半条被子》– Red Army soldiers share their only blanket with a poor local villager, leaving half of it behind for them.
- Red Army Shoes //《红军鞋》
- A Bag of Dry Rations //《一袋干粮》
- The Straw Hat Stratagem //《草帽计》
An enormous pop-up book
The Long March: The Red Star Shines Brightly in My Heart (People’s Posts and Telecommunications Press and the Party History Publishing House of the CPC) //《 // 长征：红星闪闪照我心 （大型3D立体书）（中共党史出版社）- table-top 3-D interactive format (see more here)
More variety of forms of writing about the Long March
Jin Chaozhong, A Song, Turning the Red Water Riverbank Red (2024) // 靳朝忠:《一支歌，映红赤水河畔》- Prose poem set against the backdrop of the Red Army’s first crossing of the Red Water River and their manoeuvres in Wumeng.
Xu Lu, From Snow-Covered Mountains to Stars – Letters Across Time and Space Between Long March Soldiers and New Era Youth (2026) // 徐鲁:《从雪山到星辰——长征小战士与新时代少年的跨时空书信》- Twelve sets of letters between soldiers describing the Long March and contemporary youth serve as a bridge for dialogue between two generations of young people, linking past battles with present-day life.
Zhang Ying, Spring Flowers Bloom (2022) // 张鹰:《迎春花儿开》- Fang Yingchun, a young cultural soldier and originally a submissive child bride, faces successive sacrifices among her comrades after joining the Red Army family. Broadens the boundaries of heroic narratives.
Zheng Zubiao, Towards the Sun (2025) // 郑铸彪:《向太阳》- In the He family, the father resolutely joins the army, the mother supports with supplies from the rear, and the grandmother contributes her dowry to lend full assistance, all working together to support the army’s journey. Camaraderie between the military and civilians in minority villages along the route.
Xiang Nu, Little Horse General (2023) // 湘女:《小马将军》- Ah Luo, a young Yi boy by the Jinsha River, unable to endure the oppression of slave owners, meets the Red Army, realizes the purpose of the mission—to seek liberation for the impoverished masses—breaks free from his bondage, and embarks on the Long March. Highlights the contribution of ethnic minority groups that sustained the Long March.
Tao Chun, Catching Up With the Army (2026) // 陶纯:《追赶队伍的孩子们》- Ten teenagers have a perilous journey of more than 100 days and over 3,000 miles, to catch up with the Red Army at the edge of the grassland. Based on a true story.
Long Renqing, Red Star Song (2026) // 龙仁青:《红星歌》- Daxi, a Tibetan youth, forms a vague imagination of the Red Army through the film *Shining Red Star*, and later learns his gentle mother Momo was a Red Army propagandist. Distant imagination on the screen meets loved ones nearby, and the spirit of the Long March through the narratives of two generations.
Zhao Jianyun, The Summer of the Slow Cow Slope (2026) // 赵剑云:《慢牛坡的夏天》- City boy He Wang spends his summer vacation at his grandfather’s house and accidentally discovers a diary left by a 14-year-old Red Army soldier 90 years earlier.
[The author is a master’s student in the College of Liberal Arts, Lanzhou University. This article is an interim achievement of the National Social Science Foundation project “Compilation, Research and Database Construction of Centennial Chinese Children’s Literature Materials (22&ZD275) // 作者系兰州大学文学院硕士研究生，本文系国家社科基金重大项目“百年中国儿童文学文献资料的整理研究与数据库建设”（22&ZD275）阶段性成果］
