When animals tell stories: the world of childhood through a multidimensional lens in Nguyen Nhat Anh’s animal tales

Abstract

Animal tales and fables have long been close to the hearts of children and remain among the most beloved forms of storytelling. Animated films featuring animal characters and contemporary literary works about animals continue to captivate young audiences around the world. From this observation, the article raises a central question: Why do stories about animals still appeal to children in modern society? Based on theories of child psychology and an interdisciplinary reading approach, this study examines several animal tales by writer Nguyen Nhat Anh, including Tôi là Bêtô (I am Beto), Con chó nhỏ mang giỏ hoa hồng (The little dog carrying a basket of roses), Có hai con mèo ngồi bên cửa sổ (Two cats sitting by the window), Chúc một ngày tốt lành (Wishing you a good day), and Ra bờ suối ngắm hoa kèn hồng (By the stream watching pink trumpet flowers). The paper argues that each animal story serves as a multidimensional lens through which readers can perceive the world, human life, and particularly the inner world of childhood, while also reflecting the author’s deeply humanistic vision. Furthermore, Nguyen Nhat Anh’s tales not only inherit the moral and didactic functions of traditional fables but also expand the imaginative, reflective, and creative spaces of the child’s mind, allowing young readers to encounter themselves and their friends through the voices of animal narrators.