As a subsidiary of a leading French publisher of children’s books, novels for kids and magazines, Bayard Presse Asia has been publishing in English and in Chinese for the Asian market for more than 35 years. Expat Andrea Chhan tells us more.
What brought you to Hong Kong?
I’m originally from France and I had been working for Bayard Presse in Paris, from September 2007. I moved to Hong Kong in 2010 to work for the subsidiary company here.
Why do you think Bayard’s publications are so appealing for kids?
The content of our magazines originally comes from our French publications. Bayard Presse is a leading publisher of children’s magazines and books – in France, the company publishes a range of 15 magazines for young readers. The first magazine for children was launched in 1966.
Our editorial teams work closely with world-renowned authors, illustrators, journalists and photographers who have something truly important and exciting to share with young people. Through each one of our publications and productions, we seek to uphold a single mission: to help young people to grow up understanding the fascinating world they live in, and encourage them to face the challenges of the future with a sense of wonder and curiosity. At Bayard we take our readers very seriously–whether they are one, eight, or eighteen years old.
What are some of the new offerings from Bayard?
Since March 2014, magazines from Owl Kids are available in Hong Kong. The three titles, Chirp, ChickaDEE and Owl are published by Bayard Presse’s Canadian subsidiary in Toronto. These well-known publications have won numerous awards throughout their 40-year history and several generations of Canadians have grown up reading these magazines.
What was your favourite thing to read as a child?
J’aime Lire magazine – also published by Bayard Presse! This is still the number-one magazine for children today and all French people my age were readers of this particular publication. Just say ‘J’aime Lire’ to French people in their twenties or thirties and you’ll see stars in their eyes!
What to read?
Bayard Presse Asia offers three ranges of educational and fun monthly magazines for children.
- Four titles in Chinese (Cantonese): Little Toy Car (ages 1-4), Little Red Apple (ages 4-7), Red Apple (ages 6-9) and White Antelope (ages 9-12)
- Three titles in English, edited in the United Kingdom: StoryBox (ages 3-6), AdventureBox (ages 6-9), DiscoveryBox (ages 9-12)
- Three titles in English, edited in Canada: Chirp (ages 3-6), ChickaDee (ages 6-9), Owl (ages 9-13). These new offerings from Bayard are bursting with activities, animal facts, jokes, comics, feature stories, puzzles and more, all designed to engage and entertain kids and get them reading, exploring and having fun, while helping them develop a lifelong love of learning.
For more information or to subscribe to a magazine, visit www.bayard.com.hk.