The Grasslands

Name: The Grasslands
ISBN: 9787516225264

Yan KaiChina Democracy and Legal System Publishing House · ChinaJan 2026

3.9

Word count: 271 words
Chapters: 9
ISBN: 9787516225264

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Summary

This book is a picture-book adaptation of the film Grassland. Endless grassland. In the rain, Xiao Guocheng, rear-guard company commander of the Second Front Army, walks with difficulty, leading fourteen-year-old Xiao Qin of the Fourth Front Army. On the other side of the grassland walks Chang Chi, a senior cadre of the Fourth Front Army.

To preserve the revolutionary forces, the old, weak, sick and wounded comrades all offered to let the younger comrades go first with the little food they had. Deeply moved, Xiao Guocheng decides to stay behind and let the young people set off at once. Before the detachment leaves, Xiao Guocheng solemnly instructs its members to catch up with the main force and deliver an important document to the Party. The members cross a river in torrential rain and finally reach the main force. When the document is opened, it reads: “The important thing we ask you to deliver to the Party is yourselves… We are still striving, still advancing…” To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and promote patriotism, the timely release of this book is highly meaningful.

Editor's review

Adapted by Yan Kai from the film Grassland into a picture book, this work tells how Xiao Guocheng, rear-guard company commander of the Second Front Army, and fourteen-year-old Xiao Qin struggle across the vast grassland, how the old, weak, sick and wounded comrades offer their food, how Xiao Guocheng stays behind, and how a small detachment carries an important document to catch up with the main force. Through combined pictures and text, the work presents the hardship and faith of the Long March. The closing line—“the important thing we ask you to deliver to the Party is yourselves”—crystallizes revolutionary comradeship and responsibility into an emotional peak. Concise in length and direct in visual storytelling, the picture book serves as a supplementary reader for patriotic education and Party history learning, and helps young readers enter the historical setting in a short time. When reading, note the characters' choices and mutual help in extreme conditions, and how faith is expressed in concrete action. As an adapted picture book, it focuses on narrative and emotional communication rather than historical verification or academic analysis; readers who wish to understand the Long March background in depth should pair it with authoritative Party history works.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Primary and secondary school students for patriotic education and introductory Party history reading
Schools and communities as supplementary material for themed class meetings and reading groups
Readers who enjoy the picture-book form and want an accessible introduction to Long March stories
Parents reading with children to discuss faith and responsibility

Not a good fit for

Academic readers seeking systematic study of Long March history
Readers who prefer text-only novels or in-depth documentary works
Readers not interested in the picture-and-text narrative form

Reading tips

Look at the pictures before reading the text, noting the emotions conveyed by characters' expressions and the grassland setting
Pause at the document's contents at the end and exchange your understanding with others
When reading with children, add background on the Long March to help them grasp the historical context
After reading, write a few sentences about the scene that moved you most to deepen the impression

About the publisher

China Democracy and Legal System Publishing House China · Founded in 1989

China Democracy and Legal System Publishing House focuses on professional legal publishing. Its output covers working materials for state organs of power, compilations of laws and regulations, legal popularization readers for the public, law textbooks and documentation on people's congress work, with law, politics and social sciences as common categories. Representative titles in the catalog include the Civil Code of the People's Republic of China, the Constitution of the People's Republic of China and the Ecological Environment Code of the People's Republic of China, alongside practice- and research-oriented works such as Legislators Explaining the Law: Li Yuan's Reports on Legal Interpretation and On Record Review and Constitutional Review. Its authors include Li Yuan, Qin Qianhong, the General Office of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and editorial teams. The press emphasizes accuracy in legal texts and the organization of practical people's congress materials, while also serving public legal education.

版权信息
编委会
剧情说明
演职员表
正文一
正文二
正文三
正文四
正文五

FAQ

What grade level is this picture book suitable for?

The text is concise and the visual narrative clear, making it easy for upper primary school students and above to understand. Younger students should read with a parent or teacher, with appropriate explanation of the Long March background to help them grasp the historical context and emotional focus.

What does the document at the end mean?

The document says, “The important thing we ask you to deliver to the Party is yourselves,” meaning those who stayed behind regarded the young comrades as the most precious asset and hoped they would preserve their strength and keep advancing. This line states the theme: the revolutionary cause is carried forward by people themselves.

Is this a true historical event or an adaptation?

This book is a picture-book adaptation of the film Grassland and belongs to artistic creation. It draws on the historical background of the Red Army crossing the grassland, but the specific characters and plot are artistically processed and should not be cited directly as historical sources; consult authoritative Party history works for comparison.

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About the author

Yan Kai Author · Chinese · 1982

Yan Kai was born in Beijing in November 1982. He holds a master's degree and the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Armed Police. In 2007 he graduated from the School of Journalism and Communication at Renmin University of China with a specialization in communication studies, and subsequently joined the military. He formerly served as head of the organization and education section of the political department of the Haidian District Public Security Fire Brigade in Beijing. Long engaged in political and ideological work, he has served as chief editor of more than a hundred titles, including illustrated adaptations of classic red films, patriotic education series, therapeutic-diet cookbooks, and folk-culture readers. His representative works include Red Banner Spectrum, Wild Fire and Spring Wind Fighting the Ancient City, Haixia, Fighting North and South, Red Sun, The Visitor on the Iceberg, Grassland, and By the Jinsha River. Most of these are based on revolutionary history and adaptations of red classics, giving him a broad readership in social-science publications.