Science and nature titles now dominate China’s children’s book sector, commanding a 28.68% market share according to 2025 OpenBook retail data cited by Phoenix Publishing and Media Inc.

This represents a significant climb from the 18.49% share held by pop-science titles in 2019. The category has overtaken both children’s literature (16.9%) and picture books (15.2%) to become the largest sub-sector.

Policy Tailwinds

The surge reflects deeper shifts in Chinese educational priorities. The government’s “Dual Carbon” goals – peaking emissions before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060 – have embedded ecological literacy into the national curriculum.

Since 2021, the Ministry of Education has mandated integration of “green and low-carbon requirements” at every educational level, from pre-school upwards. Climate-related content now appears across biology, science, chemistry, geography and physics syllabi, with pupils required to demonstrate understanding of carbon peaking and neutrality concepts.

The View From The Beach

Gu Jianya, President of Phoenix Juvenile & Children’s Publishing, frames this as a “Value Return.” Parents are pivoting from utilitarian, exam-focused purchasing toward “growth-oriented nourishment,” prioritising cognitive opening and curiosity over rote knowledge.

Nature-based science has become the primary vehicle for this shift, with ecological education transitioning from “elective” to “must-have” for middle-class Chinese families.

Here in The Gambia, not so much. My school is alone in teaching children, from Day One of Nursery One, about environmental issue.

International IP Performance

Phoenix Publishing and Media reports strong performance for acquired international titles, demonstrating robust appetite for global perspectives:

Mary Auld’s Art Alive! with Science (Hachette Children’s Group, UK) – acquired via Singing Grass in 2023, praised for bridging creative art and scientific inquiry.

Isabelle Simler’s Maison (Éditions Courtes et Longues, France) – 2025 iRead Top 100 winner.

Thames & Hudson’s Modern Art Explorer and You Must Know series (UK).

Aesthetic Education Focus

Wang Linjun, President of Phoenix Fine Arts Publishing, emphasises the group’s dual focus on art and science, leveraging partnerships with Tate Enterprises, Thames & Hudson, Hodders & Stoughton and Éditions Mango.

“We aren’t just teaching kids how to draw; we are guiding them on how to see the world,” Wang notes.

Market Context

Despite science titles’ strength, China’s overall children’s book market faces headwinds. The segment declined 0.48% year-on-year through October 2025, though it still commands 28.2% of total retail book sales.

Content-driven e-commerce platforms (Douyin, Xiaohongshu) now account for 47.6% of children’s book sales, while bricks-and-mortar bookstores contribute just 7.3%.

New title output has fallen to approximately 15,700 in the first ten months of 2025, down from 17,050 in the same period of 2024.

This post first appeared in the TNPS LinkedIn newsfeed.