People’s Artist Ngọc Lan (centre), widow of painter and animation director Ngô Mạnh Lân, accepts the posthumous Lifetime Achievement – Cricket Knight Award on behalf of the late artist. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — More than four years after his passing, People’s Artist Ngô Mạnh Lân continues to shape the imagination of Vietnamese children, with the pioneering animator receiving the grand prize Hiệp Sĩ Dế Mèn (Cricket Knight) at the 2026 Dế Mèn Children’s Awards in Hà Nội.

Poet Trần Đăng Khoa, chairman of the jury, noted that the award recognised the late artist’s tireless dedication to animation, with works that have become classics, including Mèo Con (The Kitten, 1965), Chuyện Ông Gióng (The Story of Saint Gióng, 1970), Trê Cóc (Catfish and Toad, 1993) and especially his illustrations for Dế Mèn Phiêu Lưu Ký (Adventures of a Cricket) by writer Tô Hoài – arguably the most iconic Vietnamese children’s book.

Khoa recalled that the illustrations created in 1959 were beautifully printed and left a lasting impression on generations of young readers.

Painter Thành Chương, also a jury member, remembered Lân as not only a gifted artist but also a sincere and kind-hearted man.

“He established a distinctive style that deeply influenced generations of painters,” Chương said.

Born in 1934 in Hà Nội, Lân began studying art at 16, joining the first class of the Việt Nam Fine Arts School in the Việt Bắc resistance base against the French. Then he served in the army, took part in the Điện Biên Phủ campaign and produced many wartime sketches.

In 1956, following the restoration of peace in North Việt Nam, he was sent to study Animation Directing at the Soviet Union’s National Film University.

After graduation, he worked at the Việt Nam Puppet Animation Studio, now the Việt Nam Animation Studio.

People’s Artist Ngô Mạnh Lân. — Photo courtesy of the artist’s family

His first animated film, Một Ước Mơ (A Dream), was released in 1963. This was followed by a series of influential works including Con Sáo Biết Nói (The Talking Starling), Những Chiếc Áo Ấm (Warm Coats), Thạch Sanh, Rừng Hoa (The Flower Forest), Bộ Đồ Nghề Nổi Giận (The Angry Toolkit), Bước Ngoặt (The Turning Point) and Phép Lạ Hồi Sinh (The Miracle of Revival).

These films combined artistic merit with educational value, becoming a source of inspiration for Vietnamese children in the 1960s.

He received several major honours, such as the Golden Lotus and Silver Lotus – the highest awards of the Việt Nam Film Festival – as well as jury commendations.

One of his most acclaimed works was Mèo Con (The Kitten). The film was selected to compete at the 1966 Romania International Film Festival, where it won the Silver Pelican Award.

Lân illustrated Adventures of a Cricket three times: first in 1959 for the Russian translation published in the Soviet Union, then in 1972 with a more realistic version that became familiar to generations of Vietnamese children, and again in 1989 for a new edition.

He was named People’s Artist in 1997 and received the State Prize for Literature and Arts in 2007.

Authors and artists receive Cricket Aspiration Awards at the ceremony. — VNA/VNS Photo

Alongside the grand prize awarded to Lân, six Cricket Aspiration Awards were also presented. These included 100 Cái Chân (100 Legs), a story by Nguyễn Ngọc Thuần from Trẻ Publishing House; Bà Nội Kỳ Lạ Nhứt Thế Gian (The Most Extraordinary Grandma in the World), a manuscript by Nguyễn Thị Như Hiền; and Việt Nam Qua Nét Vẽ Của Hải Nam (Việt Nam Through the Brushstrokes of Hải Nam), paintings by Nguyễn Đăng Hải Nam, aged 16.

Other winners included Chú Robot Tưởng Mình Là Người (The Robot Who Thought He Was Human), a story by Lê Anh Vinh from Kim Đồng Publishing House; the animated series Wolfoo and its creative ecosystem (produced by Sconnect Vietnam); and Yersin – Khúc Hát Cá Ông (Yersin – The Whale Song), a comic by Tạ Huy Long from Kim Đồng Publishing House.

Four Jury Awards were also given: Bác Sách Bụng To (Uncle Book with the Big Belly), a poetry manuscript by Vũ Ngọc Diệp, aged 11; Tiếng Nói Đại Dương (The Voice of the Ocean), paintings by Nguyễn Minh Quân, aged 11; Những Câu Chuyện Về Công Tử Mơ Mộng and Chùm Tác Phẩm Về Chú Mèo (Stories of the Dreamy Young Gentleman and A Collection of Tales about the Cat), two comic manuscripts by Lê Nhã Uyên, aged 10; and the musical Phép Màu Của Kurt (Kurt’s Miracle), produced by STARLAB Academy.

Established in 2020 by Thể Thao & Văn Hóa (Sport & Culture) newspaper, the Dế Mèn Children’s Awards encourage artistic creation and performance by children or for children, with entries spanning literature, cinema, music, fine arts, theatre, photography and comics.

Since its inception, the Dế Mèn Awards have celebrated outstanding contributions to children’s literature and art. In 2023, writer Trần Đức Tiến received the title for his children’s story collection Alo!... Cậu Đấy À? (Hello!... Is That You?).

The following year, author Lý Lan was recognised for Tự Truyện Một Con Heo (Autobiography of a Pig). Most recently, in 2025, musician Phạm Tuyên was honoured as Cricket Knight for more than five decades of dedication to children’s songs. — VNS