Forty years ago today, on April 28, 1985 (March 9, 1985 lunar calendar), writer Zhang Tianyi passed away. Zhang Tianyi was a writer who was very much loved by children, and he made great contributions to the development of children's literature in our country. Zhang Tianyi was born in September 1906. In his early years, his family lived on the salary of his father as a teacher and clerk. His father was a more enlightened intellectual and loved to read literary works, which greatly influenced him. In his youth, Zhang Tianyi worked as a clerk, reporter and teacher, and was often threatened by unemployment. At this time, he was widely exposed to the social life of the lower class, which brought distinct characteristics to his later works. Zhang Tianyi is one of the left-wing writers. From the very beginning of his creation, he faced society, dared to face reality, and used a realistic creative method to gradually reflect society and life in depth. He used a mocking attitude to expose the ugly faces of reactionary class figures and the vulgar and ridiculous lives of small citizens and intellectuals. The words of his works were vivid and sharp, and were well received by readers. The famous short story "Mr. Warwick" was a representative work of this period. In the late 1920s, Zhang Tianyi began to create children's literature shortly after engaging in literary activities. His works such as "Bald King", "Great Lin and Little Lin", "Strange Places", and "The Secret of the Treasure Gourd" attracted thousands of readers with their timeless artistic charm, which had a profound impact on the young hearts of children. At that time, some people once asserted that Zhang Tianyi's "contribution to the spiritual food of children is more than the value of his entire work." People say that the history of modern Chinese children's literature officially began with Lu Xun's cry to "save the children." So, since then, it has been more than half a century. During these long years, there are really few writers who have been insisting on writing books for children, and Zhang Tianyi is one of them. After liberation, Zhang Tianyi devoted almost all his energy to the creation of children's literature, using his works to teach children in New China in many ways. He is familiar with children, understands their psychology, and is good at capturing vivid and childish spoken language. The images of children he created are all living. What they say and what they do are all appropriate to their age, personality and status. Ordinary and lovely images like Luo Wenying, Xiaohong, Zhao Jialin, and Rongsheng are often encountered by young readers in their own lives, and some are even portrayals of themselves, making them feel that these characters are completely believable. Children have found their own partners and friends from Zhang Tianyi's books, and have also absorbed knowledge and strength. After 1975, Zhang Tianyi was unable to work due to illness, but he still cared about children's literature. He had repeatedly called on writers to write more books for children, and hoped that relevant departments would always pay attention to children's literature. He believed that a book was a "special teacher", which had a great impact on children and was also a major event related to the future of the country. Zhang Tianyi died of illness in Beijing on April 28, 1985, at the age of 79.