The Winter Plum
How Wu Yifang Became the First Woman to Sign the Un Charter
Will be published approx. on 1. September 2026
Book
Hardback
48 pages
978-1-4878-1389-5 (ISBN)
Description
From Bound Feet to the United Nations FIRST ENGLISH BIOGRAPHY of Wu Yifang, who rose from bound feet in 1893 China to become the first woman to sign the United Nations Charter in 1945. When Wu Yifang was born in 1893, her feet were bound tight, and her future seemed small. But like the Winter Plum that blooms fearlessly in frost, Yifang refused to stay caged. She became China's first female PhD in Biology, graduating from the University of Michigan in 1928. As President of Ginling College, she led China's first women's university through World War II. When Japanese forces invaded Nanjing in 1937, she evacuated hundreds of students to safety, walking on her damaged bound feet across mountains to protect them. In 1945, standing before world leaders in San Francisco, Dr. Wu placed her signature on the UN Charter-- the only woman among China's delegates. This is the true story of Wu Yifang: pioneering educator and architect of a better world. Perfect for readers who loved Hidden Figures, I Am Malala, and She Persisted.
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Persons
Wang Zumin is one of China's most celebrated picture book artists. His work has been honored at the Bologna Children's Book Fair and has won the Chen Bochui International Children's Literature Award. For The Winter Plum, Wang created over forty original watercolor paintings, bringing to life the frost-covered courtyards of 1890s China, the brave faces of wartime students, and the historic moment when Wu Yifang's pen touched the UN Charter. His art has been featured in national exhibitions across China and has touched the hearts of millions of young readers. Tan Fengxia is a Hans Christian Andersen Award Juror (2024, 2026) and Professor of Children's Literature at Nanjing Normal University. She has been a research fellow at Cambridge University and the International Youth Library in Munich. The Winter Plum is her tribute to the brave women of Nanjing-- the city where she has lived and taught for decades, walking the same paths Wu Yifang once walked. She believes every child deserves to see themselves as a hero of history.