Like Bao'er, many of Cai's works are deeply rooted in Chinese folk traditions and classical literature.
The picture book The Land of the Peach Blossom is inspired by the classic essay and poem The Peach Blossom Spring by Tao Yuanming from the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420), reflecting the Taoist vision of life. Published in 2001 by Fukuinkan Shoten Publishers in Japan, the book's first edition of 5,000 copies sold out within a month. In 2003, two illustrations from the book were selected for inclusion in Japanese sixth-graders' Chinese textbooks.
Tan Fengxia, a professor at Nanjing Normal University and a member of the 2026 Hans Christian Andersen Award jury, praised Cai's work as a powerful model for how Chinese stories can transcend borders.
"She has embraced Western artistic influences with an open mind, blending them into a visual language that is distinctly rooted in Chinese tradition, yet speaks across cultures," Tan says."She crosses cultural barriers by touching on universal themes: the love for our children and the desire to offer them something bright."
"I love Chinese culture. I love every written character of the Chinese language," Cai says. "I hope the world can see more of the finest Chinese works and, through them, gain a better understanding of China."
Among the works that most impressed the HCA jury was the 2023 edition of Blazing City 1938, a wordless, black-and-white picture book created by Cai and her daughter Xiao Aozi, who is also a painter. Through the eyes of a little girl, the book revisits the Wenxi Fire, a devastating catastrophe in Changsha during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45). The fire destroyed over 90 percent of the houses in Changsha, leaving the city in ruins.
Shereen Kreidieh, president of the HCA Jury, describes Cai's work as "amazing".
"With just two colors and no words, it tells a complete story of war, allowing any child anywhere in the world to have a feeling of what's happening," Kreidieh says.
With her books, Cai hopes to convey the Chinese people's love for peace, a message she believes is increasingly important in today's global context.
"Our picture books should serve as bridges of understanding, bringing more harmony to the world," she says.
