Editor’s Note: Hans Wilhelm's "The Trapp Family Book" published by Yilin Press has been selected for BookDao's Q1 2023 Top 50 Children's Book List. On April 23rd, which is also the 28th World Book and Copyright Day, BookDao invited Hans to their live broadcast platform, BookDao Learning, to share his stories about "The Trapp Family Book" and his journey of creation with all book club members of the Good Book Recommendation sales program. This program was initiated by BookDao to serve both publishers and readers.

Hans Wilhelm is a prolific author and illustrator who has written and illustrated over 200 books for all ages, with over 40 million copies sold worldwide. Many of his books have been translated into 30 languages and have even become animated TV series. "The Trapp Family Book" was one of his first children's books, and he expresses his admiration for the original story of this remarkable family, which he believes is much richer and more interesting than the version portrayed in "The Sound of Music". 

At the end of this article, you can find a video with further details about Hans Wilhelm's book, "The Trapp Family Book".

BookDao: Thank you for joining us for Bookdao's International Children's Book Author Sharing Session. We are currently live on Bookdao's Learning App and are also sharing this with Yilin Press. The audience is highly engaged and eager to learn more about the Trapp Family Story. Could you please tell us what inspired you to create this book and what makes The Trapp Family Book so special?

Hans Wilhelm: The reason I became interested in the Trapp family is quite interesting. When I was a young person in Germany, there was a film called "The Trapp Family", which was based on Maria von Trapp's autobiography. It was a very successful movie, and like many others, I loved it. It meant something special to me.

Later, when I lived in Africa, a new movie came out called "The Sound of Music". I'm sure many of you have seen it. I watched it for the first time in a huge movie theater and was swept away by the music, the beauty, the performances, and everything else. I loved that musical so much that I took the children of my friends to see it over and over again. I saw how much they enjoyed the performances and how enthusiastically they responded to the story. I always wondered why there wasn't a book that children could read about this beautiful story. Maria von Trapp's biography was mostly for adults, and I wanted a book that was suitable for the whole family. It wasn't until much later, when I lived in America and became a writer and illustrator, that I remembered that story and decided to write a book about it.

I loved the story so much that I spent two years researching the von Trapp family. I traveled to Austria, visited the original estate, the home of the Trapp family, and even went to the cloister in Nonnberg where Maria was a nun. Later on, I met with the manager (Mr. Shang who helped the Trapp family moving to America) and Maria von Trapp herself. I discovered one secret after another and realized that the real story was much bigger and more beautiful than what was portrayed in "The Sound of Music" movie."

BookDao: You mentioned the Oscar-winning musical "The Sound of Music". Many Chinese people have watched it. Was there anything that touched you in the musical that you have incorporated into your work "The Trapp Family Book"?

Hans Wilhelm: I am in awe of the music composed by Rodgers and Hammerstein. The music is just marvelous, especially the lyrics. Think about this song: 'A bell is no bell till you ring it, a song is no song till you sing it, and love in your heart wasn't put there to stay. Love isn't love till you give it away.' And that's what I've tried to do with my book. I hope the love will come across to anybody who reads the book. If there's anything else you'd like to hear, I'm happy to share.

BookDao: Did you find anything difficult when creating the illustrations for "The Trapp Family Book"?

Hans Wilhelm: What I do in my illustrations is that I always add some humor, because it is also a very serious story. As I said, it's about refugees leaving their beloved home and trying to make a new life under very different circumstances. So what I had to do when I created the illustrations was to add little touches of lightheartedness and humor, even in scenes like Germany invading Austria. With a little bit of humor, life becomes far more tolerable and agreeable. So my challenge was to take this story and add these little touches of humor to each page.

BookDao: While you were creating "The Trapp Family Book", which scene did you find the most moving in your view?

Hans Wilhelm: I think the whole story is about how people survive under very difficult situations. There isn't really one scene that stands out as the most moving. Every scene is special and beautiful, but the story is about survival, perseverance, endurance, and hope. That's why it is such a unique story. There are very few stories about families that have had such international appeal like the Trapp family because it brings everything together: drama, suffering, loss, and a new start.

At the end, the family gives thanks and gives back the love they received in Austria, where they started off. It's a beautiful cycle. This whole story is excellent.

BookDao: For the many works you have created, what drives you and what is your source of inspiration?

Hans Wilhelm: I had the great pleasure of meeting a lot of people from the Trapp family, and that was very touching. When you create books, you have to do some research. When I started writing "The Trapp Family Book", there wasn't really Google, so I had to visit the places myself. But I don't just make nonfiction books like "The Trapp Family Book". I make a lot of other books, too. I've created over 220 books, which have sold over 40 million copies all over the world.

The books I usually make are fiction stories, which means I come up with them myself. I see stories everywhere I look. If I see a flower, I have a story. If I hear a story from a person or read something in the paper, I get inspired. But most importantly, I use stories that come from within myself. I discovered very early that if I really listen to my emotions, I'm given all the stories and information that I need.

I suggest to anyone who is interested in writing and illustrating, which I thoroughly enjoy, to go to their emotions and let their emotions tell them the story. Whenever I feel, let's say, lonely, I look into that emotion and give it a lot of love. Out of this comes a story, like the story of a lonely squirrel that I made "Never Lonely Again". Or when a friend left me and I felt the loss, I went into that emotion, gave it a lot of love, and then the story of "Friends Are Forever" came out of me. Many of my stories come from these emotional experiences that are within us.

I have also made lots of videos on my website about how to have a happier and more fulfilling life. Anyone can visit my website and watch them. These videos are based on all the experiences I have had in my own life, and that's where a lot of my stories come from.

BookDao: We're probably reaching the end of our talk. Is there anything you would like to say to the Chinese audience?

Hans Wilhelm: I am delighted that the book is now available in China and that we can communicate. I don't know if the Chinese audience can access my website, hanswilhelm.com, but there are many other books and videos on it. I'm thrilled to have made this connection through "The Trapp Family Book", which has just been released in China. I hope it will introduce many new readers to the Trapp family story. Thank you so much for the interview. I really enjoyed it, and I want to thank all the viewers who have been watching. It has been a great honor and pleasure to be with you.