A bilingual literary work bringing the aquatic world to young readers

Published in 2026, The Adventure of Pink Carpcomprises 45 chapters and is presented in Vietnamese and English. The story follows Pink Carp through a journey of growth and exploration across diverse aquatic ecosystems, introducing more than 100 aquatic species along the way.

The World Records Union - WorldKings officially recognized the following record: “The Adventure of Pink Carp”: A bilingual literary work in the children’s fable genre, combining storytelling, scientific knowledge, and social messages, featuring the largest number of aquatic species introduced in a literary work, authored and published by a lawyer and entrepreneur.

The certificate, medal, and trophy were presented to the World Record holder Pham Hong Diep by Dr. Thang Van Phuc, Member of the WorldKings Council, and Dr. Biswaroop Roy Chowdhury, Chairman of the World Records Union - WorldKings. (Photo: VietKings)

Rather than simply telling a story for children, The Adventure of Pink Carp brings together elements of fable, scientific knowledge, and contemporary social and environmental issues. Through the lives of aquatic creatures, the work explores their relationship with the surrounding water environment while encouraging reflection on how humans interact with nature amid climate change, pollution, and increasing ecological disruption.

One of the work’s distinctive features is its narrative perspective. Instead of placing humans at the center of the story and observing nature from the outside, much of the narrative unfolds through the perspective of aquatic creatures themselves. Their fears, survival instincts, experiences, changing habitats, and interactions with other species are portrayed from within the aquatic world.

A journey of growth shaped by lessons about life

In Pink Carp’s world, nature is not presented as an entirely safe or idealized environment. Ponds, rice-field waterways, canals, brackish waters, and the sea each offer both opportunities and challenges. The creatures must adapt to environmental changes, recognize shifting conditions, seek support, and learn to coexist.

Characters such as Mr.Catfish and Milkfish serve as figures who pass down knowledge, experience, and memories of aquatic life to younger generations. Through them, the underwater world becomes more than a backdrop for adventure; it is portrayed as a community with its own history, relationships, memories, and patterns of survival.

World record holder Pham Hong Diep and his works (Photo: Vietkings)

The lessons embedded in the story are conveyed through Pink Carp’s adventures rather than through direct instruction. The narrative highlights mutual support, coexistence, and concern for vulnerable forms of life. Pink Carp’s journey of growing up is also a journey toward understanding that no living organism exists in isolation, but rather forms part of a broader network of interconnected life.

From a children’s story to a reflection on the environment

Beneath Pink Carp’s adventures lies a broader reflection on the relationship between human beings and natural ecosystems. Water in the work is not merely a habitat for aquatic species; it also carries cultural memories and traces of environmental change.

Settings such as the Carp Pond, rice fields, waterways, brackish areas, and mangrove forests evoke Vietnam’s river-based and rice-growing civilizations. Pink Carp therefore undertakes not only a geographical journey through the aquatic world, but also a journey through cultural memories associated with rivers, sediment, water, and community life.

The story has also inspired activities beyond the book, including the “Following Pink Carp” competition, helping promote compassion, responsibility toward nature, and environmental awareness among participants. (Photo: Shinec)

The work ultimately emphasizes adaptation and coexistence with nature. Rather than presenting the relationship between humans and the natural world as one of domination, The Adventure of Pink Carp explores another approach: understanding the environment, respecting differences among forms of life, and seeking ways for diverse species to coexist within interconnected ecosystems.

Through The Adventure of Pink Carp, World record holder Pham Hong Diepexpands his creative work into bilingual children’s literature, combining storytelling, scientific knowledge, and ecological awareness. The World Record recognition highlights the work’s distinctive scope in introducing aquatic species while bringing themes of nature, cultural memory, and environmental responsibility closer to young readers.