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The Peasant Prince
  • Published: 3 July 2017
  • ISBN: 9780143503118
  • Imprint: Picture Puffin
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 40
  • RRP: $21.00

The Peasant Prince

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'This is your one chance. You have your secret dreams. Follow them! Make them come true!'

A moving and inspirational story based on the author's life that delights the young and the old, again and again.

This true story of a poor Chinese peasant boy, who at the age of ten was plucked unsuspectingly from millions of others across the land to be trained as a ballet dancer, is a fairytale that has captivated children and adults alike. Li tells his story with disarming simplicity and charm, with humour and compassion, and here he speaks directly to the small child, his special audience. He has a personal story to tell you, and he begins by introducing you to the land of his childhood, and to his beloved father, and to a small child who was once Li himself: he tells us of that boy growing up in hardship, yet with love and affection, as he shares with us the lives of his large family, the special stories in his life, the inspiring teachers, the experiences and moments he will never forget.
  • Published: 3 July 2017
  • ISBN: 9780143503118
  • Imprint: Picture Puffin
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 40
  • RRP: $21.00
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About the authors

Li Cunxin

Li Cunxin AO was born in communist China in 1961, the sixth of seven sons in a poor rural family. His life under Chairman Mao’s regime changed dramatically when, at the age of eleven, he was chosen to become a student at the Beijing Dance Academy. Li went on to become one of the finest male dancers in the world, and was principal dancer at Houston Ballet and the Australian Ballet. From 2012 until the end of 2023 he was artistic director at Queensland Ballet, and in 2025 he was awarded the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award by the Prix de Lausanne for his outstanding contribution to the arts and dance. Li's memoir, Mao's Last Dancer, is one of the most successful autobiographies of all time. It was published around the world and has been adapted into a young readers’ edition, a picture book, a stage play and a major motion picture. Li lives with his wife, Mary, in Brisbane. He continues to contribute to the world of ballet and to Australia’s cultural life.
portrait photo of Li Cunxin

Anne Spudvilas

ANNE SPUDVILAS is a multi-award-winning illustrator of children's books and an established portrait painter who also works as a courtroom artist for the Melbourne media. Her first picture book The Race was awarded the Crichton Award for Illustration and Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Honour Book. In 2000 she won CBCA Picture Book of the Year for Jenny Angel and her latest picture book The Peasant Prince has received the NSW and Queensland Premiers' Literary Awards, the Australian Book Industry Award and CBCA Honour Book. Anne lives and works in Melbourne.
portrait photo of Anne Spudvilas