Although The Ants trilogy - The Ants (1991), The Day of Ants (1992) and The Revolution of the Ants (1996) - written by French writer Bernard Werber has been on the children's best-seller list for two decades in the West, few Chinese readers have had the chance to read the books yet.

This is set to change this month when the Chinese editions of these three books finally hit the market. Many view the trilogy as a refreshing alternative to Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings series.   

Last Thursday, as part of the 2014 Festival Croisements, the publishers of the Chinese edition - 21st Century Publishing House and Rongda Hongwen Culture, Art and Media Company - held a press conference inviting Werber and several Chinese experts such as writer Qiu Huadong and A Yi to participate in a discussion on French and Chinese literature. 

Werber explained that the books are about an encounter between two civilizations: human beings and ants. The first book introduces how they meet up, the second explains why they start a war and the third delves into how they finally find a way to live with each other in peace.

"Werber understands Eastern wisdom and traditional Chinese philosophy, which is why we can see human beings and nature evolve in harmony in his books," Yan Ziyue, president of Rongda Hongwen said during the conference.

He feels that one of the key factors as to why Werber's books have become so popular internationally is that he has global vision and tells stories with compassion. "Reading these books can help children develop this global view, which can later lead to better understanding of different civilizations and cultural differences," Yan added.  

"Werber's interest in ants started when he was a child. Many of us were also attracted by ants when we were young but none of us created in-depth content like he did… Why do we need a mentor or a an enlightened leader like Werber? What do we want our children to read? Books like The Ants can motivate children to search for knowledge," A Yi said.