Widely regarded to be something of a legend in children's literature circles in China, Zheng－who was born in North China's Hebei province in 1955－is best known for having worked as the sole writer of the monthly magazine Tong Hua Da Wang (King of Fairy Tales) since 1985.

"I did it because of my personality. I don't like to see my name appearing in the same magazine as other authors, as I want to ensure that only my effort makes the magazine popular," Zheng says.

Over the course of more than three decades, the diligent Zheng has followed a strict schedule－he gets up at 4:30 am to write 5,000 words in around two hours. "It's the best time, as it's the only part of the day when I won't be interrupted," he says.

The prolific writer has penned many tales, writing over 20 million words and creating nearly 720 characters, enchanting several generations of young readers.

However, few of his works have been adapted into movies or animated series. The forthcoming Little Canned Men marks the first time that one of Zheng's stories has been developed as a theatrically released feature.

Previously, a 24-minute short film, Taming the Rabbit, also adapted from one of his stories featuring the siblings Lu and Pi as the protagonists, went online in 2018.

"Many years ago, a studio in Shanghai shot an animated series based on the tales of Shuke and Beita (the adventures of two heroic mice, respectively a pilot and a tank driver). But I didn't like the adaptation as it adds too much content that lectures the viewer," says the author.