Provided to China Daily

A story about a red fox who wears shorts and has cute facial expressions has won the hearts of tens of millions of people, from teenagers to office workers.

The red fox, named Ali, is probably the most popular fox in China. Sometimes it has a big bushy tail; sometimes the absent-minded fox has no tail.

"I just forgot to draw its tail. After the first picture book of Ali, I decided not to draw its tail any more. I'm lazy," laughs Xu Han, the creator of the popular cartoon image.

The cartoonist has published two picture books of the red fox: Ali's Dream Castle in 2009 and Ali's Eternal Stop in 2010. His books have sold more than 1.5 million copies, topping the list of China's major online bookstores like Amazon and Dangdang.

Wearing black-framed glasses, a cap and a white T-shirt, Xu looks much younger than his 33 years.

Xu says when his first book about the fox went on sale, the thought of selling 100,000 copies was beyond his wildest dreams.

Xu writes various short stories about Ali, some funny, some inspiring and some warm and sweet. His first picture book was dedicated to those who still believe in fairy tales. It is called a picture book that can cure people's minds.

"Chinese cartoonists used to be preachers, telling people what they should be like. But my story is sourced from daily life. It can strike a chord," Xu says.

Related:

Drawing fame and fortune

Chinese cartoonists are increasingly finding fame online, where a menagerie of animated animals are proving a hot with netizens. More...