As the spring breeze kisses the earth, the hibernating snakes slowly wriggle out of their holes, and animals awaken from their slumber. In this vibrant season of spring, the 39th issue of Books And The City arrives as promised, ready to meet readers.

Whenever spring is mentioned, numerous keywords come to mind, with tranquillity and vitality among them. This issue’s theme, “Reading and Sport”, focuses on the intersection of reading and exercise. We invite a badminton coach, long-distance running enthusiast, Wing Chun master, and sports researcher to reveal how reading and exercise complement each other and provide practical advice to help us build and consolidate good habits in the Year of the Snake.

Spring is also the season of sowing seeds. The “Library Handbook” presents knowledge about Macao Legal Deposit Regime in a fun and engaging game format so that it can take root in our hearts. Additionally, the “Toddler Reading Reward Programme” has entered its third year. We specifically interviewed two pairs of parents and their children and listened to their stories about how reading packages sparked their children’s interest, witnessing the seeds of reading taking root and sprout in young minds.

Butterflies dance in the blossoming spring. In this issue’s “Author’s Say”, we enter into the creative world of The Butterfly That Wasn’t Painted Gold, discussing the creation process of this award-winning cognitive picture book with the team. We believe readers will find themselves, embrace themselves, and discover their own butterfly wings in “Author’s Say”.

People often say, “The whole year's work depends on a good start in spring”. We always have endless longing for spring. In this season that symbolizes hope, we hope every reader can accompany themselves with books and ride their dreams to welcome their own blooming spring.