Ali the red fox is a cartoon character created by Xu Han. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Xu Han has published three picture books since 2009 about Ali, a little red fox wearing shorts. Three million copies have been sold, and in many online bookshops the books are the bestseller in its category.

The red fox has millions of fans in China, mostly female, apparently drawn by the warm, fairytale-like stories of Ali and his animal friends.

Xu's fourth book, Carrousel Garden, was published in March, and he says a full-feature movie starring Ali will be released next year. Xu is writing the script and directing the film.

"It's a great challenge for me to produce a film," says Xu, wearing a cap, black-framed glasses and a black T-shirt. "It's a turning point in my career."