BEIJING, May 18, 2009 -- Many Chinese adults have fond childhood memories of "Xiao Ren Shu", or palm-sized comic books. Nostalgia for the items, once such an important part of Chinese people's lives, is turning them into sought-after collector items. An exhibition of these comic books has opened in Shanghai.

As one of the largest comic book exhibitions in recent years, the Shanghai show puts focuses on titles about the revolutionary era. The event has attracted both collectors and creators of the decades-old publications.

The artists say a faithful representation of historical events was a major concern while creating the images. Often, they had to live in the historical sites for weeks doing sketches and drawings.

In addition to the comic books, the show also features a collection of more than a hundred original draft sketches.

These comic books known as Xiao Ren Shu were popular with Chinese children from the 1950s to the 1980s. Now, they've become collectibles, often for this same generation of people.