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Children of China |
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| Author: |
Song Nan Zhang |
 Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
0613094492 |
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| Availability: |
Usually ships within 3-5 weeks. We cannot guarantee availability of special order titles because publishers may run out of stock. We will notify you in 3-4 weeks if we are unable to get this title for you. |
From Booklist
Gr. 3^-6. In his autobiographical A Little Tiger in the Chinese Night (1993), Zhang told of his experiences growing up in China and living through the Cultural Revolution. Here, using the same format of full-page paintings explained in first-person text, he draws on his later journeys through China, seeking out the nomadic minority peoples, such as the Mongolians, the Miao, the Tajiks, and the Yi. He tells about the lives of each group and shows how they look and dress as well as where they live, illustrating the facts with sensitive portraits of the children and their families, often with dramatic backdrops. Zhang also includes a section on the Han, who are the majority in China. Although not an essential purchase, this book offers intriguing glimpses of life in China. Carolyn Phelan
--This text refers... |
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Emma's Story |
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| Author: |
Deborah Hodge |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
0887766323 |
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From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2-Emma Li Ming, who was born in China, is happily ensconced in her new home in North America. But as she and her brother make cookies to resemble their family, she is dismayed that hers is the only one decorated with raisins and black licorice for eyes and hair, in contrast to her fairer relatives. When she comments, "I want to look like everyone else," her affectionate grandma suggests that they read the story of Emma's adoption as a reminder of the great joy and happiness that she has brought to their family. Grandma counsels that "It's not how we look that makes us a family, Emma. It's how we love each other." While the story is sweet and the sentiments noble, the overall feel of the narrative is forced, slightly pedantic, and overlong. The visuals also fall short. The backgrounds in many... |
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Five Heavenly Emperors: Chinese Myths of Creation |
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| Author: |
Song Nan Zhang |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
0887763383 |
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From Publishers Weekly
This book begins, appropriately enough, "in the beginning," with Chinese lore about the first stirrings of the universe, and goes on to describe the creative acts of the five emperors of the title (one for each of the five Chinese elements: earth, fire, wood, gold and water). Unfortunately, the lack of thoughtful design may discourage readers. The placement of the text suggests that little attention was given to balance or presentation-in stark contrast to Zhang's (A Little Tiger in the Chinese Night) graceful, elaborate artwork. The fluidity of line and subtle colors of his illustrations echo centuries of tradition, while the sense of detail gives the work a personal stamp. The stories themselves are ably, if a bit diffidently told, and the book also includes a chart of "Who's Who in Heaven," a taichi map and an... |
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Little Tiger in the Chinese Night |
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| Author: |
Song Nan Zhang |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
0613094603 |
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| Availability: |
Usually ships within 3-5 weeks. We cannot guarantee availability of special order titles because publishers may run out of stock. We will notify you in 3-4 weeks if we are unable to get this title for you. |
From Publishers Weekly
Zhang, a Chinese artist who has lived in Canada since the Tiananmen Square uprising of 1989, "tells and paints" this autobiography, which not only summarizes his own experiences but offers insights into "the human dimension of China" over the past half-century. Seven years old when the Communists gained control of China in 1949, he remembers his pride upon receiving the red scarf of the Young Pioneers. His high school education included farmwork, dam construction and "self-criticism meetings." He describes severe food shortages and other privations, but these cede quickly to the horrors of the Cultural Revolution, during which his family was persecuted. In 1984, Zhang left China for the first time and went to France, where that country's relative wealth convinced him that "everything I had been told, everything I... |
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Awakening the Dragon: The Dragon Boat Festival |
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| Author: |
Arlene Chan |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
0887766560 |
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From School Library Journal
Grade 2-5–Dragon-boat racing, one of the fastest growing sports around the world, has a long tradition in Chinese culture. Chan explains the historical significance of the dragon and the festival, including the customs and folklore connected with the races. Variations in the way different regions celebrate the festival are also presented. Descriptions of the dragon boats, the team members and their responsibilities, and their preparation and training are included. Chinese words, such a zongzior kui, are defined within the text. Concise writing holds readers' interest. Vibrant, colorful paintings encourage youngsters to pore over the details in each illustration. This is an engaging look at the traditions of this ancient culture and the story behind the modern-day sport.–Margaret R. Tassia,... |
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Cowboy on the Steppes |
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| Author: |
Song Nan Zhang |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
088776410X |
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From School Library Journal
Grade 3-8?Song Nan Zhang, who chronicled his own life in postwar China in two previous books, now illustrates a journal written by his brother. In 1968, Yi Nan Zhang, 18, was sent from Beijing to work on a commune in the vast open grassland steppes of Inner Mongolia, where he was assigned to cutting hay. Bored, he requested to work as a cowboy. The book follows a year in his life among the Mongolian cattle herders. Given a precious horse, the teen was slowly accepted by his fellow herdsmen as he mastered difficult skills. His adventures, told through evocative, brief journal entries, may seem exciting to younger children, while older children will understand the emotional context of the events described with such economy and restraint: the death of an infant, encounters with unpredictable weather, the threat... |
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Children of China: An Artist's Journey |
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| Author: |
Song Nan Zhang |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
0887763634 |
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| Availability: |
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From Booklist
Gr. 3^-6. In his autobiographical A Little Tiger in the Chinese Night (1993), Zhang told of his experiences growing up in China and living through the Cultural Revolution. Here, using the same format of full-page paintings explained in first-person text, he draws on his later journeys through China, seeking out the nomadic minority peoples, such as the Mongolians, the Miao, the Tajiks, and the Yi. He tells about the lives of each group and shows how they look and dress as well as where they live, illustrating the facts with sensitive portraits of the children and their families, often with dramatic backdrops. Zhang also includes a section on the Han, who are the majority in China. Although not an essential purchase, this book offers intriguing glimpses of life in China. Carolyn Phelan
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Children of China: An Artist's Journey |
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| Author: |
Song Nan Zhang |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Paperback |
| ISBN: |
0887764487 |
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| Availability: |
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From Booklist
Gr. 3^-6. In his autobiographical A Little Tiger in the Chinese Night (1993), Zhang told of his experiences growing up in China and living through the Cultural Revolution. Here, using the same format of full-page paintings explained in first-person text, he draws on his later journeys through China, seeking out the nomadic minority peoples, such as the Mongolians, the Miao, the Tajiks, and the Yi. He tells about the lives of each group and shows how they look and dress as well as where they live, illustrating the facts with sensitive portraits of the children and their families, often with dramatic backdrops. Zhang also includes a section on the Han, who are the majority in China. Although not an essential purchase, this book offers intriguing glimpses of life in China. Carolyn Phelan
--This text refers... |
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From Far and Wide: A Canadian Citizenship Scrapbook |
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| Author: |
Jo Bannatyne-Cugnet |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
0887764436 |
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| Availability: |
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Book Description
On a snowy February morning, Xiao Ling Li and her parents take part in a citizenship ceremony. From the recitation of the Oath of Canadian Citizenship to the singing of the national anthem and the wonderful welcoming party afterward with all of its tantalizing treats, the day is filled with wonderful memories for the new Canadians.
Inside Flap Copy
On a snowy February morning, Xiao Ling Li and her parents take part in a citizenship ceremony. From the recitation of the Oath of Canadian Citizenship to the singing of the national anthem and the wonderful welcoming party afterward with all of its tantalizing treats, the day is filled with wonderful memories for the new Canadians.
See all Editorial Reviews
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Man Who Made Parks: The Story of Parkbuilder Frederick Law Olmsted |
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| Author: |
Frieda Wishinsky |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
0887764355 |
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| Availability: |
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From School Library Journal
Grade 2-4-Olmsted is not a name most children will recognize, but they will know his work-beautiful open areas such as New York City's Central Park; the grounds surrounding the United States Capital; and other outdoor spaces in Boston, Niagara Falls, and Montreal. In picture-book format, Wishinsky tells the story of a man who drifted through several careers before finding his calling as a landscape architect. The text brings Olmsted to life through accounts of his childhood love of the outdoors, a fondly remembered walking tour of England, and his first day on the job as Central Park superintendent when his boss tried to make a fool of him. Full-page, realistically detailed pastel drawings illustrate the book. No bibliography or list of sources is included. This is a book that may need some introduction but... |
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A Time of Golden Dragons |
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| Author: |
Song Nan Zhang |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
0887765068 |
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| Availability: |
Usually ships within 3-5 weeks. We cannot guarantee availability of special order titles because publishers may run out of stock. We will notify you in 3-4 weeks if we are unable to get this title for you. |
From Booklist
Gr. 3-6. At the time when Western calendars mark the millennium, many Chinese recognize the "Time of the Golden Dragon." The Chinese 12-year zodiac, symbolized by animals such as the rat and the dragon, has become popular in the U.S., especially at the Chinese New Year. A less familiar cycle, approximately two years in length, moves through the elements of wood, fire, earth, metal (gold), and water. So a particular time is not only the Year of the Dragon, but also that of metal or gold, hence the "Time of the Golden Dragon." This picture book for older children offers facts about dragon origins, dragon boat races, dragon homes, and other enticing dragon tidbits as it introduces the mythical creature as viewed through Asian cultures. Intricately detailed illustrations invite readers to linger and study each page. With... |
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