I See the Sun in China
$12.95
By Dedie King with illustrations by Judith Inglese
40 pages
ISBN: 978-0981872056
For children ages 4 and up
Learning® Magazine’s Teachers Choicesm Award for the Family 2011
Creative Child Magazine Preferred Book Award (Kid’s Category) 2010
The first in the I See the Sun Series, readers follow a young girl as she travels from a small town in China to the city of Shanghai to spend time with her aunt. The unspoken message of this book is the movement from the old to the new, while still maintaining some connections with the past. It depicts some of the many choices available in China today, and the drive to be successful in a modern world. The story provides a unique introduction to the culture, family life and language of China in a way that is age-appropriate and sensitive to the true environment. Children will be able to recognize the similarities as well as the differences between their own culture and the culture of modern China. Written in both English and Mandarin Chinese, I See the Sun in China is beautifully illustrated with warm, engaging collages made from photographs, colorful paper cut-outs, and drawings. Includes country overview and glossary of unfamiliar terms.
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Description
Learning® Magazine‘s Teachers Choicesm Award for the Family 2011
Creative Child Magazine Preferred Book Award (Kid’s Category) 2010
“A young narrator describes an outing to Shanghai spent with her aunt. Together they explore the city, shop at the mall, have tea at a park, eat in a restaurant with her aunt’s friends, walk the Bund, and enjoy a foot massage. At the end of the day, the girl wonders whether her future lies in her village or in a city. The collage art gives a better sense of the city than it does the village. The one illustration of village housing looks oddly suburban. The images of traditional fishing boats and Kwan Yin’s statue provide the only other views of the older way of life. The focus is on urban life in contemporary China, and the pictures portray the city’s energy and modern style. Written in Mandarin Chinese, the English translation is sometimes clunky, for example, describing Grandfather’s tai chi as “energy practice.” . . . a well-intentioned attempt to introduce modern China.”
—Booklist
“With a loving heart for China, the writer tells a story about a girl whose natural and simple curiosity about her own future reflects the expectation for change in China overall.” — Zhang Jia Zhu, former Dean of Education, Zhoushan, China
About the Author/Illustrator
About the Author
Author Dedie King was a Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal where she taught school. She uses her world travel experience, past and present, as the basis for the stories in the I See the Sun series. Presently Dedie practices Classical Five Element acupuncture both in Hardwick and in Amherst, Massachusetts.
About the Illustrator
Judith Inglese has been designing and fabricating ceramic tile murals for public environments for more than thirty years. Her commissions include libraries, schools, hospitals and municipal and institutional buildings like the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. Her murals often focus on the play and imagination of children as well as cross-cultural exchange and community. Illustrating the I See the Sun series has given her another medium for examining these themes and celebrating children around the world.