Stars: ****
Satya House Publications (Oct 2010)
Picture Book
Ages 5+
Dual Language (English and Mandarin Chinese)
Summary: I See the Sun in China follows a young child as she travels from a small town to the city of Shanghai, portraying the events that take place from dawn until night over the course of that one day. The unspoken message of this book is the movement from the old to the new, while still maintaining some connections with the past. – Satya House Publications
I See the Sun in China is the first in a new series designed to teach school age children about other cultures and countries. Each book is bilingual in English and the native language. The books show a day in the life of a child of that country and features collage illustrations (by Judith Inglese) made from photographs, paper cut-outs and drawings. Also a glossary with a dozen or so foreign words and a country overview for parents and teachers so they can talk more about the country if they wish.
I See the Sun in China just won the 2010 PREFERRED CHOICE AWARD – Books for Kids category – from the Creative Child Awards Program.
I think teaching children about other cultures is very important so the idea of this series is phenomenal. I like that the books are bilingual. It shows the reader what the other language looks like. The illustrations were a bit strange but seeing a real photograph of Chinese people, cars and buildings really does add to the story.
I think these books would be great in a classroom. I See the Sun in Nepal is being released this month followed by I See the Sun in Afghanistan in early 2011.
Links of Interest: I See the Sun Books, Satya House Publications,
Other Reviews: NONE YET
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