Dad of Divas' Reviews: Book Review - I See The Sun In China

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Book Review - I See The Sun In China

About the Series
As the world becomes "smaller", it is increasingly necessary for children to get a global perspective from a very young age. Addressing this need, Satya House Publications is pleased to be releasing the first title in a new series of books for children age 5 and up about different countries. Each book in the I See the Sun series will portray the essential cultural elements of one country through the eyes of a child, providing the reader or listener with an understanding "a day in the life" of that child.

Young readers will quickly perceive that children of the world really share a mutual existence even though they speak varied languages, write in diverse alphabets and have contrasting national and regional attire, foods and traditions. They all have family, friends, games and daily routines that make childhood similar at the core. The differences are not so strange, rather, there is beauty and creative power in the diversity. I See the Sun books will help to honor human individuality and at the same time acknowledge our common ground.

Each book in the series will be written in English as well as the primary language of the country, with a glossary providing information about the dozen or so "foreign" words such as those for mother, father, local foods, etc. This will enable children to begin comprehending cultures other than their own, as well as offering an introduction to the concept of foreign languages. A country overview is also included for parents and teachers who want to go beyond just reading the story so they can talk a bit more about the country with a child.

I See the Sun in China is bilingual, written in English and Mandarin Chinese, and beautifully illustrated with colorful collages. The 40-page perfect-bound book is priced at $12.95 and will be available after October 1 from bookstores, Amazon, other online retailers, and directly from the publisher.

I See the Sun in Nepal will be published in November 2010 and I See the Sun in Afghanistan is scheduled for an early 2011 release, followed by I See the Sun in India and I See the Sun in Russia.

About This Book  
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. Written in both English and Mandarin Chinese, I See the Sun in China is beautifully illustrated with warm, engaging collages made from photographs, paper cut-outs, and drawings. Children will be able to recognize the similarities as well as the differences between their own culture and the culture of modern China.


My Take on the Book
This book was a wonderful cultural treasure. The story allows non-native Chinese individuals to experience a day in the life of a young girl (much like my own girls). I loved the fact that the book was in two languages, and in fact, after we read this we gave the book to a friend of Diva-J's who is in a Chinese immersion school. Beautiful photography/artwork completes the story and you are taken to China and able to experience this far off country if only for a brief moment. Speaking of art, I loved the fact that there was both real-life photos of the locations that they spoke of and artwork to complete the illustrations found within the book.

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Terms of Use  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New to the Divadom?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions?Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com

No comments: