Asia Books - Page 12

Little Leap Forward: A Boy in Beijing

Guo Yue, Clare Farrow

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

The Story Behind Little Leap Forward 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2WEAO2SJLUGC3 This is a great introduction to Little Leap Forward and Guo Yue!

Excellent, moving. 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

An excellent introduction into the horrors Mau Zedong wrought through the Cultural Revolution. It put a personal face on communism for my kids, without being too graphic or scary. The combination of the simple prose with the gorgeous, colorful paintings made an impression on all of us. We now are seeking out other age-appropriate books to read on the topic of life under a communist rule.

Editorial Review:

A sensitively written, real-life sory about a boy called Litle Leap Forward, growing up in he hutongs of Beijing in the 1960's, at the time of the Cultural Revolution. Little Leap offers children an intimate and immediate account of a child's experiences as Mao Tse Tung's Great Leap Forward policy tightens its grip on China.

The Tale of the Mandarin Ducks (Picture Puffins)

Katherine Paterson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Love Takes Wing 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This beautifully illustrated book and equally beautiful story is very moving. It is set in old Japan and is a look at Japanese history and culture.

It is the story of love; of being willing to take chances to protect another and about kindness rewarding many times over. It speaks to the ripple effect of how one single act of kindness, in this case freeing an imprisoned drake will be rewarded lovingly.

Great Read Aloud! 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This book is great to read to kids! It has suspense and it also shows kids how doing the right thing can seem bad, but soon you'll get something back. I liked the moral of the story and I like the way they illustarted it to look just like ancient Japan.

Charming and affectionate 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This lovely book maeasures up to every standard one can reasonably expect. The artwork is skilled and enjoyable. The story has kindness, altruism, moral dilemma and resolution, reward, and a big touch of magic. There's a pleasant realism about story, too. It shows a number of details of Japanese life, in passing, to give a storybook kid views of a life [s]he might never have seen in person. And, although the words "happily ever after" never actually appear, the last page shows the young couple deep in their old age. The book, as a whole, meets every objective standard of what I like to see in a children's book.

For me, though, this book goes way beyond reasonable standards, well into the things I favor in a very personal and subjective way. I take immense pleasure ukiyo-e prints, the classical Japanese woodcut style that these modern artists imitate. I first saw the picture of the sleeping couple as a greeting card, and found it affectionate and romantic, with a tiny chaste hint of very grown-up love - that image led me to hunt this book down. The one-eyed samurai has meaning in my family, too. And the "madarin ducks" of the title, traditional symbols of fidelity, have a strong and affectionate significance for me for utterly personal reasons.

So I recommend this book to anyone with a read-to-me kid. It's very easy for anyone to like. For me, though, a striking set of coincidences make this a truly memorable work.

//wiredweird

Editorial Review:

In a tale illustrated by paintings in the style of eighteenth-century Japanese woodcuts, servants of a greedy lord are sentenced to death after they release a mandarin duck that the lord had captured. Reprint. H. AB. PW.

Now and Zen (S.A.S.S.(Students Across the Seven Seas))

Linda Gerber

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Nori is a Winner 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This charming story takes Japanese-American Nori into the world of her family's past -- and what a world it is! While Nori explores Japan, she learns a few hard lessons both inside and outside of her overseas classroom. Japan through Nori's eyes is an amazing place, full of wonders both ancient and modern. Linda Gerber has produced an outstanding first novel with strong characters and a fast-paced storyline that makes it impossible to put down. This story is told with an honesty and sweetness that will captivate her readers. I can't wait for her next book!

Editorial Review:

Nori Tanaka is thrilled to be studying abroad in Tokyo, Japan, but it isn’t exactly what she had imagined. She expected tranquil gardens and swoopy-roofed houses, not concrete and neon. And everyone assumes that, with her traditional Japanese features, she’s a native instead of the naïve Japanese-American that she really is. Even Erik, a gorgeous German student, mistakes Nori for Japanese, and treats her like a personal tour guide. Nori is sure that he’ll like her for who she is once he gets to know her, so what harm can come of temporarily pretending to be Japanese? It doesn’t take long to realize that she has a lot to learn about Japan, and about herself, before she can pass for a native. But after exploring the karaoke clubs in Tokyo, the peaceful temples in Kyoto, and the tranquil heights of Mt. Fuji, Nori knows she has a good chance of finding the hidden Japanese spirit and Zen mindset within herself.

Tap Dancing on the Roof: Sijo (Poems)

Linda Sue Park

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Three Silly Chicks Review 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Yes, yes, we know we're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but it's tough to gaze upon the whimsical dust jacket of TAP DANCING ON THE ROOF without feeling hopefully giddy about the pages inside. Happily for us and you and children of all ages, the poems within more than live up to the promise of that little red-dressed girl and her very large scissors.

As explained in the Author's Note (a gold mine of information and tips for readers, writers, and teachers alike), sijo is a form of Korean poetry with a fixed number of stressed syllables and a surprise joke or twist at the end. Poem after poem, Linda Sue Park serves up witty observations about everything from long division to bedtime snacks, with plenty of unexpected surprises along the way. Istvan Banyai's playful illustrations -- rendered mostly in gray tones with dashes of color here and there -- wisely complement the poems without ever overwhelming the text. It's the book equivalent of a hot fudge sundae with a cherry on top. Perfect!

Editorial Review:

A sijo, a traditional Korean verse form, has a fixed number of stressed syllables and a humorous or ironic twist at the end. Like haiku, sijo are brief and accessible, and the witty last line winds up each poem with a surprise. The verses in this book illuminate funny, unexpected, amazing aspects of the everyday--of breakfast, thunder and lightning, houseplants, tennis, freshly laundered socks. Carefully crafted and deceptively simple, Linda Sue Park's sijo are a pleasure to read and an irresistible invitation to experiment with an unfamiliar poetic form. Istvan Banyai's irrepressibly giddy and sophisticated illustrations add a one-of-a-kind luster to a book that is truly a gem.

The Buddha's Diamonds

Carolyn Marsden, Thay Phap Niem

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Poignant and thought-provoking, not to mention a fine introduction to Vietnamese culture and religion 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Ten-year-old Tinh lives in a small fishing village with his parents and younger sister. The rhythm of life is the rhythm of the sea, which provides sustenance for the villagers. Just this year Tinh has started accompanying his father in their boat to catch and net the fish that are eaten and traded for other foods and goods. Part of Tinh misses time spent flying kites with his sister Lan and playing soccer with his cousins, but he's a serious and hard-working boy, proud to be of use to his family and eager to earn his father's respect.

Tinh is also naturally spiritual. He has a deep love and respect for his ancestors, the Buddha and especially Phat Ba Quan Ahm, the Vietnamese Bodhisattva of Compassion. He knows that her many arms protect him and others at sea and that her name will comfort him when he's scared.

Tinh's faith and maturity are put to the test one day when a terrible storm comes, driving the fishermen from the water and ravaging much of the poor village. As the men and boys struggle to secure the fishing boats on the beach, Lan is injured, cut by a piece of metal trying to rouse Tinh, who is laying afraid on the sand. He finally gets up and sees his parents rushing his bleeding sister off, his father yelling at him to make sure the boat is tied up. Tinh is surrounded by chaos, and there's no one to help him. He's alone and terrified, but he's also scared of disappointing his father and losing the family boat. When a giant wave pushes the boat into the trees, Tinh runs for his hut.

The family huddles together during the worst of the storm, praying before the home altar. When the next day dawns, the village is in shambles, his sister is taken to the doctors and the boat is discovered, damaged underneath a pile of other boats. Tinh now must gather his strength and act like the young man his family expects him to be by helping to fix the boat and finding food for them. His uncle gives him a small carved Buddha; this, plus his faith in Phat Ba Quan Ahm, gives him the courage and inspiration to do what he has to in order to help his loved ones. The storm is a turning point for Tinh as his faith and thoughtfulness are rewarded.

THE BUDDHA'S DIAMONDS is the story of a young Buddhist facing his first adult responsibilities in the face of adversity. Though Tinh's prayers and rituals are specific to his religion, the themes of faith, filial obligation, trust and growing up are universal. Carolyn Marsden and Thay Phap Niem also subtly inject into this short novel the emotional and physical effects that the war in Vietnam had on rural and coastal villages like the one in which Tinh lives. Devastation can come from humankind or nature, but faith and responsibility, they suggest, are constants and are able to help one weather the storms, proverbial or actual.

The writing in this book is lovely. The story is poignant and thought-provoking, not to mention a fine introduction to Vietnamese culture and religion. A glossary and an author's note at the end explain some new or more difficult concepts.

--- Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman

Editorial Review:

After a storm engulfs his village, a Vietnamese boy has glimmers of a new calling in this spare middle-grade novel written with authenticity and grace.

Every day, Tinh heads out to sea with his father to catch fish for their family and the market. While he sometimes misses flying kites with other children on the beach, Tinh is proud to work alongside Ba. Then a fierce storm strikes, and Ba entrusts Tinh to secure the family vessel, but the boy panics and runs away. It will take courage and faith to salvage the bamboo boat, win back Ba’s confidence, and return to sea. This graceful tale narrates a young Vietnamese boy’s literal and spiritual coming-of-age.

The Magic Fan

Keith Baker

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

The Magic Fan 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

This beautifully illustrated Japanese fable by Keith Baker has long been one of my favorite children's books. I am a music teacher of young children and at the end of their first grade classes with me, we turn "The Magic Fan" into a musical movie, complete with costumes, children playing instruments copying Japanese instruments, dancing girls, script, Yoshi, singing of "Sakura" (a Japanese folksong) and even the great tsunami. I have written to Keith Baker many times telling him how great this book is and how much not only my students love it, but how much they learn from it. I believe they could help Mr. Baker write a sequel to this.
Lynne Cox

I used the Magic Fan to help my students. 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Currently I am a student teacher, and I used the Magic Fan as one of my selections to discuss multi-culturalism in my class. The Magic Fan is a wonderful example of how different people within a village can help each other while still continue to follow their dreams. Yoshi's discovery that the magic for his great works came from within and children should look and trust what they see within themselves. My class was rivited to the reading and had some very interesting discussions about other projects Yoshi might have attempted. This is a wonderful book for any child's home library!

Editorial Review:

When Yoshi, a remarkable young Japanese builder, runs out of ideas, a magic fan inspires him with new projects. It is only after losing the fan that Yoshi discovers he can depend on his own imagination after all. "Fan-shaped cutout pages are splendid enhancements to this well-designed, stylish tale."--Publishers Weekly

Beyond the Great Mountains

Ed Young

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

poetic visions for children 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Rev. Marie of Rebeccasreads highly recommends BEYOND THE GREAT MOUNTAIN as Caldecott Medal winner author & artist Ed Young offers a book that will enchant adults & children alike as it transports you on a journey of words & art, to a strange & wondrous land far, far way in both time & place.

Unique & very different fare for parents & children.

An intro of art and a new language to children 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

The design of the book is extremely creative and artistic. The pictorial language of Chinese, besides its beauty, is thought provoking. It makes children think with imagination and ask to learn more. When a book stimulates curiosity, it translates to search for knowledge, and results in growth. It's a wonderful thing.

Editorial Review:

Ed Young's spare prose, as lovely as a rice-paper painting, describes in measured detail the beautiful and mystical land that the author so clearly loves. The unique format and gorgeous paper-collage illustrations, highlighted with Chinese characters, combine to convey the many facets of China to form a poetic picture of the land s grace, depth, and majesty.

Chu Ju's House

Gloria Whelan

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Detention center 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I gave the book Chu Ju's house written by Gloria Whelan a four star rating because it was well written, had good descriptions, and was quite interesting. Sometimes in this book it jumped from one subject to another which confused me and left me hanging. I didn't like the book at the end because it did not describe what happened to the main character Chu Ju and it was very awkward it did not describe how she felt about being successful and living on her on for many years and working to raise money to live on her own.

Editorial Review:

One girl too many . . .

When a girl is born to Chu Ju's family, it is quickly determined that the baby must be sent away. After all, the law states that a family may have only two children, and tradition dictates that every family should have a boy. To make room for one, this girl will have to go.

Fourteen-year-old Chu Ju knows she cannot allow this to happen to her sister. Understanding that one girl must leave, she sets out in the middle of the night, vowing not to return.

With luminescent detail, National Book Award-winning author Gloria Whelan transports readers to China, where law conspires with tradition, tearing a young woman from her family, sending her on a remarkable journey to find a home of her own.

Stories from the Silk Road

Cherry Gilchrist

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Geography, Culture, and Great Stories! 5 out of 5 stars.
13 of 14 people found this review helpful.

This has been a favorite for our kids from about kindergarten on up, and perhaps even a bit earlier. In Bearfoot Book style, this book includes a full curriculum of art, geography, religion and history in the form of plain old good, engaging stories. The silk road slinks from China through the deserts of Central Asia and into the Middle East, and in this age when so much new history is being written in Central Asia and the Middle East the stories and the accompanying discussions will really help orient your kids to the broader world.

Among the stories that have struck our kids the most are "Monkey and the River Dragon", which should keep the kids laughing through the whole story, and "The Bride and the Horse's head", a story with more pathos and tragedy.

The art in this book particularly stands out, even with the high standards usually set by Barefoot Books, and the maps are a particularly colorful delight. Among kids books, this is one of the better selections when you are reading to children that span all the elementary school grades, as it has something of interest for the older kids as well as the younger ones.

Editorial Review:

The ancient trade route between East and West provides the location and inspiration for this exotic collection of tales. The Spirit of the Silk Road acts as a guide, and with him readers follow the path of the caravans of the silk traders, listening to his tales of goddesses and spirits, dragons and demons. This lavish anthology is sumptuously illustrated with Nilesh Mistry's glowing colours, which perfectly capture the spirit of the tales. Cherry Gilchrist has herself travelled along the Silk Road, and the authority and realism she brings to the stories makes the book a fascinating reference book as well as a beautiful gift for all ages.

Donald Duk

Frank Chin

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 21 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Definite Eye-Opener 5 out of 5 stars.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.

First of all, I am surprised that not many people have read or even heard of this book. Why is it that America eats up all the stereotypical, sell-out Asian-American literature and denies something as real and tangible as Frank Chin's "Donald Duk"? Instead we are force-fed Amy Tan. And don't get me wrong, I enjoy reading Amy Tan, she is a very engaging writer, however, the average reader does not know where to draw the line between fiction and fact. They assume that because Amy Tan is Asian, every word that spills across the pages of her works is the solid truth. It is important for people to understand this distinction before reading any literature, lest they mistake fiction writing for truth and buy into the stereotypes presented by the author. Unfortunately, most people cannot make this distinction and their knowledge of Asian/Asian-American culture is limited to what they read in "The Joy Luck Club" and other such works.

Whew! That was quite a rant :) Back to the review:

Frank Chin is NOT Amy Tan. On the surface, "Donald Duk" presents itself as a light-hearted, comedic read. In fact, the entire premise of this novel seems silly, as do the characters. However, beneath the surface lie some serious questions about culture, identity, and racism. With its rich portrayal of history and culture, "Donald Duk" challenges the abundant stereotypes and misrepresented histories often present in American culture. Paired with Chin's vibrant and crisp writing style (It took me a few pages before I warmed-up to his style, but once I did I was hooked), the end result is a novel that manages to be eye-opening without being preachy. A feat that is seldom accomplished. I don't say this often, but I love this book. "Donald Duk" is an entertaining, albeit important, novel that should be introduced to more readers.

Editorial Review:

On the eve of the Chinese New Year in San Francisco's Chinatown, twelve-year-old Donald Duk attempts to deal with his comical name and his feelings for his cultural heritage.