All About China: Stories, Songs, Crafts and More for Kids

by Allison Branscombe, Lin Wang (Illustrator)

Overview

**Winner of Creative Child Magazine 2015 Preferred Choice Award**
**Winner of the Independent Publisher Book Award Silver Medal**
**Winner of Moonbeam Children's Book Awards 2015 Silver Medal**

Take the whole family on a whirlwind tour of Chinese history and culture with this delightfully illustrated book that is packed with stories, activities and games. Travel from the stone age through the dynasties to the present day with songs and crafts for kids that will teach them about Chinese language and the Chinese way of life.

All About China is the next best thing to being there!

China is the world's largest and most populated country boasting thousands of years of history, tradition and culture. In All About China, you'll:

• Discover the fantastic Chinese tales about the creation of the earth and the origin of the Moon Goddess
• Delve into China's multifaceted cultural heritage, visit breathtaking places and learn Chinese folk songs
• Take a crack at solving a tangram shape puzzle
• Learn about the twelve Chinese zodiac animals
• Try your hand at making a traditional brush painting of a panda, bamboo and other subjects

All About China is an exciting and captivating introduction to the country, featuring page after page of colorful illustrations, compelling stories, surprising facts, cultural insights, engaging activities and much more. Young readers will embark on a fascinating journey through the many faces of this country, meeting its people and examining its landscape, culture and historical tapestry.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780804841214
Publisher:	Tuttle Publishing
Publication date:	11/11/2014
Edition description:	Hardcover with Jacket
Pages:	64
Product dimensions:	8.80(w) x 11.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Allison "Ai Xin" Branscombe is the Sacramento Regional Coordinator for San Francisco Bay Area Families with Children from China and edits the newsletter for its Northern California chapter. Branscombe is a board member of the Sacramento Chinese Culture Foundation.

Lin Wang attended the prestigious Guangzhou Academy of Fine arts in China to study oil painting and received her MFA in Illustration from Savannah College of Art and Design. She has illustrated many books for children and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and children.

Editorial Reviews

"There is no shortage of books on China today. However, there are very few books for young readers. All About China is well written, beautifully illustrated and creatively captures what is important for all children to know about China." —World Journal

"All About China is educational, informative and extremely enjoyable. The illustrations are delightful and make this book a joy to explore from cover to cover! Allison Branscombe's book is an entertaining, well-researched jewel for both kids and adults." —Helen Yee, Former President, Chinese Culture Foundation, 2009-2010

"The All About Asia series is the children's version of a folklore handbook, a user-friendly encyclopedia, a DIY manual for experiencing an Asian country's culture from a youth's point of view." —AsianFortuneNews.com

"All About China by Allison Branscombe is a nice book to be introduced to the huge culture that is China. […] It is a good book for kids to read to know about a lot of different aspects of China. If you are trying to write a report about China for elementary school, or just want to learn a little bit about a lot of different aspects of China, this would be a good book." —San Diego Book Review

"The first thing I noticed about this book were the beautiful illustrations by Lin Wang. Sometimes soft and delicate, sometimes vibrant and full of energy, but always perfect for the topic at hand. The layout and production of this book is superb, making it easy to follow and understand at any age level…The surprise and delightful nature of this book are the many unique and unexpected topics that illustrate the fascinating culture of China and its people." —Adoption Today

"This fine book gives a good overview of the country, the people, and the culture. […] This comprehensive picture book is a real treasure for curious young people of elementary school age." —San Francisco Book Review

"All About China opens with engaging, easy-to-grasp sections on history, geography, government, and China's place in today's world, enlivened with folk stories, cultural insights, hands-on activities, and more." —The Journal of Families with Children from China

"This books celebrates, with an impressive scope, the cultural riches of China and its epic history—with plenty of hands-on projects along the way." —Booklist

From the Publisher

02/01/2015
Gr 1–3—This wide-ranging introduction to China covers everything from history and geography to etiquette and music, with recipes, games, art projects, and traditional folktales. Large watercolor paintings with informative captions break up the text, and topics frequently shift, making this one ideal for browsers. However, complicated points are overly simplified. For instance, the text claims that Taiwan was originally part of China and implies that it didn't separate until 1949, which ignores Taiwan's complicated colonial history and that it was ruled by Japan from 1895 to 1945. Making the recipes kid-friendly results in loss of authenticity for many, such as one for mooncakes (which ends up being a jelly-filled crescent roll). VERDICT Despite the drawbacks, this volume fills a collection hole in many libraries, as interest in China continues to grow and many comparable titles for this age group, such as China (DK, 2007), Discovering Cultures: China (Cavendish Square, 2002), and China (Children's Pr., 2008), are out of date. Purchase where needed.—Jennifer Rothschild, Arlington County Public Libraries, VA

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