Round is a Mooncake: A Book of Shapes

by Roseanne Thong, Grace Lin (Illustrator)

Overview

A little girl's urban neighborhood becomes a discovery ground for all things round, square, and rectangular in this lyrical picture book. Most items are Asian in origin, others universal: round rice bowls and a found pebble, square dim sum and the boxes that the pizzas come in, rectangular Chinese lace and a very special pencil case. Bright, whimsical art accompanies the narrative rhyme, and a short glossary adds cultural significance to the objects featured in the book. Perfect for read-alouds or one-on-one sharing.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781452136448
Publisher:	Chronicle Books LLC
Publication date:	09/16/2014
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	132,610
Product dimensions:	8.80(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.20(d)
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Grace Lin is a children's author and illustrator. She is the author of many books for young readers, including Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, a 2010 Newbery Honor Book. She resides in Massachusetts.

Roseanne Thong is the author of many books for children, including Red Is a Dragon, Round Is a Tortilla, and Green Is a Chile Pepper. She divides her time between Southern California and Hong Kong.

Editorial Reviews

Debut author Thong cleverly uses a concept book to celebrate Chinese culture. "Round is a mooncake/ Round is the moon/ Round are the lanterns/ outside my room," explains the unnamed young heroine as she takes the reader on a tour of her neighborhood, where circles, squares and rectangles abound. Lin's (The Ugly Vegetables) full-bleed, double-page gouache pictures, radiant with traditional Chinese colors and patterns, offer a witty melange of the old and new, the cultural and the universal, the everyday and (for most of the audience, anyway) the exotic. A family feasts on pizza and dim sum, both of which come in square boxes; her father talks on his rectangular cell phone while the narrator practices the ancient art of ink writing using a rectangular inking stone and paintbrush rack. A brief glossary on the final page explains the meaning and role of Asian words and things that appear in the book. Tipping its hat to both the melting pot and ethnic pride, this makes an enchanting primer for children of all backgrounds. Ages 2-5. (Sept.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

PreS-K-This concept book prompts children to look at circles, squares, and rectangles through the eyes of a Chinese girl. The rhyming text describes things like dim sum, inking stones, lucky money, and an abacus as they relate to the various shapes. The last page defines unfamiliar terms. The rhymes, at times perfectly structured but sometimes somewhat forced, lack a consistent beat, which makes this a challenging read-aloud. "Round is a mooncake/Round is the moon/Round are the lanterns/outside my room/Round is a pebble/that I found/A bowl of goldfish/that make no sound." The illustrations, brilliantly colored gouache paintings outlined in black, are large, crisp, and inviting. A useful purchase for young patrons interested in Chinese culture.-Linda M. Kenton, San Rafael Public Library, CA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

The Asian theme sparks a multicultural learning opportunity as a lively young girl observes shapes in the world around her in this delightful debut by Thong and Lin. A round shape is a mooncake and a rice bowl, a square is a name chop and a checkerboard, and a rectangle is a mobile phone and an inking stone. Only three shapes are introduced but a few objects represent each shape; some are universally recognized and others are specific to AmericanChinese culture. Simple rhymes accompany each illustration. Thong's text provides discussion starters for audience participation. "I can name more square things, can you?" This feature lends itself to a group readaloud or an intimate storytime with a single child. Lin's gouache illustrations are bold and colorful, lively, and filled with childlike wonder. Family and friends interact in scenes that depict everyday life in a suburban setting. The image of "square," for example, has the reader looking through the windows of the house where the family is eating pizza and dim sum. Another illustration shows the girl writing Chinese letters with brush and inking stones as her father standing nearby speaks on a mobile phone. A charming and instructive math concept book. (Picture book. 37)

Kirkus Reviews