Long is a Dragon - Chinese Writing for Children by Peggy Goldstein
Fun, very well done book. Great first exposure to Chinese Characters.
Long is a Dragon explains how Chinese writing developed. The book uses an illustrated, visual approach to Chinese writing. Fun and artistic, it teaches about the origins of Chinese Characters and how to recognize, write, and pronounce words and numbers. No prior knowledge of Chinese Characters is necessary to appreciate the beauty, intricacy, and development of this writing system.
- Children will easily understand how Chinese Characters evolved. A picture of the original word is first shown (like a horse), then the equivalent ancient Chinese Character. Lastly, the current Chinese Traditional Character is presented.
- The book goes over 75 Chinese Characters, plus instructions how to write stroke by stroke. It's extremely important when writing Chinese to have the right stroke order.
- Children ages 8 to 12 can use this book on their own. It is also appropriate for younger children (K-3). A great activity is get a small brush and have your child (or students) write their favorite Chinese Character from the book - my guess is most of them will pick a Dragon.
- The end of the book shows what happens when you combine two words, or use multiples of one character. For example, combining characters for "electricity" and "voice" means "telephone". Or, writing the character for "mouth" three times, means "taste". The combining of characters is fascinating!
The book is made for kids, but adults will also enjoy reading it.
Author Information:Peggy Goldstein is an American sculptor, printmaker and designer whose works have been exhibited in North and South America and Europe, and have been awarded numerous prizes. She is represented in museums, national libraries and private collections in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Switzerland. Ms. Goldstein has studied Chinese calligraphy under Ung No Lee at the Academie de Peinture Orientale in Paris, and has taught at the Smithsonian Institution's Anacostia Neighborhood Museum and at the American College in Paris. She currently lives in France.
Awards:* Parents Choice Award
Reviews on Long Is a Dragon:
"Organization is straightforward; concept presentation and linking are brilliant. The writing is clear and interesting, providing a compelling invitation to learn and explore while having fun."
------School Library Journal
"An excellent teaching guide for parents and teachers."
------Parents' Choice
"A delightful introduction to the Chinese written language."
------San Francisco Chronicle
"A charming, handsome book."
------Kirkus Reviews
"Goldstein assumes fascination on the part of the reader and thus creates it."
------Los Angeles Times
"The book is so clear that, after a little time, students will be able to write and read simple messages in Chinese."
------The Reading Teacher "A delightful step-by-step text which teaches children the origins of Chinese first as a pictographic language, and its evolution to today's use."
------International Examiner
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