Bowls of Happiness and What Was It Like, Mr. Emperor? Are Two Great NEW Books For Kids.
We love to learn about other countries and other cultures here at My Silly Little Gang. We make it a big learning experience. For example recently we were sent two books that teach about Chinese culture. After reading both books, my boys and I went to the library to find out more about things they had learned about in them. Then that night we went to a local Chinese food restaurant and asked to learn about and taste Chinese cuisine. We have lots of fun, now let me tell you about these great books.
Bowls of Happiness by Brian Tse and Nancy S. Steinhardt
Piggy’s mom loves her so much that she has decided to make a special porcelain bowl just for her. As mom makes the bowl, Piggy enters the world being painted on its outside. There she meets and learns about the animals used on these Chinese artworks and the messages of happiness and good-fortune that they convey.
Created by internationally renowned children’s book artists Brian Tse and Alice Mak, this book teaches children about Chinese artwork and culture and their universal spirit of generosity, love, and respect for nature. The lovable illustrations are coupled with photographs of porcelain art found in the Palace Museum’s collection. Children will learn about how bowls are made and be able to draw their own Bowl of Happiness after they have finished reading the story.
Our Thoughts: We loved this book, and went to learn more about Chinese artwork at the library after reading it. We each also decorated our own porcelain bowls. Which we ordered here. This is definitely a book unlike any other we have read.
What Was It Like, Mr. Emperor? by Chiu Kwong-chiu and Nancy S. Steinhardt
Have you ever wondered what it was like to be the Emperor of China? In this book, readers will get the chance to ask the emperor all the questions they might have about life in the Forbidden City. How was the emperor chosen? What was school like? How did he celebrate his birthday? Who were his friends? What were his favorite foods? How hard did he have to work? Could he be punished?
Through fun and engaging stories reader will journey through the average life of an emperor and learn about the people who lived in the palace, including the prince who fought off a rebel invasion, the palace maids who lived in the Inner Court, the emperor who ruled twice, and the emperor who loved crickets. This book can be enjoyed by children and adults alike, with lively illustrations that encourage reader interaction.
Our Thoughts: This book was excellent! Honestly I had not wanted to teach my boys about Chinese emperors because I could never find anything that was appropriate. This book however gives you a kid-friendly look into the life of an emperor. So I finally was able to teach my boys about it! What was even better was that not only did they learn about life as an emperor, they also learned about the people who live in the palace. This is a great book to teach kids about Chinese culture!
Both of these amazing books can be found on Amazon.