Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
D is for Dancing Dragon: A China Alphabet
Illustrator: Zong-Zhou Wang
Nonfiction Picture Book Series
For ages 5 to 10
Sleeping Bear Press, 2006 ISBN: 978-1585362738
We are going to take an alphabetical journey to China, a country steeped in history, culture, and both man made and natural wonders. As we work our way through this colorful alphabet book we learn about many aspects of Chinese life. Among other things we learn why Chinese people eat with chopsticks and why many Chinese festivals feature a dragon. We read about musicals instruments and the beautiful art of calligraphy which so many people associate with the Orient. And, of course, we get to take a trip back into time to find out when and why the Great Wall of China was built.
For each letter of the alphabet the author has created a simple rhyme which highlights some aspect of Chinese life. These rhymes, with their atmospheric illustrated backgrounds, are perfect for introducing young readers to China. For older readers more information is provided on every page in the side bars. Here well written sections of text explore the highlighted topic further giving the reader a true taste of what it might be like to visit China.
This is one of the excellent titles in a series of alphabet books published by Sleeping Bear Press
