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Yang, Belle
7 Reviews
(4)
K-3
A young girl rescues and adopts a white kitten. The two enjoy Beijing by bicycle until Kitty chases a kite and is lost. After searching many famous sights, the girl learns that Kitty, now named Angel, has a new home with a lonely old woman. Although the first-person narration lacks lyricism, the gouache illustrations use bold brush strokes and saturated colors enticingly. Visual context helps explain Chinese terms in the text.
Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester
(3)
PS
Despite their subtitles, these are not the number and color books one might expect. Instead, these are simple stories, with texts in English and Mandarin Chinese, that include colors and numbers and thus nod quietly to their conceptual underpinnings. The final spread in both books provides English-language readers with an explanation of Mandarin's tonal subtleties and assistance with pinyin pronunciations. Review covers these titles: A Nest in Springtime and Summertime Rainbow.
Reviewer: Viki Ash
(3)
PS
Despite their subtitles, these are not the number and color books one might expect. Instead, these are simple stories, with texts in English and Mandarin Chinese, that include colors and numbers and thus nod quietly to their conceptual underpinnings. The final spread in both books provides English-language readers with an explanation of Mandarin's tonal subtleties and assistance with pinyin pronunciations. Review covers these titles: A Nest in Springtime and Summertime Rainbow.
Reviewer: Viki Ash
(3)
K-3
The bond of friends Foo Frog, Sue-Lin Salamander, and Mao-Mao Mudpuppy is shaken when Foo physically outgrows his mates--although the real problem is his big head. The plot has the rhythms of a folktale, and Foo's inevitable comeuppance is satisfying. Well-considered gouache art displays the story's humor and tenderness.
Reviewer: Nell Beram
(4)
K-3
Twins Mei-Mei and Di-Di cherish their pet doves. When their father unthinkingly gives the birds to their uncle to thank him for helping in the fields, the heartbroken children run away to retrieve their pets. All are happily reunited in the end. Though the telling is stilted, readers will enjoy the nicely varied gouache illustrations of the Chinese countryside.
Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin
(2)
K-3
A young girl newly transplanted from Taiwan narrates this story set in 1967 San Francisco. Na-Li, now called Hannah, and her parents nervously await the arrival of their green cards. Yang's autobiographical narrative retains Hannah's point of view consistently and makes good use of child-friendly imagery. Deeply colored paintings match the strong emotions of the well-told story.
Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2004
(3)
K-3
A story set in China tells about a special friendship between a boy and a small, high-spirited donkey named Chili-Chili-Chin-Chin. The brief but satisfying text narrated by the donkey follows the two friends through four seasons as they look for flowers, watch turtles, pick persimmons, and make tracks in the snow. Bright and lively illustrations suit the light tone of the story.
Reviewer: Jennifer Polshek
7 reviews
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