By Dedie King, Illustrations by Judith Inglese
2010, Satya House Publications
Review by Debra L Scott, 12/14/2011A young girl from a rural farming in China takes a trip to the modern bustling city of Shanghai to visit her aunt. City life is very different from her quiet country life. The sun is obscured by the dense fog, the buildings are so tall they hurt her neck trying to look at them, and compares the jobs and life in her village with city life and the sharp business atmosphere. The first person narrative writing has some very lovely moments like the passage below.
“At dawn, sunshine fingers slip through my window and tickle my face. “ (waking up in the village)
“In the twilight the lights inside the buildings shine like hundreds of tiny suns.” (watching the sunset in Shanghai)
“Each book in the I See the Sun series tries to portray a feeling of the essential cultural elements of a country in a clear and simple way.” (Publisher’s note) The book is written bilingually, in English and Mandarin Chinese, so could be read by speakers of either language. Even for English only speakers, the mysterious Chinese characters are interesting to look at. Children who love hearing about other cultures will find the book delightful, and perhaps those of Chinese descent will enjoy a book that shows their children what life is like now in the People’s Republic of China. At the end of the book is a glossary of terms that would be unfamiliar to most American children. There is also a very interesting section that tells about Chinese culture, and how they live in the midst of constant change and enterprise while holding on to very traditional values.
Word Seeds 