Reviews: August 2008 Archives

MultiCultural Review

Renee Ting

on August 18, 2008 2:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

There is a nice review of D is for Doufu in MultiCultural Review:

"The stylized illustrations accompanying each term represent a variety of cultural attributes of the ages of Chiense history... Upper elementary students as well as older children will surely take an interest in this beautiful picture book in which resides a good deal of the elegance of Chinese history and culture. It will also make a fine gift."

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Renee Ting

on August 18, 2008 2:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books has this to say about D is for Doufu, by Maywan Shen Krach and illustrated by Hongbin Zhang:

"While this elegantly illustrated volume will hardly launch readers on the road to fluency, it does cogently explain the "construction" of Chinese pictograms and interpret how their component symbols combine to make a word with a meaning larger than the sum of its parts. As Krach explains, the pictogram for en, or grace, is formed as follows: 'A person resting [symbol] upon a square mat [symbol] means to rely upon. It is combined with the heart [symbol] below. Whoever relies on his heart achieves grace.' Not all terms are so ethereal-- dou fu (tofu), guo (China), and ma jiang (mahjongg) are among the more worldly entries-- and a paragraph or two sets each term into its cultural context. A conluding page offers Mandarin pronunciation keys and a guide to tonal changes."

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"Opens up the very rich and ancient traditions and history of China to young readers..."

-American Booksellers Association

Maywan Shen Krach is the author of "I Love China: A Companion Book to D Is for Doufu." She was born and educated in Taiwan, but came over to the United States when she was 23 years old for graduate studies. After teaching ten years in the public school systems, she started Shen's Books as a publisher and a distributor of children's literature that affirm universal values. "D Is for Doufu" is her first book.

Hongbin Zhang was born in Beijing, China, and was accepted into the prestigious Beijing Central Academy of Arts at the age of 14. He used many uncommon painting surfaces to create the illustrations in "D Is for Doufu," including silk, hand-made paper, rice paper, and brocaded fabric, all of which added extraordinary visual effects to the book.

Shen’s Books is a publisher of multicultural children’s literature that emphasizes cultural diversity and tolerance, with a focus on introducing children to the cultures of Asia.

Through books, we can share a world a stories, building greater understanding and tolerance within our increasingly diverse communities as well as throughout our continuously shrinking globe.