Exploring Chinatown: A Children's Guide to Chinese Culture [Hardcover]

Carol Stepanchuk (Author), Leland Wong (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Exploring Chinatown: A Children's Guide to Chinese Culture by Carol Stepanchuk, illus. by Leland Wong, uses San Francisco's Chinatown as a backdrop in this informative volume covering varied aspects of Chinese-American life. Sections on food, health, religion, art and more are included. Ages 10-up
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-8-Stepanchuk uses San Francisco's Chinatown as a stepping stone to introduce various aspects of Chinese culture. Chapters, each beginning with a proverb, quotation, or traditional saying in both Chinese and English, cover such topics as food, health, reading and writing, numbers, celebrations, family, religion, and the visual and performing arts. A visit to a shop, for example, leads to clearly written and illustrated descriptions of the abacus, lucky numbers, tangrams, and Chinese chess. Seeing Chinese-language materials and visiting a stationery store prompts a lengthy look at the written and spoken language, with excellent coverage on the correct way to hold a brush and form a Chinese character. Boxed sidebars expand the information. Several recipes are included, and the appendix offers thumbnail sketches of other Chinatowns in the U.S. and Canada. The handsome, open layout features colorful, cartoonlike, although somewhat prosaic illustrations, full-color photographs, and line drawings. There are a few minor errors, such as misspellings of "shiitake," "suona," and author Ann Tompert's name, but these are minor quibbles in what is otherwise a fine introduction to Chinatown and Chinese culture.
Diane S. Marton, Arlington County Library, VA
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover
• Publisher: Pacific View Pr (February 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1881896250
• ISBN-13: 978-1881896258
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,315,857 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really Nice Book about Chinese American Culture, May 21, 2008

By 

Lynn Ellingwood "The ESOL Teacher" (Webster, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Exploring Chinatown: A Children's Guide to Chinese Culture (Hardcover)

This is a nice very detailed book about Chinese American culture. The book covers such items as food, staying healthy, Reading and Writing, math, Holidays, family, religion, art, performing arts, and Chinatown Today. I found the information relevant, well detailed and interesting to read and look at. Kids will find this book fun too. I liked the overall view of Chinese culture that the book provided.