From School Library Journal
Gr 4-7--Ten traditional Chinese houses are described and illustrated in this attractive book. Like the author's "Native American Dwellings of North America" series (Tundra), the focus here is on the structures; there is little sense of historical time conveyed and only the illustrations provide clues as to whether the house shown is contemporary or ancient. However, there is a good deal of cultural information in the text. For example, after discussing the elements of superstition that governed the building of a farm house, Shemie enumerates the rooms thus: "On the right is the grandparent's bedroom. On the left is the room the children share with their parents." This passage tells more about the rural Chinese than how their houses look. The full-color illustrations and black-and-white sketches are clear and detailed. Many reveal the inner configuration of the rooms as well as the outward appearance of the houses and their terrain. The language is straightforward and the vocabulary is simple enough to satisfy young readers who wonder how the nomadic Mongolians moved their yurts from place to place. At the same time, the book provides supporting and clarifying information to older researchers. The bibliography refers primarily to adult materials, but could provide useful leads to determined youngsters. A map of Asia drawn on the endpapers shows the geographical locations of the houses described in the text. Large collections or those supporting Chinese studies should consider this title.
Linda Greengrass, Bank Street College Library, New York City
Copyright 1997 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From the Inside Flap
Bonnie Shemie, author/artist of the internationally acclaimed Native Dwellings series of North America, turns to China to look at some of the world?s most unusual dwellings. From the simple farmhouse to the elegant courtyard dwelling, from mountainside stone houses to portable yurts, caves and underground rooms, all are described with informative text and illustrated in full-color pencil drawings based on her research in China.
Houses of China details the two main beliefs that have influenced Chinese design: Fengshui, which governs how, when, and where a dwelling is to be built so that a family will have good fortune, and Confucianism, which teaches the order of how the old and young relate to each other. It all adds up to an informative and beautifully illustrated book for young readers.
