Kindergarten Day USA and China/Kindergarten Day China and USA (Global Fund for Children Books) [Hardcover]

Trish Marx (Author), Ellen B. Senisi (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1–Half of this book narrates a day at a kindergarten in Schenectady, NY; when flipped, it details a day with Chinese children in Beijing. Although there are some differences between the two classes, the book focuses on illustrating their similarities. Both groups learn reading in their respective languages, draw pictures, eat lunch, celebrate a classmate's birthday, play outside, witness a disagreement mediated by a teacher, and enjoy friends. The minor differences mostly involve language and food, although American kids will be happy to see that the Chinese kindergarteners also eat birthday cake, albeit with chopsticks. At the end of each half, the class wonders what kids are like on the other side of the world. The Chinese section includes one Chinese word per page. Additionally, a text box on the first page explains pinyin transliteration. Large, bright photographs and a limited number of words per page make this a good choice for storytime. The focus on similarities between the kids doesn't teach much about Chinese culture, but it does give a nice lesson on the universality of the kindergarten experience.Jennifer Rothschild, Prince George's County Memorial Library System, Oxon Hill, MD
© Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From Booklist

On every page of this brightly illustrated book, clear, colorful photos show kindergarten children at work and at play. Open the book one way and follow the day of an American school class in Schenectady, New York. Flip the book over and watch the same progression in a classroom in Beijing, China. Either way, a typical double-page spread includes one large photo and a smaller one, several lines of text commenting on the action, and a clock face showing the time of day. The parallel structure of the children’s activities and the acknowledgment of common concerns underscore the experiences that the children share, while the differences, such as language and food, become apparent as well. Nicely designed for classroom sharing, this Global Fund for Children book offers opportunities for discussion that can broaden kids’ awareness of the world beyond the boundaries of school, community, and country. Preschool-Grade 1. --Carolyn Phelan

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing (July 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580892191
• ISBN-13: 978-1580892193
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 8.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,098,303 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Want to go to China?, February 2, 2011

By 

Maryann V. Macdonald (new york, ny United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kindergarten Day USA and China/Kindergarten Day China and USA (Global Fund for Children Books) (Paperback)

When I was a child, we were told that if we dug a hole right through the center of the earth, we'd end up in China. Trish Marx draws readers into the kindergarten worlds of the USA and China with this old saying, explaining that the People's Republic of China is halfway around the world from the United States of America. "When you are asleep, the children of China are in school," she writes, giving children a time perspective. She then draws us through the day in a New York classroom with clocks, showing what's happening at 9 AM in a US kindergarten, when Chinese children are in their beds. Flip the book over, and you get the opposite experience. I love this simple way of showing the similarities and differences between the lives of children of the same ages on opposite sides of the world. Get out your globe and grab a young reader for a trip around the world!

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Gift, January 31, 2011

By 

Alaina S. Wilson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kindergarten Day USA and China/Kindergarten Day China and USA (Global Fund for Children Books) (Paperback)

I am the Caucasian mother of a Chinese daughter. We live in a small-ish town where she is the only Chinese student in Kindergarten. I teach in an urban school district 30 miles away. My principal showed me this book a few weeks ago, and I immediately ordered a copy to give my daughter's teacher. I was able to read this to all three Kindergarten classes for Chinese New Year before I donated it. The children were enthralled to see what Kindergarten is like in another country, and to see that wherever you go, children are very similar.