Lo & Behold (Lo & Behold, 1) [Hardcover]

Benedict Norbert Wong (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up | Series: Lo & Behold, 1

Lo Long hates Chinese food...Chinese school...Chinese customs. Or does he? Enter a shape-changing 3,000-year-old dragon named Behold. Sent to America from the boy's grandfather in China, Behold helps Lo rediscover his cultural roots.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-Lo's family insists that he learn Chinese customs by attending Chinese school and eating traditional foods, but the boy wants what he imagines "all the other kids" having: television and TV dinners. When his grandfather sends the family dragon to him from China, Lo learns to welcome and enjoy his family's traditional food, language, and customs. Unfortunately, the worthy lessons about learning to appreciate one's own cultural background are thinly wrapped in a slight story. The dragon-whose ability to change appearances should make him an awesome creature-is a rather pedantic fellow, asking Lo pointedly, "Could it be that you actually like Chinese [food, lessons, customs]?" Wong's computer-colored, woodcut-style illustrations in brush and ink are clear and pleasant, if not very lively. Some readers may find the discussion of Chinese school and Lo's participation in preparations for a family celebration useful and familiar, even if the story lacks pizzazz. This is the author/illustrator's first book in a planned series on learning to value Chinese language and customs. Janet S. Wong's Apple Pie Fourth of July (Harcourt, 2002) and Lenore Look's Henry's First-Moon Birthday (Atheneum, 2001), about Chinese-American children, and Jama Kim Rattigan's multicultural Dumpling Soup (Little, Brown, 1993) give richer pictures of families retaining traditional identity in American culture.
Kathie Meizner, Montgomery County Public Libraries, Chevy Chase, MD
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Ben Wong is lending his tremendous storytelling talent to a genre of literature that has received far too little attention. -- Martin Yan, Yan Can Cook, February 2003

Wonderfully entertaining for readers of all ages. And the storyline reinforces the value of family and importance of cultural identity. -- Susan Leong Lee, Ed.D., Early Childhood Education

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Taiji Arts Pub; 1 edition (March 11, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972819207
• ISBN-13: 978-0972819206
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,787,635 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New modern "classic"!, June 30, 2003

By 

Ho Man Lee (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lo & Behold (Lo & Behold, 1) (Hardcover)

This is a new modern "classic" childrens book! It's a beautifully illustrated tale of the generational culture clash faced by many immigrant families today. It's part cultural heritage, part mythology, part Calvin & Hobbes-all good. I bought this book for my nephew (9) and niece (6) because I knew they would identify with Lo, the main character, and the cultural dillemas he faces everyday. It's a complex subject matter told in a whimsically simple way that any child can understand and identfy with. I bought 4 more copies for my cousin's and friend's kids.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has children or knows a child, even if they are not Chinese-American. The theme is universal, the drawings are great and the characters are charming. This moden fairy tale is a must-have for your children's reading library.