Customer Reviews

Round is a Mooncake: A Book of Shapes

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Fabulous. This book reminds me of San Francisco. The colors in the art are breathtaking--this is a great book to introduce Asian culture, while also teaching shapes!

My daughter is from China, so combining the Chinese cultural lessons with learning about shapes was "double the fun"! She loves the illustrations and the story and enjoys looking for more shapes in the pictures by herself. This has become one of her favorites, along w/all the other books that have been written and/or illustrated by Grace Lin. It's a fun teaching tool for learning about shapes... I was a little surprised, however, that they did circles, squares and rectangles, but no triangles... Overall though, it's a great book!

This is *not* a toddler only shape book at all! I read this to a mixed age 6-9 year old class & they got alot out of it. It was for Autumn Moon Festival but you cd/ do it for any China intro. I also passed around things from the book: a Chinese teacup with no handle, an abacus, a chop, the chop ink's square box was 'the box my cats sleep in' although mine were plastic tiger, panther & lion! Even if you had nothing I don't think it wd/ be difficult to buy a few cheaply at your local Asian food store or borrow things from friends & parents.

I have a 6 month old daughter and she loves this book! The colors are bright but not too busy and the words flow easily. I love the fact that the narrator is Chinese-American and is able to blend traditional Chinese culture with contemporary American culture. I can't wait until my daughter understands what it is saying and can begin to pick out shapes!

Round Is A Mooncake captures the joy of childhood. Roseanne Thong's delightful story combined with Grace Lin's bold and beautiful use of design make for a wonderful gift for young children. Lin expertly creates visual interset on every page and therefore, children will want to read this story again and again. Thong's glossary at the end of the story provides another great opportunity for discussion between parent and child.

3 of our children age between 2 and 7 loved this book! The colours and illustrations are great, the rhyming works well.The 2 year old loves the pictures, the 3 year old loves finding the shapes, and the unusual items named such as 'Chops, radish cakes, inking stones' which follow its Chinese theme are fascinating for our 7 year old, and we have had some great discussions. There is a childrens glossary at the back which explains the more unusual items, he loves this also. All the characters portrayed are Chinese.
Much better than the usual shapes finding books!

A book both boys and girls will find enjoyable, as stated by parents I have surveyed. Round as a Mooncake presents shaped items children come across when living in or near an Asian community, or if they have Asian friends. This book does an excellent job introducing words and terms to children from a time-rich culture (i.e., mooncake, name chop, lucky money). The illustrations capture one's attention. The colors of the images presented are rich and vibrant. There are enough well known objects children recognize to be comfortable with if not familiar with some of the new terms (i.e., pizza, window, cell phones. The glossary is an added bonus, introducing resources for children.

My granddaughter is one half Chinese and I was delighted to find a book to help her celebrate that side of her as well as teach her the early concepts of shape. The drawings are simple and colorful, and the examples are items that she will recognize from her daily life--rice bowls, mooncakes, Po-Po (maternal grandmother) and dim sum. The book would be a lovely addition to any home or school library.

Chinese people celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival in mid-August by getting together, eating mooncakes and creating poems to praise the full moon in old days. This book captures the essence of this tradition and will be a great companion for children to learn about Chinese culture while eating mooncakes. Through pleasantly-rhymed verses, the talented girl charms the readers with her many discoveries of hidden shapes in her Asian home and neighborhood. The book further engages young readers to make their own discoveries inside and outside the book. ROUND IS A MOONCAKE will capture your child's imaginations about shapes through a Chinese girl's eyes -

Learn your shapes the Chinese way! A very nice book that allows Chinese and probably Vietnamese students to feel included in their educational world. A delight for anyone.