Children's Book Teaches English and Chinese
Review of 'The Frog in the Well', Retold by Irene Y. Tsai
Feb 5, 2009
A Chinese idiom is a popular story that is based on folklore, a myth or a historical fact and one that teaches a moral. In Chinese, an idiom is called a cheng yu. Idioms are very popular in Chinese language. ‘The Frog in the Well’ is a popular idiom to demonstrate how some arrogant, tunnel-minded people think they know everything, when in reality, they don’t. So the phrase is used to describe narrow-mindedness.
The Book
The Frog in the Well, retold by Irene Y. Tsai and translated to the Chinese by Joyce Lin, is a new bilingual children’s picture book recently published by CE Bilingual Books LLC.
The book tells the tale of the little frog who lived in the well and thought the whole world was the well. He thinks he is the smartest frog in the world. When later on the frog receives a visit from the wise turtle from the ocean, he realizes how blind he had been, and the fact that there’s a whole new world out there yet to discover. The frog, ‘opens’ his eyes to the reality of his trapped situation.
Yes, it’s a heavy subject for little kids, but the author presents it in a simply, kids-friendly manner, using an uncomplicated storyline and short sentences even very young children will be able to understand: Consider the following example. Each line represents a separate page with its own illustration:
A little frog hops.
Hop! Hop! Hop!
A well with shallow water.
The frog hops in the well.
On each page, under each line, the reader will find the Chinese translation (both traditional and simplified) along with its phonetic notation to learn how to read, write and speak Mandarin. The plot and moral message will stimulate youngsters’ minds. It is a story of intellectual awakening and one that will also introduce children not only to a foreign language, but also to another culture.
The Frog in the Well is a fine addition to the shelf of any parent who is trying to teach a child this language. The same goes for teachers and educators. The illustrations, mostly done on a computer, are brightly colored and entertaining. At the end of the book the author has included a word list with its equivalent simplified Chinese (with Pinyin), and Traditional Chinese (with Zhu Yin Fu Hao).
The book was a Finalist in the children's book (nonfiction) category of the National Best Books 2008 Awards, sponsored by USA Book News.
Parents and teachers may learn more about this book from the publisher’s website at: www.cebilingualbooks.com
 |
