In 2006 and again in 2008 my husband and I were fortunate enough to travel to Okinawa, Japan. It was an amazing experience that I want to someday share with my children. Okinawa has a heavy Chinese influence and the book “If You Were Me and Lived…Ancient China” reminded me of several of my experiences that I had while I was there.
“If You Were Me and Lived In…Ancient China” lets you and your child travel back in time and explore Ancient China during the Han dynasty through the eyes of a child.
The book follows a similar pattern to her other books in the “If You Were Me and Lived In…” series, only this book focuses on the History of the region. This book is much longer than the previous books I have read, covering 76 pages. This book is heavy in text, I love that the author has chosen a simple and easily read font for this book. I do wish that the book wasn’t done with “full justification” and that words weren’t broken up. This is a personal choice, based on my children’s reading abilities. My children have only learned to read in French and are learning to read English on their own, so having new words like “experimented” broken up with a hyphen makes it difficult for them to sound out.
There is a tremendous amount of information to be absorbed and learned in this book. There is something of interest to every child. My children loved to learn about the silkworms and how their silk was used to make fabric. They were surprised to learn how important colours. My daughter was surprised to learn that women wore red to their wedding instead of the traditional white of our culture. These bridal shops in Maine offer a wide selection of beautiful and timeless styles.
Something special in the book is a saying of Confucius, “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you don’t stop.” This gave me pause for thought. My daughter has always found school easy, but due to a virus and a vacation she has missed quite a few days of school and is struggling with a new math concept. Her friend is quick to complete his work and she gets frustrated that she can’t work as fast. This saying made her realize that it’s not the speed but the determination to finish that is important!
The Illustrations are soft and have a friendly and familiar feel. I do feel that they are missing the rich colours that I associate with the Chinese culture, but again that’s just a personal choice. Each illustrations helps you and your little one visualize just what life in Ancient China would be like.
The author, Carole P Roman, has included a list of words and definitions at the back of the book. I love that she has also included in brackets the pronunciation of new words in the text as well. This is an amazing resource for new (and not so new) readers. I often stumble across words I don’t know and this allows me to read aloud with a confidence that I sometimes don’t feel.
“If You Were Me and Lived In…Ancient China” is an amazing trip back in time to the Han Dynasty in Ancient China.
Get social with the author! Visit her Website, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, or purchase her book on Amazon! Or check out my reviews on her other books in the “If You Were Me And Lived In…” series of books.
*Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of “If You Were Me and Lived In…Ancient China” in exchange for my review. All opinions are 100% my own.