The kids have been missing out on reading Chinese books because I can’t seem to find fun and interesting books for them. I tried searching but faced challenges as I soon realized many of these Chinese books either have their meaning lost in translation or they are simply not engaging enough for the kids to want to continue exploring the book.
After looking in the wrong places for so long, I was delighted to learn about Flip for Joy! They have a good selection of bilingual books, which includes many bestsellers and award-winning titles.
The lady behind Flip for Joy, Meiru, is an ex-junior-college Chinese language teacher and very passionate about teaching the language to her 6-year-old. That means I can be assured of high quality standards when it comes to educational resources for children. She sources for the best books from all over the world (UK, US, Europe, Korea, Japan, China, etc) so that children can not only have fun, but gain insights and learn important values of life from reading.
Parents who are not as strong in the Chinese language and do not know what books to get, do not fret! Meiru reads the books she sourced for Flip for Joy to her 6-year-old before writing the synopsis and recommendations in BOTH Chinese and English so as to help parents choose the best for their children.
‘What will I be when I grow up?” is a book that many kids will enjoy because it’s interactive and allow the kids lots of hands-on as they learn about different occupations. It is easier to make an impression on them as they get to dress up the cardboard figurines with different uniforms and learn about the sounds relating to certain occupations from the audio effects. For example, the camera clicking sound is linked to the photographer.
A set of four books on different construction vehicles. This is a sure-hit with the boys. Actually, even my daughter 也对这几本书爱不释手 because they get to have lots of fun pretending to construct with the parts in the books as well!
Bonus? Parents get to learn the Chinese names of these heavy vehicles too! I know I did.
I personally liked this book a lot because it gets the kids thinking about the consequences of not conserving resources and how we can help save the world we live in.
Was pleased to see the cub shaking his head away in dismay when we got to the page that read 到最后只剩下钱，可是钱又不能吃 and I asked him “怎么办?”.
If you are looking for some classics (example, Little Red Riding Hood, The Emperor’s New Clothes, Pinocchio, etc) to retell in Chinese, here are some you might like to consider. Hanyu pinyin is available and the moral-of-the-story in Chinese is provided as well! Great for parents who need familiar stories to start practising their reading of Chinese books.
This book is suited for the littler children. There are cut-outs on every other page showing bits of yellow for kids to imagine the possibilities of what the yellow object might be on the next page. Excellent way to engage young readers!
Something very new to the kids – this story has been written vertically just like how it is traditionally with Chinese literature. (Think 琼瑶 novels!) Gotta admit that it took me longer to read top-down, right-to-left! And it’s not just the words that go vertical. The book opens up vertically as well! So the kids flip the pages as if they are climbing up together with the boy and meeting different creatures along the way.
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This giveaway ends at 5pm on Thursday, 6 August 2015 and is open to Singapore residents only. Winners will be contacted using the contact particulars provided when entering this giveaway and will have 48 hours to respond, failing which a new winner will be drawn. All incomplete entries will be disqualified. All entries will be verified before the winners are announced. To be fair to our sponsors, please note that all fake social media accounts (eg. Facebook accounts set up purely to take part in contests with no or very few real friends) will also be ineligible to win.
First 50 customers who shop with Flip for Joy in the month of August and spend a minimum of $50 will receive a free book treat (chosen by Flip for Joy!), worth at least $10.
Remember to like Flip for Joy on Facebook to get updates on their latest happenings, promotions, and benefit from the many articles and resources shared on the teaching of the Chinese language and ways to encourage your child to read!