Buck, Pearl S. The Dragon Fish. New York: The John Day Co., l944. A great
book for children about two little girls, one Chinese and one American, who
became friends after finding an ornament in the sea. They decide to run away to
the big city where their families became friends after finding the girls.
Burckhardt, Ann L. The People of China and Their Food. Markato: Capstone Press,
A beautifully illustrated book presenting simple recipes for making Chinese
dishes. The author includes information about traditions within the family
surrounding certain foods, also, included are holiday foods.
Denny, Roz. A Taste of China. New York: Thomas Learning, 1994. Denny presents a
beautiful book with brightly colored pictures, giving a good oversight of present day
China. The book also includes a glossary and several recipes for making Chinese
food.
Ginsburg, Mirra. The Chinese Mirror. Orlando: Harcourt Brace and Co., 1988.
A delightful Chinese tale and good insight into family life in a country village.
Hillman, Elizabeth. Min-Yo And The Moon Dragon. New York: Harcourt Brace and
Co., 1992. A Chinese tale with beautiful illustrations depicting landscapes in China,
along with the costumes and customs of the emperors.
Hong, Lily Toy. The Empress And The Silkworm. Morton Grove: Albert Whitman
And Co., 1995. A delightful book about a Chinese legend where almost five thousand
years ago, a young empress was having tea and suddenly a cocoon from a mulberry
tree fell into her cup. The empress discovered that the shining strands spun by tiny
worms could be woven into fabric.
Hong, Lily Toy. Two of Everything. Morton Grove: Albert Whitman and Co., 1993.
An amusing tale about a Chinese couple who duplicate everything from an old pot
found by Mr. Haktak in his garden. The beautiful illustrations depict old Chinese
traditions in clothing and household furnishings still found in some families today.
Tan, Amy. The Chinese Siamese Cat. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1994.
A great story about a naughty little kitten, Sagwa, who lives with her mother and four
siblings in the home of a Foolish Magistrate. The kitten became a hero when she
accidentally blotted out the word not in a new rule ordering the people not to sing all
day.
Tan, Amy. The Moon Lady. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1992.
A grandmother shares a childhood experience with her two granddaughters. Great
insight into a wealthy family's life before the Cultural Revolution. The illustrations
are beautiful and depict a lot about the lush tropical environment of southern China.
Tompert, Ann. Grandfather Tang's Story. New York: Crown Publishers, 1990.
Ann Tompert uses tangrams to tell a legend about two fox fairies. The fox fairies are
used in Chinese folklore. They are believed to have supernatural powers of
transformation. Tangrams are ancient Chinese puzzles that begin with a square cut
into seven pieces. When creating a picture all seven pieces must be used and not may
overlap.
Treffinger, Carolyn. Li Lun Lad of Courage. New York: Walker and Co., 1975.
This beautiful story gives a lot of insight into the Chinese family living by the sea and
depending upon fishing for a livelihood. At the age of ten, Li Lun was expected to
follow tradition and be initiated into the fishing business. However, he defies
tradition and is sent to the mountains to grow rice from a few seeds. He encounters
many difficulties but becomes a lad of courage in the end.
Wang, Rosalind C. The Treasure Chest. New York: Holiday House, Inc., 1995.
Wang retells a Chinese tale from southern China where a boy named Laifu planned to
marry an orphan girl named Pearl. But the evil ruler Funtong wanted Pearl for himself
because of her stunning beauty and challenged him to three impossible contests. With
the help of a magical rainbow-colored fish, Laufu becomes triumphant and marries his
beautiful Pearl.
Waterlow, Julia. Country Insights: China. Austin: Raintree Steck-Vaughn Publishers,
The book displays beautiful colored pictures of China, particularly the city of
Lanzhou found in northern China and village of Chidong found in southern China.
Great information about the culture of a northern city in contrast to the southern
village.
