Author: Eugenia

It’s Chinese New Year Eve and have I got a special brand new Chinese New Year book to share with you today! This new book, written by Michele Wong McSween and illustrated by Jeannie Chen, and is part of the Gordon & Li Li series of board books. I’ve been a big fan of Gordon & Li Li ever since I discovered this series when my son, Brandon, was just a tiny little guy. In fact, Gordon & Li Li may have been our very first Chinese children’s book ever! Back then, it was practically impossible to find any books with Chinese in them which weren’t dry and boring instructional books (which, of course, I also bought). Gordon & Li Li are absolutely adorable and I challenge anyone to not fall in love with them!

In this newest book, panda cousins Gordon (from Brooklyn and only speaks English) and Li Li (from Beijing and only speaks Mandarin) teach each other about Chinese New Year in each other’s language. This beautiful and colorful book is full of fun and interesting information about Chinese New Year. It covers all the most important and celebrated aspects of the Chinese New Year event so it’s a great introduction to those wanting to learn more about the biggest Chinese holiday. For the little ones who do know about Chinese New Year, they will gleefully point to each page and probably shout something like, “Yeah, I know that! I love that!” Most of the book is in English with only the main ideas and words in Chinese, along with Pinyin and the phonetic pronunciation. It contains the perfect amount of Chinese so as not to overwhelm a little reader learning Chinese (and the parent who might not be fluent in Chinese – like me, haha). I love that the author includes the pronunciation so that you can sound out the Chinese words phonetically – it’s great for those of us who can’t read Chinese to be able to still say the words and phrases in Mandarin. It’s also an effective way to learn to read the Chinese characters.

The illustrations are colorful and delightful and the pages are strong (it’s a board book) so the tiniest loves of your life will be able to read/look at this book over and over again – which they will! But beware – there are several pages showing and explaining the traditional foods of Chinese New Year and they will make you so HUNGRY! At least it made me hungry! This book also gave me some ideas for our own Chinese New Year celebration!

If you would like to buy this book or check it out, you can find it at https://www.amazon.com/ /dp/0982088183/

Happy New Year, everyone! Xīnnián kuàilè (新年快乐)!

Chinese New Year is in 2 days (Saturday, January 25)! Today I’m going to share with you the most unique and wonderful Chinese book for babies and toddlers, by Peipei Zhou. My first reaction to this book was, “OMG, how awesome! I wish this book was around when my son was a baby/toddler!”

Let me tell you why this book is so amazing – it’s not just a book, it’s a: (1) board book; (2) song book with music and singing; (3) book with some of the most popular Chinese nursery rhymes and translated American nursey rhymes that you all know; (4) interactive toy; and (5) a bilingual book in English, Chinese and Pinyin pronunciation – all rolled into one awesome book! What a wonderful concept!

The author/singer is a mommy who created this book for her baby – she has a beautiful soothing voice and the songs brought me back to my childhood as well as when my son was a baby/toddler. My mom used to sing many of these songs to me when I was little – now I’m feeling nostalgic and am going to call her as soon as I finish this blog post to tell her about this book and to thank her for always singing to me and my siblings while we were growing up! And then, when my son was a baby, I remember rocking him and singing these songs to him while smelling his sweet head (hey, I know you guys did/do this, too!). When he got older, we sang these songs together! Ok, I’m starting to tear up now!

Music is so important for babies and children. It has been shown that listening to music helps children develop the ability to decode auditory data and sharpen their auditory memory – abilities which are fundamental to language comprehension. This book will help your kids learn Chinese without it feeling like a lesson. 

The songs in this book are written in English with the Chinese and Pinyin pronunciation next to each phrase. Even if you can’t read Chinese, you can still sing along with the author by reading the Pinyin pronunciation. You will understand what you are singing/reading because the English is right there for you. This is also a fun and easier way to learn how to read the Chinese characters, too. As an added bonus, because this book is so sturdy and the song buttons are easy to push, your little ones can read/play with this book by themselves! Need a break for a few minutes? Give them this book!

I really can’t say enough good things about this book! 

If you would like to check out or buy this book, you can find it at: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0692164308

As Chinese New Year approaches (this Saturday, January 25^th!), I thought it would be nice to share some of my favorite Chinese/bilingual children’s books with you all. Today, I want to tell you all about Mina’s Scavenger Hunt, part of a series written by Katrina Liu and illustrated by Rosalia Destarisa.

What kid doesn’t love a scavenger hunt? Well, in this delightful bilingual story, Mina’s mommy gives her a list of clues in English and Chinese, and adorable little Mina and her puppy go on a hunt for treasure! This is a super cute beautifully illustrated story in English, Chinese and Pinyin pronunciation – great for learning Chinese vocabulary and reading. 

It’s tough finding entertaining stories written in English, Chinese and Pinyin which will keep a child’s attention. That’s why this book is so great – it’s fun and relatable! All kids will understand the joy of a scavenger hunt! And, because the Pinyin pronunciation is directly under the Chinese translation (which is under the English), even if you can’t read the Chinese characters, you can still pronounce the Chinese words and understand what you are reading! This is great for kids learning Mandarin (and their parents who may not be literate in Chinese). Such a clever way to teach/reinforce everyday words and phrases like colors, adjectives and common objects! And for kids who are not learning Mandarin, this is a fun way to expose little ones to a new language. There’s even a free audio reading in Mandarin so you can check your pronunciation! How cool is that!

Finally, I love that the author bases her stories on her daughter (the real Mina) who was the inspiration for this series of wonderful Mina books! She couldn’t find the books that she wanted, so she wrote her own. Sound familiar? 😁

If you would like to buy or see more about this book, you can find it at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZHQ1HYT/

This Saturday, January 25th, is Chinese New Year! Woo Hoo! To celebrate, I thought I would share some of my favorite Chinese/bilingual children’s books with you all! The first book I’ll tell you all about is Travel, Learn and See Your Friends, written by Dr. Edna Ma, translated by Eddie Liu and illustrated by Irfan Budhiharjo. By the way, if the author’s name sounds familiar, you may have seen her on SURVIVOR or Shark Tank, or most recently, on The Doctors! How cool is that! OK, now on to my review!

This is the first book of the Mandarin Immersion Adventure series, and I LOVED it! It is a beautiful story about friendship, learning and diversity – told in English, Chinese and Pinyin (pronunciation) – set in a Mandarin immersion school. My son is in a Mandarin immersion Saturday school and it was so nice to finally find a story in this setting. My only wish is that this book was around when he first started in first grade!  

In this story, 2 little boys, one excited (Ethan) and one nervous (Dean), were just beginning first grade at the immersion school in LA. They become fast and best friends and discover that they have lots in common and that even their moms talk the same way – they both say things like “study hard” – just like I do! Haha! I appreciate how the boys and their parents discuss why it’s good for them to learn Mandarin – it reinforces what I try to tell my son all the time! It was great having him read this book!

Midway through the story, Dean learns that they are moving! Oh no! Dean does not want to leave Ethan, so he researches and comes up with an ingenious proposal for him and Ethan to be able to spend the summer together. They called their plan T.L. See for Travel, Learn and See Ethan! I don’t want to give away the ending so you will have to read the book to find out their plan!

This story reminds me of when my son first started Chinese school. I was more nervous that he was! But he made a friend the very first day (they are still friends and are still in Saturday immersion school together) just like Ethan and Dean! Having a friend makes school so much more enjoyable!

Another thing that’s great about this book is the underlying diversity and multicultural aspect of it. Even though Ethan and Dean come from different race/ethnic backgrounds (Ethan is African American, and Dean is Chinese American), this is something they never even notice as they immediately become best buds. This is the way it should be and this story, assisted by the wonderful illustrations, reinforces that all kids, even if they look different, are basically the same – they all love to play, have fun and hang with their friends!

Finally, this book is special because very few books have English, Chinese and Pinyin so people like me, who can’t read Chinese (although I can speak some), can still pronounce the Chinese by reading the Pinyin. Being able to read the Pinyin helps build your Chinese vocabulary, and seeing the characters with the Pinyin helps you learn to read those Chinese characters. Furthermore, of the few books which do have both Chinese and Pinyin that I have seen, most are more instructional and don’t tell an interesting and relatable story, like this one. I liked this book so much that I am off to read the next one in this series!

If you would like to buy or check this book out, you can find it at: https://www.amazon.com//dp/0999581309/. Happy reading and Happy Chinese New Year – Xīnnián kuàilè (新年快乐)!

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2020 (1/31/20) is in its 7th year! This non-profit children’s literacy initiative was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen; two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural books and authors on the market while also working to get those book into the hands of young readers and educators.

Seven years in, MCBD’s mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves continues.

MCBD 2020 is honored to have the following Medallion Sponsors on board

Super Platinum
Make A Way Media/ Deirdre “DeeDee” Cummings,

Platinum
Language Lizard, Pack-N-Go Girls,

Gold
Audrey Press, Lerner Publishing Group, KidLit TV, ABDO BOOKS : A Family of Educational Publishers, PragmaticMom & Sumo Jo, Candlewick Press,

Silver
Author Charlotte Riggle, Capstone Publishing, Guba Publishing, Melissa Munro Boyd & B is for Breathe,

Bronze
Author Carole P. Roman, Snowflake Stories/Jill Barletti, Vivian Kirkfield & Making Their Voices Heard. Barnes Brothers Books, TimTimTom, Wisdom Tales Press, Lee & Low Books, Charlesbridge Publishing, Barefoot Books Talegari Tales

Author Sponsor Link Cloud
Jerry Craft, A.R. Bey and Adventures in Boogieland, Eugina Chu & Brandon goes to Beijing, Kenneth Braswell & Fathers Incorporated, Maritza M. Mejia & Luz del mes_Mejia, Kathleen Burkinshaw & The Last Cherry Blossom, SISSY GOES TINY by Rebecca Flansburg and B.A. Norrgard, Josh Funk and HOW TO CODE A ROLLERCOASTER, Maya/Neel Adventures with Culture Groove, Lauren Ranalli, The Little Green Monster: Cancer Magic! By Dr. Sharon Chappell, Phe Lang and Me On The Page, Afsaneh Moradian and Jamie is Jamie, Valerie Williams-Sanchez and Valorena Publishing, TUMBLE CREEK PRESS, Nancy Tupper Ling, Author Gwen Jackson, Angeliki Pedersen & The Secrets Hidden Beneath the Palm Tree, Author Kimberly Gordon Biddle, BEST #OWNVOICES CHILDREN’S BOOKS: My Favorite Diversity Books for Kids Ages 1-12 by Mia Wenjen, Susan Schaefer Bernardo & Illustrator Courtenay Fletcher (Founders of Inner Flower Child Books), Ann Morris & Do It Again!/¡Otra Vez!, Janet Balletta and Mermaids on a Mission to Save the Ocean, Evelyn Sanchez-Toledo & Bruna Bailando por el Mundo\ Dancing Around the World, Shoumi Sen & From The Toddler Diaries, Sarah Jamila Stevenson, Tonya Duncan and the Sophie Washington Book Series, Teresa Robeson & The Queen of Physics, Nadishka Aloysius and Roo The Little Red TukTuk, Girlfriends Book Club Baltimore & Stories by the Girlfriends Book Club, Finding My Way Books, Diana Huang & Intrepids, Five Enchanted Mermaids, Elizabeth Godley and Ribbon’s Traveling Castle, Anna Olswanger and Greenhorn, Danielle Wallace & My Big Brother Troy, Jocelyn Francisco and Little Yellow Jeepney, Mariana Llanos & Kutu, the Tiny Inca Princess/La Ñusta Diminuta, Sara Arnold & The Big Buna Bash, Roddie Simmons & Race 2 Rio, DuEwa Frazier & Alice’s Musical Debut, Veronica Appleton & the Journey to Appleville book series Green Kids Club, Inc.

We’d like to also give a shout-out to MCBD’s impressive CoHost Team who not only hosts the book review link-up on celebration day, but who also works tirelessly to spread the word of this event. View our CoHosts HERE.

Co-Hosts and Global Co-Hosts
A Crafty Arab, Afsaneh Moradian, Agatha Rodi Books, All Done Monkey, Barefoot Mommy, Bethany Edward & Biracial Bookworms, Michelle Goetzl & Books My Kids Read, Crafty Moms Share, Colours of Us, Discovering the World Through My Son’s Eyes, Educators Spin on it, Shauna Hibbitts-creator of eNannylink, Growing Book by Book, Here Wee Read, Joel Leonidas & Descendant of Poseidon Reads {Philippines}, Imagination Soup, Kid World Citizen, Kristi’s Book Nook, The Logonauts, Mama Smiles, Miss Panda Chinese, Multicultural Kid Blogs, Serge Smagarinsky {Australia}, Shoumi Sen, Jennifer Brunk & Spanish Playground, Katie Meadows and Youth Lit Reviews

FREE RESOURCES from Multicultural Children’s Book Day
• Free Multicultural Books for Teachers
• Our New FREE Teacher Classroom Physical and Developmental Challenges Kit http://ow.ly/kcbZ30p3QWz
• Free Empathy Classroom Kit for Homeschoolers, Organizations, Librarians, and Educators
• Free Understanding Developmental & Physical Challenges Classroom Kit
TWITTER PARTY! Register here!

I am proud to announce that not only am I an Author Sponsor for this great event, but I am also a Reviewer! I will be reviewing the following 2 books for MCBD:

So STAY TUNED!

Hashtag: Don’t forget to connect with us on social media and be sure and look for/use our official hashtag #ReadYourWorld.

I’m so excited to let you all know that Hockey Wars 3 – The Tournament, by Ben Jackson and Sam Lawrence, is finally here! It’s the awesome third book in the Hockey Wars Series! If you can’t tell, I’m a huge fan of the Hockey War books – even though I don’t like hockey! They’re THAT good! These are the type of chapter books for kids that are even interesting for grown-ups to read. Seriously!

OK, let’s recap a little:

In Hockey Wars 1, we met the boys and girls from the Dakota Lightning and Hurricanes. Old rivalries were settled, and an uneasy friendship was reignited as Cameron and Lillie reignited their childhood friendship. Oh, and there was an epic pond skating game to settle who was better, boys or girls!

Hockey Wars 2 – The New Girl turned both teams’ upside down! No one loves change, but when new girl Mia inadvertently drives a wedge between Cameron and Millie, it throws both teams into chaos. Will new girl Mia be able to settle into the new team and find her groove on the arena ice, or will it be a complete disaster? 

Both teams are on the road in Hockey Wars 3 as they head off to the first tournament of the season! Hockey Wars 3 sees the Lightning and Hurricanes hit the buses and head off to the hotel for a long weekend packed full of hockey and drama. When a strange boy starts showing some interest in Millie, will Cameron be able to reel in his protective nature and focus on the game, or will they head home without the tournament trophy?

Now, you may be thinking, “Ben Jackson and Sam Lawrence, Ben Jackson and Sam Lawrence – why do those names sound so familiar?” Well, my friends, they are also the talented duo who write the super cute and funny Little Fart series, which I also adore! I reviewed one here on this very blog, The Day My Fart Followed Me to the Dentist: https://eugeniachu.com/2018/06/07/review-of-the-day-my-fart-followed-me-to-the-dentist/. I also blogged about Ben back in March 2018 – if you can’t remember, or want to see his feature again: https://eugeniachu.com/2018/03/15/meet-author-ben-jackson/.

Want to know where you can buy these books or how you can follow this dynamic writing team? Well, here ya go:

Hockey Wars Series Purchase Links

Hockey Wars 1Available now on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited

Hockey Wars 2Available now on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited 

Hockey Wars 3Coming soon! Available for Preorder on Amazon now! 

Ben and Sam Authors Social Media Links

Ben and Sam Authors Instagram

Ben and Sam Authors Facebook

Ben and Sam Authors Goodreads

Ben and Sam Authors Twitter

Ben and Sam Authors Amazon CentralBen and Sam Author Book Bub

Now you’re probably think, “Geez, this author looks so familiar” or “Wow, where have I heard this name before” – well, she IS an award winning author! Or, it could be because I have had the honor of featuring her here on my blog before! Yes, I am THAT cool! If you want to see that old blog again: https://eugeniachu.com/2018/12/15/becky-benishek-author-of-the-squeezor-is-coming/

OK, on to the important stuff!

About the author:

Becky Benishek has a B.A. degree in English and loves to create stories that  help children believe in themselves and also develop compassion and empathy for others. This goes for adults, too! She also writes adult science fiction and fantasy stories. In her day job, she manages online communities that help connect people to the people and resources they need. Becky is married with guinea pigs. Guinea pigs! Who doesn’t love guinea pigs – they’re soooo cute!

Book #1:

**BRONZE MEDAL WINNER: Children’s Books – Social Issues, in the Readers’ Favorite International Book Award Contest**
**Five Star Readers’ Favorite**

The Squeezor is a monster who just wants to give hugs: Great, big, wrap-his-arms-around-you-twice, squeezy hugs. The trouble is, he looks so scary, even other monsters run away! 

This makes the Squeezor very sad. He can’t help how he looks. How can he get everyone to look past his appearance and be his friend? 

Then he gets an idea: What if it’s not about what he wants, but about what the other monsters might need? Join the Squeezor in Ghastly Gigapolis as he changes first impressions for the better–his own included.

The Squeezor is Coming! was illustrated by Matt Fiss and is available on Amazon and through MacLaren-Cochrane Publishing. It is also available in dyslexic font.

Review:
“Far too many kids feel as unlovable as the Squeezor, and this story is for them. Benishek’s droll and humorous story will please everyone in the room and maybe especially those adults who are still kids at heart. Matt Fiss’s brilliantly grotesque illustrations make this book one to linger over and read again and again and again. Literally. It’s that good.” –Jack Magnus for Readers’ Favorite 

Book #2:

**Five Star Readers’ Favorite**

A tiny kitten named Mouse likes to meow. This would be fine, except Mouse meows so much that her people are always telling her to hush!

Little Liz is the only person in the house who understands Mouse. Little Liz’s real name is Elizabeth Mary, but she’s called Little Liz because she’s so short for her age. She has to stand on her tiptoes to reach things and needs help climbing onto laps. And it seems that everyone’s ears are too high above her voice to hear to what she has to say. 

So Little Liz knows what it’s like not to be listened to. She and Mouse spend a lot of time together, and Mouse never has any problem understanding what Little Liz says.  

One day, Mouse hears a strange sound coming from the kitchen. She meows about it, but only Little Liz pays any attention. Together, Liz and Mouse prevent a crime, and prove that even though they’re small, they’re worth being listened to!

Hush, Mouse! is illustrated by Alicia Young and is available on Amazon and through MacLaren-Cochrane Publishing. It is also available in dyslexic font.

Review:
“Hush, Mouse! is a heartwarming story about two diminutive best friends and the big part they play when danger comes calling. I loved Mouse’s and Liz’s parallel stories and have no doubt that kids who are small for their age will read this book feeling a little better about having to wait to grow into their own big parts.” -Jack Magnus for Readers’ Favorite

Don’t these books sound amazing? Well, they are!

If you would like to learn more about Becky:

Website: https://beckybenishek.com
Amazon: https://amazon.com/author/beckybenishek
MacLaren-Cochrane Publishing (children’s books): https://mcp-store.com/becky-benishek
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beckybenishekauthor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beckybenishek/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/beckybenishek
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLN82aT3Az157cKCNUvRs9qdWfD83Q4OFj
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16364162.Becky_Benishek
Black Hare Press (science fiction & fantasy): https://www.blackharepress.com/becky-benishek/

You can purchase Becky’s books at:  https://amazon.com/author/beckybenishek

Happy reading everyone!

GIVEAWAY!!! In celebration of the launch of Brandon Goes to Beijing on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2019, I’m giving away these little appreciation gifts to the first 5 people* who purchase the paperback version at https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578477718:

• Stuffed Panda
• Panda Cheater Chopsticks
• Fancy Bookmark
• Panda Socks

Just let me know that you purchased a paperback by PMing me or emailing me at eugenia@eugeniachu.com.

*US customers only (sorry, international friends – postage is just too expensive!) 

And remember to leave a review! amazon.com/author/eugeniachu

SQUEE! I’m so excited! Brandon Goes to Beijing (Bĕijīng北京) will be released on Tuesday, September 3, 2019! I’m thinking of doing a fun GIVEAWAY in anticipation of the release, so stay tuned!

In the meantime, here’s a little info about this new chapter book:

Brandon and his cousins are on a trip to visit their grandparents in Beijing, China! While bonding with family, practicing Chinese, touring historic sites and feasting on local dishes, Brandon thinks he sees a tiny panda. However, every time he gets close, the panda disappears! Is Brandon imagining this small creature, or is it real? Will Brandon find out before he has to fly back home? This multicultural, multigenerational chapter book includes some Mandarin Chinese (Simplified) with Pinyin pronunciation, adding layers for those learning or interested in the Chinese language and culture.

I’ll be posting sneak peeks on my social media, as well as a pre-launch GIVEAWAY, so please follow me to keep updated:

Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/eugeniachuauthor/

Twitter — https://twitter.com/chuauthor

Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/eugeniachu8245/

I am beyond thrilled to introduce you to my lovely and talented illustrator for my upcoming chapter book, Brandon Goes to Beijing (Bĕijīng北京), Eliza Hsu Chen!  

Eliza is a graphic designer as well as an illustrator. Born to Taiwanese parents in Brazil, she was raised in Paraguay, and then moved to Miami when she was six. Her love for art grew during her years at Design and Architecture Senior High where she majored in architecture. She received the Posse scholarship and earned a bachelors in graphic design and marketing from Syracuse University. Impressive, right?!?!

In her downtime, she enjoys baking and visiting different cafés. When it comes to her art, Eliza is skilled in several mediums, but she especially enjoys painting with watercolors.

She specializes in food photography, too! Yum!

Eliza also loves to travel all around the world and hopes to visit Beijing one day, just like Brandon in Brandon Goes to Beijing (Bĕijīng北京)!

I am so excited to be working with Eliza and can’t wait until Brandon Goes to Beijing (Bĕijīng北京) comes out! I know you will all be super impressed by her illustrations. They really help bring the story to life! You’ll see! In the meantime, if you would like to learn more about Eliza and see some of her work, please visit her website at:

www.elizahsuchen.com