Your little one can learn about shapes through new examples derived from common American and Chinese cultural items, such as round Chinese lanterns in a tree, a square name chop, and a rectangular abacus. Rhyming couplets on each page create a steady reading cadence to describe the shapes. The pages are filled to the edges with glossy pictures of bright primary colors. The backgrounds often contain examples of Chinese culture, such as the designs on the rice bowls, the treats at the bakery, calligraphy hanging on the wall, Chinese dragon puppets, and more. The story is also interactive, as it addresses readers directly and asks them to find more examples in the picture of the shape being discussed.

There is an excellent mixture of simple and more challenging words, so this is a great book for practicing sounding-out and reading. Your child will likely have a lot of questions about the cultural aspects of the book, which may be new to them. There is a key at the end of all the Chinese-related shapes mentioned in the book, so you can explain to your little one about each item in more detail. It's great to discuss other cultures with your child and help them understand that their way of life is not the only way. It may be fun to challenge your child to think of examples from their own life and culture for each of the shapes discussed in the book.

I read this book to my friend, Molly, who stopped me frequently to ask questions about what things were. She was most interested in the lucky money hung on the tree. I used the key in the back of the book to explain the purpose of that tradition, and Molly decided she wanted to participate. I didn't have any brand new one dollar bills, and I didn't want to hang them outside, so we just hung up a one dollar bill on a plant in the living room for a few hours. I don't know if it brought her good luck, but it made her smile, so it was worth it. Plus, I let her keep the dollar.

--Audra

Roseanne Thong was born in Southern California, but has lived in Asia for more than 15 years. In addition to being one of Hong Kong's leading resident authors of children's books, she has worked as a journalist and teacher, and currently teaches English at Hong Kong University's School of Continuing and Professional Education. She previously taught elementary, secondary and university students in California, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Vietnam.