Long Is a Dragon: Chinese Writing for Children

There is a lot of information presented in this book. Perhaps too much for young children to absorb unless it is presented to them very slowly and systematically. However children of all ages definitely have a fascination for "secret codes" or "symbols" and their meanings, which is essentially what Chinese writing is to most people. The graphics are large and bold and the text easy to follow, making it an appropriate reference for grade school children. The calligraphy alongside the simple line drawings allow children to easily see the resemblance between real life objects and the Chinese pictographs. I am a teacher and often use this book when giving classroom workshops on Chinese calligraphy. Some of the characters are rather small to see from a distance so I paint larger versions of them on 8X10" cards. Children enjoy looking at the ancient pictographs first and then trying to guess what they mean. After that we try matching the modern characters to the ancient pictographs, which is another fun activity. We always conclude the lesson with trying to write some of the characters using real brushes and ink. This experience brings to life everything that this book so ambitiously tries to present.

There is a lot of information presented in this book. Perhaps too much for young children to absorb unless it is presented to them very slowly and systematically. However children of all ages definitely have a fascination for "secret codes" or "symbols" and their meanings, which is essentially what Chinese writing is to most people. The graphics are large and bold and the text easy to follow, making it an appropriate reference for grade school children. The calligraphy alongside the simple line drawings allow children to easily see the resemblance between real life objects and the Chinese pictographs. I am a teacher and often use this book when giving classroom workshops on Chinese calligraphy. Some of the characters are rather small to see from a distance so I paint larger versions of them on 8X10" cards. Children enjoy looking at the ancient pictographs first and then trying to guess what they mean. After that we try matching the modern characters to the ancient pictographs, which is another fun activity. We always conclude the lesson with trying to write some of the characters using real brushes and ink. This experience brings to life everything that this book so ambitiously tries to present.

This is the best introduction to Chinese characters that I have found in or outside of China. This book teaches stroke order and gives a basic history of characters showing how they have developed over time in a way that is entertaining and makes sense. Simple enough for those with no Chinese language experience, it is also an excellent resource for Chinese students struggling with writing and the character system.

Although written to be a children's book, Long Is a Dragon is an excellent tool for adult learners of the Chinese written system. I originally encountered the book while visiting a professional calligrapher. This light hearted, well animated and fairly matter-of-factual book, takes the mystery out of stroke order, character origins and all the complexities of Chinese writing. It is also refreshing and entertaining in its whimsical approach. This book is a must for anyone accustomed to the romanized alphabet who is serious about studying Chinese.