Let's Take a Short Trip to China! Guided by Carole P. Roman, Of Course... A Child's Cultural Tour!

The culture of the Far East has intrigued me for many years, perhaps having started when I would attend different programs on the university campus where I worked. I loved to see the costumes, the cultural dances... Ultimately, I had used oriental decor in my bedroom when I was still living in my condo, there where I was working. 

Getting the opportunity to learn more is always an exciting adventure...





If You Were Me and Lived in...China
A Child's Introduction to Culture Around the World

By Carole P. Roman

If you were me and lived in China, your home would be in East Asia. China is officially known as the People's Republic of China, and has 1.35 billion people living there. It is the most populated country in the world


You might live in the capital Beijing...People have lived in this ancient city for over three thousand years, and it is the political, cultural, and education center of China...

Leaders called emperors lived in the Forbidden City, which is a very big and beautiful palace. It has over 4000 rooms, with many hidden or secret chambers. Some are so secret they haven't been discovered yet! They started building the palace in 1406 and finished it in 1420. It took fourteen years! 

I was enchanted with The Forbidden City--the architecture, the beautiful grounds...and the idea of secret rooms to be discovered! Wouldn't it be wonderful to visit there for a longer time so we could explore every corner!

One of the most important thing in Roman's books is that readers get to meet some of the children from each country.

Parents in China pick names that have meanings, so if you are a boy they might have chosen An, which means peace...

Bao is another word for treasure...

and Fu means happiness.

If you are born a girl, they might have picked Hong because they like the color red...

Yu stands for Jade, which is a pretty gemstone. Zi is the word for smart.

And don't forget to exchange your money into renminbi because you might want to bring home a wawa for your own little girl...Can you guess what that would be? I know it will help her remember all the fun she had when she met the little Chinese girls...

Almost everybody has heard of the Great Wall of China, but while it would be fun to visit some part of it...we would never have the time to walk the entire Wall, would we?

There are many places to bring visitors when they come to China. For years, people from other countries could not see any of its wonders, because China did not allow people from foreign countries to visit. You most certainly would take them to see the Great Wall of China. It is a long stone barricade or fence built over thousands of years to keep out strangers from China. No one is sure how long it actually is, but estimates are around 5500 hundred miles!

You may also want to see the terracotta army that was discovered underground. It has come to be the most popular tourist spot...Let's learn more...

And talking about food, as we saw in the final moment of the video, if you are like me, you'll be in heaven--Chinese food is my favorite...I prefer Szechuan but you'll learn about Cantonese food, about Peking Duck and all of the delicious noodles you would have with your meal. I learned about fried ice cream to finish our meal, which I've never had! I've love to try it, wouldn't you?

In 1972 the US Table Tennis team was
invited to play...
~~~

I learned that even though there are other sports there, the favorite sport would be ping pong! And apparently, children start learning early...LOL

The coming of the New Year is a very important time of celebration. You'll learn all about it in the book (while my videos are just samples of what's available to be seen online). But the last one is almost like a play and involves two children...Hope you enjoy it!

And as I again flip through the pages, especially about the New Year and those depicting the architectural wonders there in China, I must highlight that something has changed about this series! It is still wonderful--but now, it has been upgraded in quality, color and the artistic pictures available on each page. I was impressed before, but I hope that these recent changes are indicative of a continuation of this fantastic series. And don't forget that there is always a pronunciation, short definition, and English translation of major words in the book!

Children are bound to enjoy a group of books that is especially written just for them and with their interests in mind. In addition to what I've pointed out here, there is much more to learn about school, family life, and the activities and special sites to visit in China. Let your children visit China soon and learn something new along with them! Highly recommended!

GABixlerReviews

Named to Kirkus Reviews' Best of 2012 for her first book, award winning author Carole P. Roman started writing as a dare from one of her sons. Using an imaginary game she played with her grandson as a base, Captain No Beard was born."Captain No Beard- An Imaginary Tale of a Pirate's Life" has not only been named to Kirkus Best of 2012, it received the Star of Exceptional Merit, and won the Pinnacle Award for 2012. "Pepper Parrot's Problem with Patience" Book 2 in the series, received 5 Stars from The ForeWord Review The Clarion Review. Strangers on the High Seas has won second place in the Rebecca's Reads Choice Awards 2013. It has followed with six more books to the series.
Motivated by her love of yoga, Roman has written a book that not only teaches four poses, but shows how easy and accessible yoga can be. 
Her new non fiction series, "If You Were Me and Lived in..." combines her teaching past with her love of exploration and interest in the world around us. The debut book in the series, "If You Were Me and Lived in...Mexico" has won the Pinnacle Award for Best in Children's Non Fiction 2012. France, South Korea, and Norway. Rebecca's Reads has given If You Were Me and Lived in...Norway an honorable mention in the 2013 Choice Awards. If You Were Me and lived in ...France won second place. ForeWord Review has nominated If You Were Me and Lived in...France for best in children's non fiction literature 2013. They will be followed with Kenya, Turkey, India, and Australia. She plans to do Portugal, Greece, and Argentina next year.
Writing for children has opened up a whole second act for her. While she is still working in her family business, this has enabled her to share her sense of humor as well as love for history and culture with the audience she adores. Roman lives on Long Island with her husband and near her children.

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