cover image Chasing the Moon to China [With Learn to Speak Mandarin CD]

Chasing the Moon to China [With Learn to Speak Mandarin CD]

Virginia Overton McLean. Redbird Press, $21.95 (40pp) ISBN 978-0-9606046-1-6

A female narrator with a mop of red hair narrates the events surrounding her visit to China, from the moment her father first mentions the trip to her final awareness of how much is left for her to learn. The text expresses both a child's genuine interest in a land different from her own and an intruding philosophical tone. At some points, a barrage of details slows the journey; at others, the facts are treated so briefly that the author raises more questions than she answers. Still, the picture book format will please those seeking ways to span cultural gaps, with lovely photos set on exotically colored pages. A ""learn-along'' record of songs and simple phrases is also provided. No ages given. (June)