The Rise (and Falls) of Jackie Chan

In this picture book biography of Hong Kong–born martial artist, stuntman, actor, and director Jackie Chan (b. 1954), Giang traces the figure’s life, covering his “poor but happy” childhood, a disciplined decade of schooling at the China Drama Academy, and his becoming a stuntman for Bruce Lee and later developing his own style: “Buster Keaton with kung fu flair and a little Fred Astaire.” Though the illustrations’ resemblance to Chan is questionable, vivid, fine-lined watercolors by Chau offer sweeping, energetic cartoon-style scenes. Chinese calligraphy appears throughout, while plentiful onomatopoeia and staccato sentences successfully evoke the action in this dynamic profile of a living legend. Back matter includes a glossary of Chinese characters and their Cantonese and Mandarin pronunciations. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)