"I See the Sun in China" wins award

Dec. 16, 2010 - PRLog -- Last week the first book in the I See the Sun series, I See the Sun in China, written by Dedie King and illustrated by Judith Inglese, received the Learning^R Magazine 2011 Teachers’ Choice^sm Award for the Family.

I See the Sun is a new series of books for children from Satya House Publications about different countries. Each book in the series portrays the essential cultural elements of one country through the eyes of a child, and provides the reader or listener with an understanding "a day in the life" of that child. Each book is written in English as well as the primary language of the country, with a glossary providing information about the dozen or so “foreign” words such as those for mother, father, local foods, etc. This will enable children to begin comprehending cultures other than their own, as well as offering an introduction to other languages. A country overview is also included for parents and teachers who want to go beyond just reading the story so they can talk a bit more about the country with a child.

In I See the Sun in China, readers follow a young girl as she travels from a small town in China to the city of Shanghai to spend time with her aunt. After waking and watching her grandfather do his Tai Chi, she eats her congee before leaving for the ferry. Her day in Shanghai with Auntie includes lunch, shopping, tea in the park, supper in a restaurant, and contemplation about her day as she goes to sleep.

I See the Sun in China is bilingual, written in English and Mandarin Chinese, and beautifully illustrated with colorful collages. The 40-page perfect-bound book is priced at $12.95.

I See the Sun in Nepal follows a young girl as she spends the day in the village of Bandipur. After waking, she has a breakfast of chiura and tea made by her Ama. Following her chores, she goes to school and has a some time with her friends before going home to do more chores before supper. Then it is time for bed and contemplation about her day as she goes to sleep. The text is shown in both English and Nepalese.

Children will be able to recognize the similarities as well as the differences between their own daily life and the culture of another place. Seeing the story written in another language also opens children's eyes to the many forms words have. The I See the Sun series is one more way to help children become familiar with other ways of life around the world. "This series will be sought after by parents, primary teachers and librarians, eager to give children a gentle but realistic world view,”  said elementary school librarian, Elaine Donoghue.

Both books are written by Dedie King and beautifully illustrated by Judith Inglese with warm, engaging collages made from photographs, paper cut-outs, and drawings.

"Move over Peter Rabbit and Hop on Pop!" says Terry Hong at the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program. "Providing a learning tool with recognizable characters and surroundings, in a language students aspire to speak with a native translation to guide them … now that’s a true (and useful) gift of education."

In 2011 Satya House will publish more books in the series, including Afghanistan, Russia and India.

I See the Sun books are available directly from the publisher, on Amazon, and in select bookstores. For additional information visit  I See the Sun books online at www.iseethesunbooks.com or Satya House Publications at www.satyahouse.com.

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