Asia Books

Beautiful illustrations will entrance children of all ages as Amy Tan shows she can entertain both children and adults.

Amy has shown she can captivate children as well as adults. Her illustrations are beautiful and wonderful and my 5 yr old daughter loved them as well. Wonderful story.

I was drawn to this book as an Amy Tan fan and found myself fascinated by the illustrations. They are gorgeous and vividly detailed. The story, narrated by a grandmother, of her childhood adventures while growing up in China will give kids a tantalizing glimpse of another time and place.

In The Moon Lady, Amy Tan author of The Joy Luck Club and The Bonesetter's Daughter, presents a small tale for young children which adults will also enjoy. Focusing on a story set in China, Tan brings her wealth of knowledge about China and its folktales as well as her love for this country and its traditions. In addition, the illustrations by Gretchen Schields add a wonderful dimension to the story since readers can also visualize the tale by viewing these pictures.

On a rainy day as grandchildren whine that they can't play outside their grandmother tells them a tale based on her own experiences as a child. Using this method Tan provides an allegorical tale concerning children and their wishes. Telling the children of her wishes as a young girl, Ying Ying tells the children a story about her own wishes at the times of the Moon Festival. And as all folk tales provide, Tan is adept at providing her readers with an adventurous tale compete with the mysterious Moon Lady and a moral to the story.

This is a good book for young children who cannot only learn about the Chinese culture but the saying "Be careful what you wish for." I also recommend this book at any age since it is also important to remember this as we move on in life.

Researchers constantly find that reading to children is valuable in a variety of ways, not least of which are instilling a love of reading and improved reading skills. With better parent-child bonding from reading, your child will also be more emotionally secure and able to relate better to others. Intellectual performance will expand as well. Spending time together watching television fails as a substitute.

To help other parents apply this advice, as a parent of four I consulted an expert, our youngest child, and asked her to share with me her favorite books that were read to her as a young child. The Moon Lady was one of her picks.

Adapted from Amy Tan's best selling book, The Joy Luck Club, The Moon Lady is a perfect book for encouraging children to read with and talk to their grandmother. The book also very subtly encourages children to take more responsibility for their own lives. The story provides a model for parents and grandparents for how to create their own stories to help children learn important lessons.

The story begins as three girls, Maggie, Lily and June, are bored because they have to stay in on a rainy day and can think of nothing that they want to do. Their grandmother, Nai-nai, is with them. Nai-nai tells them a story about when she was a young girl in China, and she ran and shouted and could not stand still also.

The story is about the day she told the Moon Lady her secret wish. Then unfolds a wonderful story of a young girl's adventure on a special trip to see the Moon Lady. Along the way, she sees many things she has not seen before, falls overboard, is rescued by a fishing family, and finds her family again after meeting the Moon Lady. In the process, she has one of those epiphanies that make all of our lives better -- that she is in charge of creating her own future.

The story is filled with references to family bonding and what is and is not proper behavior. The story also shows what family life was like for a somewhat well-to-do Chinese family in China at the beginning of the 20th century. These references are made all the more realistic by a wonderful series of drawings by Gretchen Schields with bright colors, beautiful detail, and authentic depictions of the China of years ago. It's almost like living a beautiful dream.

Then Nai-nai takes her granddaughters out to dance in the moon after the story is over.

Of all the children's books I have read, I place this one in the top ten for the 4-8 age category.

A central problem for many children today is that too much television, too many structured activities, and too little free time leave them feeling lost when nothing is on the agenda. Our misconception is that they need regimented lives like those that soldiers lead to fulfill their potential. This book will encourage you to readdress that misconception, and focus on how to make your children more competent in thinking about others, being more independent, and designing their own beneficial activities. That is all very important to actually unleashing their full potential. When you are done, think about how perhaps your own life needs a little improvement along these same lines.

Enjoy!

Donald Mitchell (donmitch@2000percentsolution.com)

This is a fun read book! Even an armchair mountain climber like myself, can experience the ups and downs of an incredible journey!

Kevin is just a regular guy who's passion propels him to the top of the world. The best part is that the reader gets to go there too! Good stuff! It was hard to put this book down!

Definitely a masterpeice to add along side my Jon Krakauer's, Into Thin Air; David Breashear's, High Exposure; Kenneth Kamler's, Doctor on Everest; and Ed Viestur's, Himalayan Quest.

Being an Everest-phile who can't read enough about this mountain, I highly recommend this book. It's not just about climbing Everest, it's the battles of overcoming one's weaknesses to do so on....the mountain and in everyday life.

Warning: Whatever you do, do NOT read the Table of Contents or you will find yourself completely seduced by the fascinating chapter titles and you'll be skipping ahead. Titles such as:

Big Head Todd, the Monster
Heading to Base Camp, and the Dead Yak in Room 5
May 16, 2002-The Day I Stayed in the Tent
I'm Through With Big Mountains Forever-I'm Finally Cured
Cheesedick at LAX
The Advantages of Failure
My Dad's Dying
Reindeer Copulation Hat
Potty Talk (literally)

Kevin wrote such a funny book that you'll laugh out loud. He also writes about failing and how it haunts you until you right the wrong of failing.

I, too, had a hike in which it was a day I did not get out of the tent. It was on the mountaineer's route of Mt. Whitney (pretty much exactly 1/2 the height of Everest) and I was so zonked out by the steep hike, I laid in my tent the next day while my hiking party summitted and HATED myself. I could feel exactly what Kevin felt the first time he attempted Everest and did not have the energy to get out and go while everyone else did...even a group of women! On the way home from the trip he tried to avoid talking to anyone about where he'd been because they couldn't understand that while he'd gotten so far up, why didn't he just go for the summit? Very, very funny reading! (See Cheesedick at LAX chapter.)

This failure haunts him for years until he goes out and sets it straight. Being an amateur climber he really paints a stunningly clear picture of what it's like and what it feels like, physically and mentally, to challenge the Big One. What he writes can impact your regular life.

I don't want to give away the ending, but Kevin gives a great first hand description of what it's like to be so tired that finally standing on Everest he feels nothing, he just wants to get DOWN! Which is easier than said. First he had to negotiate down the steep, rocky Hillary Step, then, so exhausted, UP the 60 foot face of the South Summit, Everest not being a just downhill mountain. He just wanted to stop and sleep for a while and we all know what happens when you just "sleep" on Everest. He also credits Sherpa Mingma for saving his life, patiently rousing him awake constantly to get him off the mountain as night falls (chapter "Kevin, please...")

I hope Kevin finds another adventure and writes a book about it. This book is one you can't put down and is extremely well-written. There are superb color photos and some pretty pathetic ones of him after he finally conquers Everest.

Kevin, I'm planning on going to Everest Base Camp next year, being a trekker you climbers hate as "disease carriers", but I can't wait to experience Nepal as you described it!

Congratulations Kevin, great book!!

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was so approachable and down to earth, but also gave an exciting and realistic account of his climbs. I'm not a climber, but was looking for an inspirational read. The author really expresses himself as a climber and as a person with some significant depth of character. You don't need to be a mountain climber to read and thoroughly enjoy this book.

Kevin Flynn takes the reader on a personally guided tour of Mt. Everest. The account is extremely interesting, without being bogged down with the technical intricacies of the climb. The story is told in very personal, self-effacing terms. It's well worth the read, whether a climber, a fan, or neither. I found extremely inspirational.

I have always been fascinated with those who climb Mt. Everest. This is such a great down to earth book. You feel as though you are along for the climb and how very difficult it is. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

When you think of an "explorer" you think of a guy like Hedin. From an early age he ventured again and again into large swatches of Asian geography where few or no Europeans had ever trod. Hedin graphically and realistically portrays his travels with such detail that you can feel the cold, the heat, the parched throats, the curious indigenous eyes and the scenery staggering in its beauty. When you come to the end of this book, you will be all "adventured" out, for on almost every page there is a suspenseful, fascinating episode. Hedin was truly an explorer's explorer. His greatness is dimmed, however, by his fervent support of Naziism during WWII. As someone has writen elsewhere, Hedin knew about the death camps and never disavowed them. He was a solid Nazi partisan. In an epilogue to this book, author and admirer Peter Hopkirk urges us to look at Hedin's many and major contributions and to forgive his pro-German activities in both world wars. I'm not quite willing to forgive, but I will segment my views of Hedin into Hedin the explorer and Hedin the Nazi sympathizer. Anyhow,if you're looking for a fascinating book about exploration in the most forbidding sectors of our planet at the turn of the 20th century, this is a book for you.

(This refers to the National Geographic Reprint edition)

This is truly a great book, full of the amazing adventures of an incredible explorer. You have to admire Hedin's determination and stubborness, although sometimes I wonder about his planning. It seems like every trip all his animals die, and the men are on the verge of starvation. And as for his trips in the desert, I would have thought the concept of "take some extra water" would have occured at some point!
Hedin is a fine writer, and his descriptions are not only accessible to the average reader, but often quite poetic as well.
Nevertheless, I only reluctantly give this a full 5 stars, because I feel that National Geographic missed a great opportunity to make this an almost perfect book, and it wouldn't have been that difficult to do. As a previous reviewer mentioned, some good maps could have helped. There's almost no excuse for NG not to have included some decent maps of Central Asia in their edition. Furthermore, one tends to forget (although Hedin mentions in the text), that he also took photographs on many of his travels. These might have been included as well. (To see some, refer to the Photos section of the website of the Sven Hedin Foundation, "http://www.etnografiska.se/hedinweb/htmsidor/organi.htm"). Aside from the simplistic drawings that are included, Hedin also did many detailed sketches and potraits on his travels. Now one can assume that none of these were included in the original, and this is only a reprint, but nevertheless, it is a missed opportunity. The introductory chapter by A.Brandt also adds little insight, and might as well have been left out as well.
However, despite the lost opportunities, this book is highly recommended.

The Swede Sven Hedin was the last great explorer we will see on this well-traveled planet. Hedin was born in 1865 and this autobiography describes his life up until 1908. Hedin's career was hardly finished, however, as he continued to traipse down the old Silk Road in Central Asia until the 1930s when he was 70 years old.

In a happy trait that should be copied by more auto-biographers, Hedin doesn't spend much time on his childhood. By the third page of his narrative he is 20 years old and off to the Caucasus Mountains which only whets his appetite for the little-known peaks and deserts of Tibet and Central Asia. He spent the years between 1893 and 1908 exploring these regions and filling in blank places on the map.

National Geographic's "Traveler" magazine put this book on its list of 100 best adventure books and, truly, the tales of Hedin's adventures make for good, exciting reading. Hedin displays both charm and generosity in his account. He traveled without the company of other Europeans and he enjoyed the companionship of his local helpers and the dogs he adopted along his way. He draws many clever portraits of the people he met in his travels. Hedin, however, was no mere adventurer. He was a serious, sober scholar who produced dozens of scientific studies of his findings.

One of the most hair raising tales in the book concerns Hedin's first expedition into the sands of the Takla Makhan (desert) of China in which he and his companions nearly died of thirst. A second high point of the book is the account of his attempt to visit Lhasa, the forbidden capital of Tibet. He failed after getting nearly to the gates of the city and was denied the honor of becoming the first foreigner to visit Lhasa in half a century. Amidst the plethora of adventures, the stoic Swede brushes over incidents others would consider high -- or low -- points of their lives. "Fever kept me in Kashgar a long while" is his complete description of one serious illness.

The book is illustrated with many of Hedin's drawings, including his hand drawn maps. I suggest that you read the book with a good modern map at hand so as to trace his routes with more precision as his constant tooing-and-froing can be confusing.

Smallchief

This is a tale wonderfully told of an explorer's quest to fill in the blank spots on the map of Asia. Not only does Hedin present a clear and highly entertaining view of his travels, but he also gives us a portrait of his character. He shows us that he is a man with high goals and is undeterred in achieving those goals, even when all odds are against him. He shows us that he is also a very caring man, very much concerned about the welfare of his men and his animals. He also is a man that is awestruck by nature and is very concerned about not unduly intruding upon it or unnecessarily destroying it.

But most of all, this is an adventure story that is just plain fun to read.

A suggestion to readers who are not very familiar with the geography of central Asia would be to have on hand some good maps as the ones Hedin draws are quite limited and often fail to give the perspective that may be desireable.

I concur with NDylanRay@aol.com. This book is exceptional. I could hardly put it down. You feel the excitement and intensity of his adventures, you begin to understand the force that drives him (and you respect him for it), and you meet the people and the places that make Turkestan and Tibet 100 years ago like no place that you could ever imagine.

With the New Territories of Hong Kong fast becoming home to massive housing developments, franchised restaurants, and even a Disneyland, it's great to have this book as a reminder of times past. While the story of British colonialism is not a happy one in many parts of the world, one finds in this book an account of a British reversal of fortune: Coates frequently finds himself lost and confused, and he freely admits that he was probably a failure as a magistrate.

What the post-1997 reader can glean from this book, apart from a description of rural Cantonese life, is a telling account of relations between the British Civil Service and those they ruled and administered. But beyond this, careful insights are made into the nature of the Cantonese/Chinese mind that cannot help but be beneficial, even today. Coates was a man that asked questions of everybody all the time, and he was very observant of his surroundings. More than simply one of the numerous (bad) attempts gwailous make to "explain" the Chinese to the uninitiated, he rather sets an example for other Westerners to follow: not to assume others think the same way, and to ask plenty of questions when one doesn't understand certain cultural points.

Most importantly, it's a very easy read. Pick it up before you fly to HK...you'll finish it before you land.

I agree with the other reviewers. This is an excellent book that will help gweilos understand the Cantonese (and, to a lesser extent, Chinese and Asians in general) a bit better. If you're a Westerner planning to move to Asia, this may help to prepare you for the experience of never quite knowing what the real problem is and never getting a straight answer (at least not the first 20 times you ask the question). I lived in Hong Kong for 6 years and can't say that I totally understand the mindset of the "locals", but this book helped. And it was fun to read! I had bought at least 5 copies by the time I left Hong Kong (most of which went to friends and family), and I wish that I had purchased more. It's a classic.

One reason this book is now unobtainable in Hong Kong is the number of copies I have bought and given (or had 'borrowed' by) friends over the years. Dated but entertaining, excellent account of living in HK, away from Mid-Levels and the expatriate lifestyle. Bob Howlett

This is a completely charming account of Austin Coates' period as a Special Magistrate in Hong Kong's New Territories. I've never read a foreigner who combines so well a frank portrayal of the difficulties in understanding the rural Cantonese mentality, with such sympathy. Coates comes at his subject with a singular highly intuitive vision, and it's impossible not to come away enriched.

This exceptionally well written book of anecdotes and personal experiences should be required reading for any Westerner visiting or conducting business in China or other countries where the Chinese culture subsists. At times humourous, at times tragic it leads the reader through a series of situations experienced by the author, an Englishman, as he plys his trade as a special magistrate in post-war Hong Kong. It has helped me to understand some of the more baffling moments of my life here in Hong Kong in the 1990s. Thoroughly recommended.

it is amazing that with all the hardship that these guys went thru, human nature can still make the best of an awful situation.

One of my first introductions to Australian and Far East reading of WW11, thoroughly enjoyable, could not put it down until it was finished. Would recommend this book to all generations. Has given me the taste to find out more about the Far East and familiarise myself with further Australian literature. Thought only John Pilger could write riveting literature, I was wrong!

The author went through some really horrific situations but at the same time can describe the strength of the human spirit. The author also has a great sense of humor. I think books like this are rare these days in our politically correct world. Well worth the read.

The Naked Island

The autobiography of a young australian soldier who spent long years in captivity as prisoner of war of the Japanese.
The first part is the description of the military life in Malaya before the attack of the Japanese with many ironical notes on that tedious life from the point of view of a soldier.
The second part is the description of the useless fight of the Australian and British troops against the overwhelming enemy and then the attempt to escape the capture.
Then the third, and most interesting part, is the description of the life during three long years of captivity in the different prisons where the writer was imprisoned and in the jungle camps where all prisoners were forced to work without food, facing malaria, beri beri and death for starvation.
A book I would really recommend.
Are you looking for another absolutely interesting book about a similar experience?
Read the famous "Behind bamboo" by Rohan Rivett

This is an unforgettable book: informative, educational, poignant and often delightfully humorous. It is a tribute to the British and Australian Forces used as slave labour in the construction of the Burma/Siamese Railway and their ability to live with dignity, compassion and decency under the most deplorable conditions imaginable. This book leaves an indelible impression on the reader and should be required reading for each successive generation.

I enjoyed following the experiences of Naomi, a young girl who,not very happily, moves with her mother from Canada to Japan for a year. As she slowly opens herself up to the many diverse customs of a new country she also discovers many inner strengths which help her bridge the way into adolescence. The writing is subtle, informative and opens a window into a fascinating world.

I absolutely loved this book. It helped me learn about Japan and it encouraged me to change my mind about things I was anxious to do. Before I read "Naomi" I considered sushi to be quite gross, but now I wonder what it was in the first place that made me hate sushi because it looks so yummy! The book encouraged me to try new things, and now I really want to study abroad when I get older and learn different languages.

In addition to a wonderful message, (keep an open mind and be ready to forgive people), the book is superbly written, with the characters being real and three-dimensional. Naomi is a great character, funny and witty, and her colorful host of friends and family make the book a joy to read.

You may have a tough time getting your hands on this book, but it is definitely worth a read. I highly recommend it.

I think this is one of the best stories I have read in a long time. I like the story of Naomi because I have also had to move to Hong Kong from the United States. Like Naomi, I didn't want to at first, but now I really like living in Asia, and learning all about a different culture. Any person who has to move, especially to a faraway place, will enjoy this book.

This book addresses so many of the issues faced by teens in the modern world - family fragmentation, multi-cultural relationships and faltering self esteem. Through the main character, Naomi, the reader sees how it is possible to overcome these obstacles and to forge on optimistically and confidently. It is a story that, despite being fiction, will strike a chord with teenagers and their parents the world over. It also gives an interesting insight into life for an expatriate in Japan.

when I read this book i was on my way to moving to the middle east from Canada. I could totally relate to everything Naomi was feeling and when I saw that she could adjust it made me feel like I could adjust too! And I have. This book helped me more than you can possibly know and I am very happy to have it. I reccommend this to everyone!

Although I originally read the book with the intention of sending a copy to my nephew, I found myself thoroughly enjoying the book. The fact that all the adventures were indeed true and happened to the author made the stories more exciting. The book is made up of many individual stories that made for easy reading and allowed me to read as much or as little as I wanted to at a time. A must read for kids or adults interested in adventure, history, military life, the boy scouts or the mischief one boy in a far away land can get into.

This is one of the best book I have read.It's adveture, funny and fun to read. You will just never put it down.

I am a contemporary of John's having been in the Philippines and at Clark AB during much of the same period he was. His stories are wonderful and very accurate in terms of relating what it was like being an American teen/pre-teen in the Philippines during that time frame.

Highly recommended both for the stories as is and as a history of a soon-to-be forgotten period of time for American military dependents.

What a wonderful story to read! I thoroughly enjoyed the book and can't wait for the day when my husband and I can share it with our family. In the meantime, my nieces and nephews will enjoy hearing the story!

Thanks, John, for sharing your childhood with us! It sounds like you have a very lovely family.

John Santacroce has written a wonderful book full of adventure, humor, and discovery. It's a page-turner for young readers as they share John's adventures growing up in the Philippines and learn something about historical events of the time. Younger baby boomers will also identify with the author's perspective of this era. Read this unique book and talk about it with your children! One of the many great features of this extremely well-written memoir is that it uses intelligent but conversational language, no profanity, and never "talks down" to its audience. It's loaded with an adventurous boy's observations and discoveries about a fascinating land. I guarantee this book will be a treasured addition to your library, and one that readers of all ages will enjoy!

This book was really good, like most of the other S.A.S.S. books. In this book, the main character, Nori, goes to Japan with other AP students and learns to love her Japanese heritage, though she loathes her "squinty eyes" at first when many of the other students assume that she is a native of Japan. This book actually taught me a lot about Japanese culture and Japanese landmarks I did not know about, in an interesting first-person detail. If you are looking for a quick, fun read in which you learn about new cultures and places, then this book (and the other S.A.S.S. books) are right for you.

If you like stories that about have adventure, Japan, or characters that you can relate to and go through real life situations problems then Now and Zen by Linda Gerber is the book for you. In the story Nori Tanaka, the sixteen year old main Japanese-American character from Ohio, goes to Japan through a Global Outreach Summit program, to get away from her parents constant arguing. She begins to feel considered an outsider by both the Native Japanese students because they know she is American and by the American students because they think she is Japanese.

For her break Nori goes to stay with her aunt and uncle, she calls Baba and Jiji, in Kyoto. Have you ever been to a traditional Japanese tea ceremony? Well Nori gets to experience this ancient ritual and starts to feel more connected to her roots. Nori also gets to go to the shrine the Ashikaga shogun built in ancient times. As you follow Nori through Japanese adventures and through her ups and downs you will begin to be sucked into the story not ready to put the book down.

As I read this book I felt I was right there with the character and the author drew you a picture of the bustling streets of Tokyo and the tranquil sites of Kyoto. I believe people from all ages will enjoy this book, because the author reels you into the story with just the beginning paragraph, "Seventeen hours. That's how long it takes to fly from Columbus, Ohio to Narita, Japan when you make three stops along the way. Seventeen long hours stuck on a plane with a bunch of losers. Not exactly the experience Nori had envisioned when he signed up for a summer abroad."

I loved Now and Zen. Linda Gerber creates a vivid and enriching sense of place. In addition, through effective dialog that works, she introduces us to well crafted characters from the 3-D Nori, Amberly, Michiko; Atsushi and Erik; Baba and Jiji, to keypal Val, who we also know pretty well. Our middle school library will need to purchase several copies, and they will deservedly fly off the shelves. M. Swist

This charming story takes Japanese-American Nori into the world of her family's past -- and what a world it is! While Nori explores Japan, she learns a few hard lessons both inside and outside of her overseas classroom. Japan through Nori's eyes is an amazing place, full of wonders both ancient and modern. Linda Gerber has produced an outstanding first novel with strong characters and a fast-paced storyline that makes it impossible to put down. This story is told with an honesty and sweetness that will captivate her readers. I can't wait for her next book!

Sixteen-year-old Noreli "Nori" Tanaka, will do absolutely anything to escape her parents constant bickering. So when the opportunity for her to leave her small, Powell, Ohio town and spend the summer in Tokyo, Japan arises, she leaps at it instantly. No, she's not interested in learning more about her culture; and she can't even bear the thought of having to sit in a classroom during her summer vacation, but the idea of being free from her parents for over a month is too good to resist. So, packing her bags, Nori heads off to the land of sushi, and high-tech gadgets with various other Americans enrolled in the S.A.S.S. (Students Across the Seven Seas) Global Outreach Program, and finds herself hating every minute of it. Nori's slanted eyes and jet black hair leave everyone believing that she is a native, and don't even question her regarding whether or not she's from the States. Not even the gorgeous, blonde student from Germany, Erik Sussmann. Erik is everything that Nori has ever looked for in a guy - smart, fun, and totally cute. But Erik seems to think of Nori as nothing more than "his Geisha." And, as if that weren't bad enough, he is convinced that Nori is a resident of Japan, and Nori can't find the heart to tell him the truth. After all, if she admits that she's just from America, Erik's feelings for her may change, and she doesn't want that. So, enlisting the help of one of her new friends (and Japan native), Atsushi Shiota, Nori begins working her background, tricking Erik into believing that she is the Japanese native that he thought she was - taking him on trips to shopping centers, and out to raging clubs, and fancy restaurants. But, the more Nori gets to know Erik, the more she is convinced that he likes her only because of her culture, and not because of the true her. Unfortunately, now that Nori has convinced Erik that she's a Tokyo native, she can't exactly go back on her word. That is, until she visits some of her true relatives for a week-long stay in their home, and experiences the truth about her culture for the first time. A truth that helps her embrace her Japanese roots, and find the Zen that is hidden underneath her strong facade.

For the past two weeks, I have been extremely interested in Asian mythology and Asian culture altogether. So when I came across Linda Gerber's NOW AND ZEN, I knew I had to read it. From page one Nori was a likable character. Though her slightly cynical perspective regarding her stay in Japan can get a little tiring, the maturity that she begins to display throughout the story really makes up for it, and gives her a vibe of a girl blooming into a young woman. Readers may be disappointed to see how often Nori puts down her bubbly, pink-loving roommate, Amberly. However, as the story continues, they will be happy to see Nori reevaluate who her true friends are, and make peace with those she once wrote off. Gerber has done a fabulous job of bringing Japan to life. Her descriptions of various marketplaces and restaurants are superb, and give the reader the feeling that they are biking the cobblestone paths right alongside Nori and her great aunt and uncle. I believe that, perhaps, the time Nori spends getting to know her relatives is one of the most enjoyable in the tale, and will really give readers a chance to see the importance of family, and develop an interest in learning more about their own ancestry. An addicting novel that leaves you craving your own jaunt through Japan!

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

This story is simply fantastic. I have read it to my children several times and they've enjoyed it the sixth as much as the first. I have taken the opportunity using this story to talk about cultures and traditions in a fun and exciting way.

My two boys, ages 2 and 5 love this book. Universal themes paired with beautiful Japanese art and poetry make it a winner.

My daughters 6 and 2 request this book so often and still I never tire of reading it. I began the search for high quality childrens books when I could barely get through one sitting of 'Strawberry Shortcake Strikes Again!' or the equivalent. This book is a joy for reader and readee;)

It's lovely to see this book is back in print. I received a copy as a birthday gift when I was 5 years old (it was a new publication then!) and continue to treasure that same volume today. I also received a real pair of clogs from Japan about the same time, so the story took on even more meaning for me. I have an opportunity to teach a workshop in Japan in May about how our experiences are reflected in our artworks -- and this beautifully illustrated story which taught me so much about integrity, as well as Japanese culture, will be an important reference in my presentation. Simple lessons, so important to a child's character,kindly taught, DO last a lifetime! This is an important book for your child's library.

My mother recently mailed to me a 40 year-old copy of "A Pair of Red Clogs" that I had when I was small. I wept in recognition of the poignant, exquisite illustrations of this young girl's life in Japan which so delighted me as a very young child. I read it now to my two year-old son, who asks questions about "the weather-telling game" that cracked Mako's clogs. The story is character forming, but it's the illustrations that last a lifetime in memory.

This is a sweet book about a baby playing hide and seek with her father. It takes place in Thailand and they are playing around the yard. Animals are near and the sounds they make are on display too. Sweet book.

I bought this book for my 4yo and 2.5 yo, based on a recommendation from their Montessori school. Both kids love it, and I've since heard them using some of the animal "sounds" from the book in the course of their daily play. My little one loves finding the baby hiding on each page. I would also highly recommend the companion book -- Hush! A Thai Lullaby. We would give that one 6 stars!

My daughter got this book for her second birthday. We had never heard of it before then. It is now her bedtime book, replacing Goodnight Moon. The story is pretty simple, but sweet. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous. My daughter loves trying to find the baby on every page. Now that she knows where the baby is, she still plays and pretends with it. She likes to find the different animals, especially the "croc-oh-di-al." I plan to look at other books by this author and illustrator. I like that it's a daddy and daughter book too.

The illustrations in this book are vivid and beautiful. A father and daughter play hide and seek in the Thai jungle, surrounded by wild animals and lush vegetation. My 18 month old loves searching for the little girl in all of her hiding places and then seeing the joy of the parent and child when they find each other at the end. What child doesn't enjoy a good game of peekaboo?

I bought this book just because my son loved Minfong Ho and Holly Meade's other book, "Hush! A Thai Hide-and-Seek." This one is very similar with a few differences. The illustrations are a little brighter! The father is interacting with his daughter in a game of peek-a-boo, rather than the mother hushing animals so her son can sleep! There are mostly different animals in this book with a couple of repeats. While the father is searching for his daughter he encounters a dog, dragonfly, rooster, snake, monkey, elephant, tiger, turtle, hornbill and crocodile! On each page the little girl is hiding and my 20 month old son loves to show you where she is! Beautiful illustrations with a fun interactive story are keys to a winner for my child. 5 stars again for Ho/Meade!