Long Is a Dragon

School Library Journal

Gr 4 Up-- By employing a rebus format on the first page, Goldstein cleverly works into the genesis of Chinese writing, immediately acclimatizing readers to the nonalphabetic written word. Drawings of objects are juxtaposed with the ancient and modern versions of the script, sensibly displaying the evolution of individual characters, promoting mnemonics, and laying the foundation for Chinese linguistic logic. Creating complex characters from simpler components is then presented, concluding with sentence formation. Organization is straightforward; concept presentation and linking are brilliant. The writing is clear and interesting, providing a compelling invitation to learn and explore while having fun. Simple drawings in red and black accompany the calligraphy, rendered sometimes with brush, sometimes with felt-tip. The result is attractive, effective, and creditable--if not perfect--calligraphy. Only two points need improving: about the evolution of characters, the text says, ``. . . the Chinese made these signs easier to draw.'' Anyone would find the earlier ones easier; the invention of the brush necessitated the change to more angular graphs, thereby distorting the original pictographs. Curiously, Goldstein does not use the common word for ``dog'' but a more literary term, comparable to English ``canine.'' These are small points in an otherwise excellent introduction. Diane Wolff's Chinese Writing (Holt, 1975; o.p.) provides more historical information and much less hands-on vocabulary. Goldstein's approach should prove invaluable. --John Philbrook, San Francisco Public Library