Mahjong All Day Long

Big sister, JieJie, and her little brother, DiDi, see their parents playing mahjong all the time. It's their favorite family tradition. With Uncle T.T. and Auntie Helen around, the house is always alive with singing and chatting, the aromas of hot tea and good food, and of course the constant sounds of a family having fun together!

One day JieJie and Didi will grow up and have families of their own, and they will teach their children the game as their parents taught them. As it has done for centuries, the playing of mahjong continues to bring families together, allowing for traditions to be passed on generation after generation.

MaMa and BaBa play mahjong all day long. And all night long. We hear the clicking of mahjong tiles morning, noon, and night.

Big sister, JieJie, and her little brother, DiDi, see their parents playing mahjong all the time. It's their favorite family tradition. With Uncle T.T. and Auntie Helen around, the house is always alive with singing and chatting, the aromas of hot tea and good food, and of course the constant sounds of a family having fun together!

One day JieJie and Didi will grow up and have families of their own, and they will teach their children the game as their parents taught them. As it has done for centuries, the playing of mahjong continues to bring families together, allowing for traditions to be passed on generation after generation.

Beth and Ginnie Lo are sisters (and best friends!). They had a happy Chinese American childhood in West Lafeyette, Indiana, where they learned to play mahjong while sitting on their father's lap. They continue to play to this day. Ginnie, a computer science professor, wrote the story, and Beth, a ceramic arts professor, made the illustrated ceramic plates. This is their first book.

Beth now plays mahjong in Missoula, Montana, with her husband, son, and Chinese cousin who lives up the valley. Ginnie plays mahjong in Eugene, Oregon, with her husband, their children, and the authors' mother, who lives next door.

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2-This simplistic story falls flat. JieJie describes how she and her little brother watch their parents and their aunt and uncle enjoying mahjong all day long and into the evening. As youngsters, the siblings use the tiles for building or learning to count in Chinese. Finally, after they have grown up and mastered the intricacies of the game, they are ready to pass on this tradition to their own children, thus linking together three generations. The nonfiction classification is misleading as this story reveals nothing about how mahjong is played. An author's note includes historical background about the game and provides a list of adult titles about learning how to play. The artist created the illustrations by using underglazes and stains on handmade porcelain plates. The flat, childlike drawings follow but do not expand the plot. Some basic ethnic facts are reflected in both the narrative and the artwork, such as hairstyles, clothing, or serving Long Jing tea. The oval-shaped pictures are presented on black backgrounds, while the text is printed opposite in black ink on red backgrounds. Chinese calligraphy appearing in the illustrations is repeated and translated on the text pages. Unfortunately, neither the bland writing nor the art will hold children's attention.-Margaret R. Tassia, Millersville University, PA Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Beth and Ginnie Lo are sisters (and best friends!). They had a happy Chinese American childhood in West Lafeyette, Indiana, where they learned to play mahjong while sitting on their father's lap. They continue to play to this day. Ginnie, a computer science professor, wrote the story, and Beth, a ceramic arts professor, made the illustrated ceramic plates. This is their first book.

Beth now plays mahjong in Missoula, Montana, with her husband, son, and Chinese cousin who lives up the valley. Ginnie plays mahjong in Eugene, Oregon, with her husband, their children, and the authors' mother, who lives next door.