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Summary
Summary
A Chinese-American boy gains a new understanding of his Chinese grandfather in this celebratory story of family, martial arts, and the Chinese New Year.
Vinson is very excited when his grandfather comes from China for a visit. When Grandpa practices tai chi in the garden, Vinson asks to learn, hoping it will be like kung fu, full of kicks and punches. But tai chi's meditative postures are slow and still, and Vinson quickly gets bored. He can't understand why Grandpa insists on calling him by his Chinese name, Ming Da, or why he has to wear a traditional Chinese jacket to the Chinese New Year parade. As the parade assembles, however, he notices the great respect given to his grandfather and the lion dancers under his training. And when Vinson is offered a role in the parade, he realizes that being part Chinese can be pretty cool--and is ready to start learning from his grandpa's martial-arts mastery in earnest.
Author Notes
Ying Chang Compestine is the author of the acclaimed middle-grade novel Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party as well as several picture books and a collection of short stories, A Banquet for Hungry Ghosts. Ying Chang Compestine lives in California.
Yan Nascimbene , an award-winning illustrator of many books for children, has illustrated more than three hundred book covers for publishers all over the world. His editorial illustrations have appeared in Time, The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker, and many other publications . Yan Nascimbene lives in the south of France and in California.
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Nascimbene's (First Grade Jitters) delicately drafted ink-and-watercolor artwork distinguishes this child-of-immigrants tale about Ming Da, who scorns his Chinese grandfather until Grandpa's perfectly timed martial arts kick saves a stranger from injury. That gets Ming Da's attention; he agrees to let Grandpa teach him tai chi, and when the New Year comes, the lion dance parade offers him a chance to show off his hard work to all of Chinatown. Compestine (The Runaway Wok) excels at portraying Ming Da's embarrassment ("I jammed my headphones into my ears to avoid talking to Grandpa"), though more sentimental moments may put off jaded older readers (" ¿Could you teach me, please?' I asked in a low voice"). The beauty Nascimbene discovers in Ming Da's suburban world-the leaves that fall around Ming Da as he practices, parade-goers scattered like confetti, the stars that accompany Ming Da and Grandpa on the way home-echoes the beauty Ming Da eventually finds in Grandpa's tai chi poses. Readers will warm to the duo's growing friendship and the gifts that come as Ming Da allows himself to enter Grandpa's world. Ages 6-10. (Dec.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Vinson is his American name, but his grandfather, visiting from China, calls him by his Chinese name, Ming Da. As Grandpa practices tai chi each morning, Ming Da secretly wishes to see him perform more exciting kung fu moves. Calm and unflappable, Grandpa teaches his impatient grandson the slow, careful exercises, and eventually he and Ming Da play a pivotal role in the annual Chinese New Year parade. Realistic, luminous watercolor illustrations, punctuated by straight suburban streets and houses, show the family's balance of the Chinese and the American, the traditional and the modern. For instance, they eat an American breakfast while Grandpa is visible through the window practicing tai chi outdoors. As Ming Da feels the tension between his desire for flashy martial arts and the reality of tai chi, Nascimbene leaves strategic distance between grandfather and grandson. When Ming Da commits himself to the difficult and sometimes tedious job of practicing the standing meditation, that distance lessens: after the New Year's celebration, as Grandpa and Ming Da hold hands in the sparkling night, their shadows join as one. A fascinating view into the world of martial arts and what the older generation can offer the skeptical younger one. Spot drawings of the tai chi poses will be appreciated by practitioners of all ages. robin l. smith From HORN BOOK, Copyright The Horn Book, used with permission.
Booklist Review
To his surprise, Vinson learns that his visiting Chinese grandfather's slow dance is a martial art called tai chi. He finds the meditative discipline frustrating not a real kung fu until he sees his grandfather prevent an accident with a strong, accurate kick. At the Chinese New Year celebration, Vinson observes the respect others have for his grandfather, who assigns him the coveted role of cabbage boy for the lion dancers. Both Vinson's desire to hit something and his gradual shift in attitude toward his grandfather and tai chi ring true. Loosely knitted together, the tai chi and Chinese New Year story elements make this a longish picture book. Text appears on left pages, accompanied by small sketches of tai chi stances. Uncluttered watercolor-and-ink illustrations portray the biracial family on facing pages, occasionally spilling back for busy celebration scenes. An appended author's note provides additional cultural information. An attraction for martial arts fans, this is also ideal for Chinese New Year and multicultural units.--Perkins, Linda Copyright 2010 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-When Vinson's grandfather visits from China, he does a weird slow dance in the backyard. It's a martial art called tai chi. The child wants to learn, but it involves a lot of standing still and meditating, and he worries that he'll never learn cool kicks and punches like they do in kung fu movies. Vinson soon becomes embarrassed by his grandfather, but he changes his mind when the man prevents a potentially harmful accident with one well-placed high kick. Vinson starts learning tai chi again, just in time for the lion dance at the Chinese New Year parade. Children will empathize with the boy's desires to do more than stand still and his frustrations at not learning how to kick, punch, and hit things. Grandfather's lessons on inner peace and patience are often met with realistic resistance. Nascimbene's watercolor and ink illustrations are at their best during the festival scenes. Each page also includes a tai chi stance. An explanatory note at the end offers more information about tai chi and other Chinese schools of martial arts.-Jennifer Rothschild, Prince George's County Memorial Library System, Oxon Hill, MD (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
(Picture book. 5-9)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
