Petit Dragon: Une Histoire D'aventures, D'amitié Et De Caractères Chinois (2009) - Plot & Excerpts
This is the coolest book that I've read in awhile! The story itself--a girl losing her pet dragon and going on an adventure to find him--only facilitates the ingenious idea to introduce written Chinese characters through the illustrations. This is one big, visual mnemonic device for remembering what the words that the characters represent. I fully support this method, because it relates to the learning theory of environmental contextualization, and can be applicable for students with various learning styles: kinesthetic, visual, auditory. In the classroom, I would use this for so many different lessons. One that pops out at me is having the students research other Chinese characters and label items in the classroom using the design principles of the book's illustrations. This is not only a cute short story about a kid and her pet dragon, but it teaches children a few basic Chinese characters while telling the story. The illustrations are also critical to the story because they're designed to fit a Chinese character inside. This is a must read for parents who are looking to expose their child to a small bit of another language, and want their child to enjoy the learning experience and remember what was taught in a fun way.
What do You think about Petit Dragon: Une Histoire D'aventures, D'amitié Et De Caractères Chinois (2009)?
My daughter loves this book and it's an excellent way to teach Chinese symbols.
—Zamku
"Chinese culture, Chinese characters, dragons"
—keili
