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Habbi Habbi Reading Wand Review

Habbi Habbi Bilingual Books with their Reading Wand is the fifth Chinese reading pen set to join our house. This is a post I never thought I'd write ' because I never imagined there would be a 'use case' for five different Chinese Reading Pens. But it turns out there is! 

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We use our HabbI Habbi Reading Wand as the go-to, dedicated pen for our youngest (toddler) because of its hardcover, durable design and play-based nature (she can tap anywhere and get feedback). There are surprise musical tunes and hidden content beyond the text that is printed on the page, so it's fun for her to play and discover. 

We also find it especially great for less-native families, because it is bilingual (with English and pinyin) ' so it is more approachable, especially for those who find Chinese-only resources intimidating (I can really empathize with this, as a monolingual-English parent who doesn't speak Chinese!). 

Also as I will explain more later, the Habbi Habbi book content is distinguishing with themes of empathy, diversity, self reliance, global citizenship, and more. When your kids repeat phrases from these books like 'I feel worthy,' 'I love my body,' 'I admire my mommy. She is capable of anything,' it does tickle your heart. 

Disclaimer: I was very kindly gifted the Habbi Habbi Reading Wand and books but have not received any compensation for this review. All opinions shared here are my own, and I made this clear to Habbi Habbi before accepting their product for review. It was a pleasure to review such a fun product.

What is Habbi Habbi Reading Wand?

I like reading pens in general because they remove screen time, and inculcate a love of reading Chinese, without the parent needing to read/speak the language.  Habbi Habbi certainly ticks all the boxes on this front too. For our family, we use it for our youngest ' more on that later

The Habbi Habbi startup is the brainchild of two working mothers, ex-consultants and long time friends, who loved the Reading Wand technology and wanted to make it contemporary, multilingual, and accessible for a non-native audience. And the thought shows. In much the same way as other reading pens, it will recognise compatible books, and provide an audio overlay saying the word / phrase out loud, or giving other sound effects and cute musical tunes. But, it is really the content of what they write about, the beautiful design, and the fun, play-nature of Habbi Habbi makes it stand out.

Habbi Habbi comes with a set of 20 matching board books (and counting!) ' available in Simplified Chinese (within pinyin) or Spanish. The same Wand accesses all their books, regardless of language, so you only need 1 pen to access either language!  Apparently more languages are planned, and this includes possibility of Traditional Chinese Books, French, Korean, and more. They also have Habbi Habbi bilingual puzzles and flashcards, which I've reviewed separately.

How do we use Habbi Habbi Reading Wand?

It's easy to use ' just turn on and tap.  I simply gave it to my toddler, and she turned it on by holding down the middle button.  Then, with just a light tap on the books literally anywhere on the page ' the book comes alive.

When we first opened the Habbi Habbi box, I told my three children that this pen was special for the youngest one (just turned three).  She was delighted, because ever since she could sit up, she's always been keen to use our other reading pens.  This has long been a source of arguments with the older kids, and frustration for me because I'm always reminding her to be more gentle with the fragile (expensive!) pens and books.  Well, when she got her hands on it, she knew exactly what to do!  It literally went from the box to being played with, without me even needing to read the instructions.

I like that the book is a fun toddler 'toy' ' my little one can tap anywhere and get some sort of response ' word/phrase/sound/music, with a practical learning outcome (Chinese!) and exposure to highly intentional content (like diversity, inclusiveness and resilience). For a home like ours where the adults aren't bilingual, a tool like this is perfect to help a very young child pick up Chinese alongside English.

The Wand is rechargeable with a standard-USB cable (comes provided).  When it's charging, the star at the top will glow red, and the glow disappears when fully charged.    

The volume is adjustable volume ' this good, because when three kids are in the same room using three different pens, it's nice to have it a little quieter. 

There's also a headphone jack, which could be good for aeroplanes and roadtrips.

How is Habbi Habbi different from other Chinese reading pens?

In my mind Habbi Habbi is great as a first Reading Pen, for those emphasizing speaking and listening (versus reading and character recognition). Note: Context is important; we live in a Singapore ' a Chinese speaking country and are aiming to raise fully bilingual children who can read Chinese, so for us ' Habbi Habbi is perfect for our littlest one, because it's fun and play based, so it allows us to start language exposure early. For our older children, we use other tools that have a more full-fledged and formal 'character learning system.'

Durable, with an emphasis on design and play: We love its toddler-proof design; they are hardcover, board books with easily wipe-down matte coating ' clearly designed to be durable for heavy use and play. As mentioned, I love that the emphasis is on the kids having fun ' so they learn through play. No matter where they tap, they hear something ' whether it's the phrase printed on the page, an expression from the character on the page, or a delightful musical tune. Also, in comparison to our other pens, the Habbi Habbi Reading Wand is brightly coloured and feels beautiful to hold.  The compatible books are big, board books with vivid colours and large font bilingual English-Chinese text.

Intentional Content: The book content is markedly different from our other Reading Pens. Its illustrations show diverse characters and their content is very intentionally chosen. In their feelings book, they don't just talk about being 'happy' or 'sad' but also say 'I am worthy.' In their family book, they highlight diverse family structures, including single-dad and adoptive families. In their mum book, they even re-named their 'stay-at-home mom' the 'Chief Home Officer.'

Bilingual WITH pinyin: Something else very different to our other reading pen books is that each of the Habbi Habbi books are written in English AND Simplified Chinese character AND Pinyin.   For my older children, I try to find monolingual Chinese materials ' without English or Pinyin. But, for a young child, who isn't reading in either language independently, I do like having the English there.  It lets a monolingual parent (like myself) be more engaged in the bilingual language learning.  The pen also speaks in dual languages, which can be a nice aid in letting the child learn the English words too (although there is an option to only make it read it one language).  As for the pinyin, it's helpful for me because I do know a little pinyin, which gives me some context around the phrases.

Plays Chinese AND English: It's worth noting too that unlike our other pens, this one speaks both the Chinese first and the English.  This is a deliberate design feature by Habbi Habbi to maximise Chinese exposure first, but also ensure that the books are accessible and understandable to more families. For example, families and children may know that '' chú fáng is 'kitchen', but many may not know that ''' tóng lǐ xīn is 'empathy'. Having the English enables more new words to be learnt [Update : Habbi Habbi has new functionality enabled by their Mode Cards, so now families can choose either default Bilingual audio, Chinese-only audio or English-only audio. I love this since it allows for more native / heritage families to use Chinese only, while less-native families can use the Bilingual Mode. Interestingly the Habbi Habbi team told me that most families switch, depending on which books they are playing with, or whether a non-native family member might be playing and learning along with the child '.. cool idea!.]

Ultimately though, the beauty of the pen is its simplicity (eg there's no apps to download, settings to get it working, etc), with a battery life that almost goes forever!

How does Habbi Habbi compare to other reading pens on the market?

I've tried to draw an image of how I see the schema landscape of reading pens fitting together, and try to make it less overwhelming to understand all the options. Different pens are right for different family situations, learning stages, and intended outcomes.  We have each of the pens listed in this table, so our family has good experience trialling them all.

Head to Head Comparison of Habbi Habbi and the main reading pens we would recommend:

Below is a comparison table of all the Chinese-English reading pens we have:

[Note: if you start off with only 5 Habbi Habi books, the price is SG$145 for Wand + 5 board books]

Pros of Habbi Habbi

1. It's clearly designed for toddlers ' the pen is sturdy, and the books are board books, with wipe-down matte finish.  This gives me much more peace of mind than our other reading pens which are more 'delicate', and which have books with thin pages which are easily ripped without a close adult eye supervising.  I'm much more comfortable leaving my youngest to interact with the Habbi Habbi wand and books alone, than with any of our other sets.  I would add here though that it CAN be useful for older children too'' my tween is currently learning Spanish as a third language, and the Habbi Habbi Spanish books are perfect for that, due to the simple and accessible design, including reading pen.

2. Chinese AND English bilingual ' Unlike our other reading pen books, Habbi Habbi come with bilingual Chinese and English written in each book and spoken through the pen (although on the pen, it has the option for a parent to choose to only have Chinese spoken, which is a nice immersion option).  For younger kids or families in less bilingual countries, having both Chinese and English in the book is helpful as it allows non-native (or less-native!) adults to understand what is being read, and engage with the book.

3. Diverse pictures and situations ' our other reading pens all originate from Asia (Taiwan and Singapore, specifically).  Habbi Habbi is just different.  The drawings are more vibrant, and the scenes have diverse faces in diverse places, putting a very contemporary global spin on the text.  There are books about working mothers with breast pumps, and blended families.  All phrases are intentionally positive and inclusive.

4. Highly interactive ' Every part of the books is 'tappable', giving description of the pictures and surprise music interludes, in addition to the written text.  It can certainly captivate the imagination of a young child, and keep them engaged through to the end of a book (which is rare feat with toddlers, I know!).

5. Fluent and high-quality audio ' well recorded, with native speakers in both languages, and speed is normal spoken speed (which is good for language exposure, mimicking real environments, and learning how to speak). For learning how to read, it might be better to be slower ' and I have given them the feedback, and they shared that they are looking into functionalities to slow / speed up speed of the audio.

6. Full English support ' this is helpful.  You'll realise if you have other pens bought online from China (like the iHuman Pen'.) that it just feels nice to know that it's a quality product, with a quality team behind it who can respond to queries and provide a warranty.

Cons of Habbi Habbi

1. Phrases verses individual characters:  Habbi Habbi reads out different 'clips' (words, phrases, or sentences) ' but not character by character.  They chose to do so to simulate conversation, similar to what kids would hear if they heard people talking. Similar to what I've mentioned before, this is more suitable for listening comprehension and speaking ' over ' character recognition and reading. This is a 'con' for my older children, whom I'm trying to teach character recognition and literacy.

2. Difficulty of some Sentence books:   They have different stages of books ' Word Books, Phrase Books, Sentence Books, and Story Books. The Word Books and Phrase Books are introductory and approachable. Some of the Sentence Books have more complex sentences, and I think my 3-year old likes to interact with the Word / Phrase books more ' or ' play with the illustration part of the Sentence books, which speak back short words and phrases (e.g. when she taps Mommy's earrings ' they say earrings!) I do appreciate the philosophy of the sentence books ' that they choose to intentionally reflect certain situations, even if they are more complex words (e.g. Mommy is a Surgeon ' vs ' Mommy is a Doctor). These sentence books may just be more suitable for my older kids than my littlest one.
   
   
3. Size of the books ' these are full size, gorgeously produced board books; they clearly focused on design and durability!  They look great on the bookshelf.  However, if you're an apartment dweller, you perhaps wouldn't want too many of these (or perhaps you'd only want these and nothing else!).  Our other reading pens come with much smaller books which can be packed away and stored easily ' though they are paperback, stapled books.  Again, it's not really a con.  It's a fact that all toddler books take up space. 
   
   
4. Regional vocabulary differences ' For example, for pineapple, my kids learnt it as school from Hokkien ''(ông-lâi) or'' (huánglí). The Habbi Habbi book says '' (bōluó). The Habbi Habbi website notes that they have native speakers from different regions represented on their translation team and review board, so they are aware of different ways to say things (eg butter ' '' Huángyóu, '' Nǎiyóu, '' Niú yóu). They discuss each translation item but when forced to choose, they try to be consistent with simplified Chinese because that is what is printed. 

5. Content might be too progressive for an Asian audience ' The books are clearly not written for a traditional Asian audience. They include things like social emotional learning (teaching kids sentences like 'I am vulnerable') and also feature more controversial topics (Adoptive families ' 'Mom & Dad couldn't have kids but that doesn't mean they can't have a big family.') They also name items traditional Asian families may not talk about (e.g. they have illustrated a breast pump with 'Banker Mommy' at the airport).

Books in the Habbi Habbi Series

Habbi Habbi has different types of books, being: 1. Word books;  2. Phrase books (e.g. Emotions); 3. Sentence books (e.g. Kindness); and 4. Story books (coming soon!)

The Habbi Habbi Summer Set (which we were sent)

• Book of First Words ' colours, numbers, shapes, fruits, transport, etc ' favourite here was the inclusion of kale in the veggies!  They're a very western vegetable though.
• Book of First Phrases ' simple phrases about introductions, telling the time, meals and manners
• Book of Emotions ' teaching children to be resilient, understand their emotions, and articulate some not-commonly said Chinese phrases like 'I am worthy!'
• Book of Careers, Vol 1 (Mums)  ' with a look at modern mums as female role models
• I am Kind ' examples of kindness including empathy, sharing, community, elder respect, etc
• Book of Family ' highlighting many different family structures, included multi-generational, traditional nuclear, blended / re-married, adopted, same-sex parenting, and a family tree!
• Foodie Friends ' a pot luck party with some very international food choices (including bubble tea and papaya juice).

Other Habbi Habbi books (which we don't have ' but sound great!)

• Book of Chores
• Things That Go
• Book of Careers, Vol 2 (Dads)
• Healthy Habits
• I Love My Body
• In My Home
• Apples + Arithmetic
• Animals, Plants and Places
• My 7 Wishes for You
• Global Celebrations
• Haddie & Lulu's Worldwide Search *
• Haddie & Lulu's Bash on a Budget *
• Haddie & Lulu and the Bad Grade *
• * Haddie & Lulu ' are Habbi Habbi's story books!
• + many more new titles being added constantly

Where to buy Habbi Habbi Reading Wand and books in Singapore?

Currently the Habbi Habbi sets must be ordered via the Habbi Habbi website, and mailed from California.  The mailing isn't cheap.  In Singapore, they retail through SavvyMama, but only the Chinese versions. 

They also provide a discount for group orders, so if there are other families in Singapore who would like one, let me know as I'm trying to consolidate interest for a group order in the meantime (we would certainly love to keep adding books to our family's collection too'!).

Which reading pen is right for me?

To see more information about the other Chinese reading pens our family has, do refer to my earlier posts. Different reading pens and curriculums suit different learning stages, ages, family situations, and intended learning outcomes.

I would love to hear from you, especially if you have the Habbi Habbi or experience with other similar pens too. It's only through meeting other wonderful parents virtually, that this shared language journey becomes a more valuable one.

Disclaimer

I was very kindly gifted the Habbi Habbi Reading Wand and books, but have not received any compensation for this review.   It was a pleasure to review such a fun product.

Book Review: Full Moon ''

With mid-Autumn festival coming up, we've been reading a few topical books about the moon and seasons. 

This story of Full Moon '' (Mǎnyuè), probably isn't what you think it will be, but it's a touching read bringing up many modern issues about orphans, AIDS, adoption, death, and being grateful.   It's the only picture book I've seen which attempts to intertwine such heavy topics.

Author:  '''
Country of original publication: China
Language: Simplified Chinese
Pages: 30
Lines per page:  6
Pinyin: No
Audio available: No
Available in NLB library: Yes

Recommended ages: 5 ' 12 with a Chinese speaking adult.  For context, my P2 daughter was unable to read this book independently, and the concepts contained would also benefit from adult guidance.

Beautiful illustrations with a poignant story make '' a memorable picture book.  It might bring tears too ' especially for the adult reader, so it's worth being ready for.  Whilst these are deep, and sadness is a constant theme through this book, the overarching message is about positivity, optimism and hope.

A little village girl in rural China is named '' (Full Moon), because she was born on the day of a full moon.  There's so much in her name ' the girl's parents pass away of a 'blood disease' whilst she is very young (which we find out in the afterword of the book is HIV/AIDS from a blood transfusion), and before passing away, '''s mother assures her that Mummy and Daddy will be back to visit when there is a full moon in the sky.  Full Moon is her name, and also a symbol of her mother's hope, and the seasons we go through from waxing and waning, to full again, and always looking forwards and needing to move.

The orphaned girl is cared for by an elder in the village, until a childless couple from the city adopt the child ' on the day of a bright round full moon.   She grows up happy and loved.   However, '' still remembers her biological parents, and the kind grandfather who cared for her. One year, the adoptive family all visit the village to bring a box of mooncakes during Mid-Autumn Festival. 

The book's author, ''', is a professionally qualified psychological counsellor, and has been working in early childhood for nearly 3 decades, so I sense much of what is written comes from observations and deep understandings made over that period of work, which would be beyond the reach of most.

The book has won several Children's Literature Awards in China, and is reportedly used by welfare organisations and counsellors to explain to children some of these heavy life concepts.  This is unbelievably one of 200 books she has written!  In an interview I read with ''', she states she is a determined writer who 'believes that children's literature builds the spirit of children' and that 'reading is indispensable'.  I wholeheartedly agree!

The illustrations are beautiful and expressive watercolour pieces, and accompany the story well.  The text is short and poetic.  It also doesn't take too long to finish the story, meaning there is plenty of time for discussion afterwards (and during) without the reading session going forever.

The downside of this book is that for non-Chinese readers, it's not as accessible as other books which we've enjoyed with Luka or Ximalaya audio.  This one has no audio option, and the text was too challenging for my daughter to read alone.  However, we read it together with a family friend who is a kindergarten Mandarin teacher, and the experience created a beautiful and memorable discussion over afternoon tea.  She commented that the book has a beautiful maternal feel to it ' and perhaps this is helped by having a female author.

The same author ''' has written several other festival-related books which look equally as exquisite and thought provoking ' which we will remain on the lookout for opportunities to borrow from our local library and read.

• Chinese New Year Food '''
• Lantern Festival '''
• Dragon Boat Dumplings Rice Cakes '''''
• Chrysanthemum '''
• Lotus Lanterns and The Sound of Flute '''''
• I Love June First Holiday ''''
• Huaniang Valley '''
• Grandmas Youth League '''''
• The Snow Lotus ''''

This book was kindly given to us by My Story Treasury, and I'm so glad it's now on our bookshelves.    Thank you to My Story Treasury for recommending and blessing this book to us, after we asked for suggestions on good Mid-Autumn Festival books.

Where to buy in Singapore?

You can buy in Singapore from great children's Chinese bookstores, including My Story Treasury . I'm excited to share that My Story Treasury has kindly extended a discount code to all readers of my blog. Use 'lahlahbanana10' on check-out to receive 10% off any title that your purchase through their beautifully curated online store.

See my other reviews on Chinese Books for Pre-Schoolers or Chinese Books for Primary Schoolers.

Book Review: House of 100 Storeys 100'''' (3 book set)

Author:  Toshio Iwai
Country of original publication: Japan
Language: Simplified Chinese
Pages per book: 32
Lines per page: 2 ' 4
Books in the series: 3
Pinyin: no
Audio available:  Luka compatible
Available in Singapore NLB: Yes

What is 100'''' series?

This is a very different kind of picture book.  Imagine receiving a strange letter and a map, saying 'Come to my home ' I stay at the top of a 100 storey building!' ' and then reading the book from back to front, with text going vertically'.. maybe this sounds a little like Traditional Chinese book, but it's a totally different concept going on here.

This is a stunningly illustrated and imaginative book set about three different houses which are 100 stories tall (or 100 stories underground, and 100 stories in the ocean).  The original books are in Japanese: they haven't been translated into English, but they have been translated into Simplified Chinese. With the bright colours, detailed illustrations and clever story-telling through vertically oriented text, the book has been lauded with numerous prizes in Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan.    It will be no surprise to a reader to learn that their author/illustrator, Toshio Iwai, is an acclaimed artist who has also created several successful commercial video games.  The books do really feel like you're in a video game brought to life!

Who is this series for?

We came across this book because my primary school-age daughter loves to read a set of English fiction books called The 13-Storey Tree House by Terry Denton and Andy Griffiths.  These are wonderful novels, which in fact won the Australian Book Industry Award for Book of the Year for Older Children in .  So, when I saw The House of 100 Storeys, I thought the set could be a fairly good alternative to this in Chinese.  And it is ' they have a similar style of content and masterfully creative storyline, but with more pictures than words, for a child who is perhaps less fluent with their Chinese reading than their English level.

I've written previously about a few book series which we've discovered in Simplified Chinese that are largely similar in style to English books my children already had been fascinated with. These include Young Scientists Magazine and Captain Underpants.

13-Storey Tree House certainly has a good equivalent in House of 100 Storeys (100'''').

In much the same way as 13-Story Tree House, the book takes the reader on an adventure level by level, with each page describing a new and very different layer of the house.  The storyline is filled with suspense and is rich in details, covering topics from geography, geology, mathematics, biology and meteorology in a fun fashion.  For example, there is a different set of animals on every tenth floor ' a marvellously wonderful array of animals is described, from their habitats to their characteristics.

In the Undersea edition, it revolves around a young girl on board a cruise ship, who accidentally drops her doll into the ocean. As the reader searches for her lost doll, we end up on a magical journey exploring the depths of the ocean, in a rather unconventional and unexpected way. 

I think the book content would be appropriate for children aged 5 to 12, however certainly the child needs to have a high level of fluency and concentration to understand these books.  It really takes about 30 minutes to read the book from back-to-front.  However, simply looking at the pictures is also a fun activity in itself.  Sometimes my daughter will just stare through all the pictures, examining the small detail of the little animals eating, exercising, bathing, sleeping, etc.  Other days, she'll look at each page and try to guess who lives on the next floor.

Unfortunately, being a vertically oriented book, it's very hard to do justice to it in photographs.  You need to see the real thing!  The details are exquisite.

What's especially good?

• Exquisitely detailed pictures: there are more pictures than text, creating lots of space for exploring and looking, and engaging the child
• The text is vertically-oriented: showing a child how they can be creative with written language 
• The stories cleverly combine a fun narrative and facts: the delightful pictures give way to encyclopaedia-like facts, which is especially great for children who like numbers and science
• There isn't an English version: so if the child likes the concept, this is the only version they can read!
• All books are Luka Compatible: Luka reads them in Chinese only

Another blogger (@ The Multilingual Experiment) has made a lovely summary of the key themes / lessons / words which this book can be used for, grouped into animals, everyday objects, prepositions and verbs. Have a look if you're keen to use this book as part of curriulum.

Titles in the series:

We have three books:

• 100'''' House of 100 Stories 
• ''100'''' House of 100 Stories Undersea 
• ''100''''House of 100  Stories Underground

Where to buy 100'''' in Singapore?

You can buy in Singapore from many great children's Chinese bookstores. I made a blog post listing all our family's favourite haunts to find excellent Chinese literature for Children in Singapore. The list includes some 10% discount codes for our favourite stores.

Specifically, we bought our 100 House set from  My Story Treasury.   I'm excited to share that My Story Treasury has also kindly extended a discount code to all readers of my blog.  Please use 'lahlahbanana10' on check-out to receive 10% off any title that your purchase through their store.

Luka Compatible?

Yes, all three books can be read on Luka, in Chinese.  If you haven't heard of Luka yet, you really must! Luka Reading Robot is a clever ' and super cute ' robot which will read physical picture books aloud to your family.  This adorable owl-shaped reading companion can read aloud over 50,000 Chinese books, which is great for families like ours where neither parent speaks Chinese.

I've made a long list of all the Luka Compatible books which we love in a separate post too.

Other similar books to 100 House series in Chinese

f your family already enjoys this series, there are some other similar books which I would recommend trying out:

• Other mystery books:  Butt Detective is one, as mentioned above. Nate the Great is another detective set my daughter really enjoys.  We have a bilingual version, which has English at one end, and Simplified Chinese at the other.  It's more of a novel than a picture book, but the vocabulary used is not any harder than the 100 House series.
• Books at a similar level of Chinese reading: For other similar level Chinese books, listed by complexity of characters, please see my earlier post on Chinese bridging books.
• Other picture books which also can be narrated by Luka Reading Robot: See my list of Luka compatible books at this link, sorted by age group.
• Other books which have been translated from Japanese: There are some excellent picture books which have been translated in Chinese, and contain these really uniquely wonderful pictures (think manga / anime crossed with video games) and / or fantastic storylines.  Our favourites include Mr Crow's Bakery, and the T-Rex series.  But there are seriously lots and lots!

For more book recommendations, see my collection of earlier reviews:

• Books for basic early literacy and characters
• Books for Preschoolers
• Books for Primary Students

Review: VIP Peilian for online piano practice

UPDATE JUNE : VIP Peilian is no longer in business. This is one of the risks with online businesses which sprout up from China. It was great for us, but clearly the business wasn't great. It's a shame there are many great music teachers now who have lost their livelihoods and not been paid for months, and many families will have lost much in prepaid packages. There is however a lovely US-based service who has helped to re-employ some of these teachers. If you're looking for online violin or piano classes taught in Mandarin Chinese, I would recommend you look at Bilin Academy.

[Below post is from , and sadly this business is no longer in business]

The concept is so simple ' an online music education platform, offering to help your child practice their instrument, with a live teacher (based in China) who listens and provides encouragement, at a fraction of the price of the typical music lessons.  That is the promise of VIP Peilian, and it has a smoothly executed app which enables booking of classes at 2 hours notice, and trained coaches to give real-time feedback, using a special lens for the iPad/tablet so the teacher can better see the instrument and fingering.

I'm especially fond of the concept of VIP Peilian because I'm always looking for more ways to increase the spoken Mandarin around our house, without taking formal Chinese tuition: learning piano from a mainland Chinese speaker certainly ticks many boxes for us!

What is VIP Peilian?

VIP Peilian is aimed at children aged 5-16, already learning a musical instrument.  It's said to be the first service in China to provide 'online one-on-one instrument training'.  It's certainly the only one we know of (based in China at least'. I do know of a few other online piano classes, but their costs are astronomical).

It really is a practice buddy, not a long-term substitute for real music lessons.  The word 'Peilian', meaning training or sparring reflects this.  The classes are intended to be a supplement to in-person learning (in that they will not develop a curriculum for you).  In our experience, the VIP Peilian coach has focussed on teaching my daughter how to practice, and systematically goes through the songs which have been set by her real in-person teacher.     During the 'lock down' which our city had for Covid, we did take a break from physical piano lessons, and relied merely on apps, but I'm glad we're able to do the real thing once again too.  There's certainly no substitute for a physical teacher, but VIP Peilian is a nice way to ensure regular practice sessions are effective.

How the Peilian online classes works

1. Classes are booked through the app (either 25 minutes or 50 minutes). 
2. Once a lessons is scheduled, there is an option to photograph and upload the music.  The app also has all the common music books (split by instrument and grade).
3. The lesson is conducted over their app, and uses a free attachable fish-eye lens, so the teacher can see the fingering better (in our case, it points down for the keyboard, and has a split mirror allowing the teacher to see half screen the keyboard/hands, an the other half screen being the child). The lens will be express couriered to you before your first class.
4. After the lesson, the teacher provides short written feedback summary, and it's also possible to watch a replay of the lesson.
5. Child can earn points during the week, between classes, through extra practice and use these to get virtual clothing/food/features for an online monster pet.

We do 3 x 25 minutes per week, and it feels just about right.

What instruments are offered by VIP Peilian?

Piano, violin, viola, oboe, guitar, clarinet, saxophone, drums, ukulele, cello, flute, accordion, and guzheng, among 20 instruments offered.  Interestingly, nothing for voice. We've only tried out the piano option (it's been great), and we've heard varying reports about the effectiveness of other instruments.

Pricing of VIP Peilian?

Packages are sold in packages of 50, 80, or 120 'credits'. 

If you take a standard teacher, 1 credit is 50 minutes.  We do 25 minute lessons, so that's 0.5 credits.  Hence, the 80 credit package gives us 160 lessons, which need to be used up in the space of 18 months.  The credits can be used across different children (in the one family) or across different instruments.

Note:  if you choose a higher charging teacher, they may charge 1.2 units per 50 minutes or even up to 3 units for 50 minutes for a fancy teacher.

There is a free trial lesson (message me if you would like our referral code).  After that, lessons must be done from a package and booked through the app.     Yes it's possible to pay in USD using Paypal, and there is also a myriad of options in RMB pricing through Alipay, Chinese credit cards, etc.

How the free lesson trial works

1. Register for a free trial (I think if you provide my referral details you'll get 2 free classes too).  This can be done online through their website, which is totally in Chinese.  Otherwise, contact them via their Site Chatbot or WeChat, and request to speak in English.
   
2. A course consultant will call you to arrange a trial appointment.  At this stage, they'll ask for information about the child's age, instrument background, personality etc to determine an appropriate match in teacher for the trial.
   
3. Online 1:1 trial class with the teacher ' done through /iPad, and requires downloading the VIP Peilian app.
   
4. After class, the sales consultant will ring you to give feedback on the trial and give you A HARD SELL! It's a little off putting, but it all melted in comparison to the joy I saw my child having, and the light-bulb moment when I realised she's be able to practice independently with this service.
   
5. There are a range of packages available ' as explained above in 'Pricing' section.

Pros of VIP Peilian online piano class

• Prices are cheap ' US$12 for 50 minutes for a basic teacher!  It's like peanuts if the intention it to simply get a child to happily practice for 25 minutes, several times a week.
  
• Increases practice time without needing my supervision ' I get 1.5 free hours a week, because my daughter will happily practice three times a week with the online teacher, and it happens without any nagging at all!  My daughter's patience and attitude to practising has improved immensely through VIP Peilian, which in turn, it making her actual in-person lessons more worthwhile too.
  
• Flexible timing '  classes can be booked around the clock, and they have help desk to assist 24-hour, that can speak (some) English.  If not, they'll get an English speaking consultant to call you back.  Classes can also be cancelled at 2 hours prior notice, which I think it very fair.
  
• App includes written feedback from the teacher and video of lesson ' in case parents want to review afterwards
  
• Good alternative to other online music lessons during Covid ' the teachers are very positive and encouraging, and the special free fish-eye mirrors lens enables hand position and shape to be critiqued, which is an added bonus that might not be available for other Zoom-style music lessons being offered as alternatives to physical classes.
  
• Practice for spoken Chinese:  It's possible to get the lesson in Chinese or English.  We chose Chinese, although the teacher's English is good enough that she can explain concepts that way too if needed.  The Chinese is extra welcome, as our usual teacher doesn't speak in Chinese.
  
• Ability to choose a teacher (or teachers):  There are a range of teachers, from less experienced music conservatorium students through to prize-winning pianists who have taught for year.  It's possible to view the biographies and qualifications of each teacher, and make a choice.   The  prices do differ by experience.   Apparently, all teachers have professional music school backgrounds and have been screened and trained by VIP.
  

Cons of VIP Pielian

• The initial sales tactics were a little off putting ' in that they call up to schedule a trial lesson and say 'it needs to be today' and then afterwards they try to make you sign up for some gigantic package with classes three times a week for the next three years!!  It's probably not a bad deal when you do the maths on it, however it's also quite a lot to stomach upfront, and I've never liked being locked into long term plans.  Usually that type of hardsell scares me away forever, but here I am writing a blog post about how good it is!  It is actually possible to get shorter packages, and you never have to deal with the hard-selling salesperson again after the original purchase because you then are connected with the teacher and a service help/lesson scheduler who is much more accommodating.

• The app is 100% in Chinese ' it was a lot of work for me to figure it out original set up. Thankfully the customer consultant spoke reasonable English and held my hand throughout the setup.  Now, thanks to Google translate, we're able to continue on a day-to-day basis in terms of booking/cancelling classes, uploading new music scores, and reading feedback from the teacher.   Still, there is heaps to the app which I don't understand and I'm sure we're missing out on (such as free credits for different things, new music, fun music theory games, online competitions, etc).

• It's not for brand-new beginners ' the child would need to be able to read music and know where the keys are.  We tried one class on my second daughter (who'd had about 4 physical piano lessons), and she was very frustrated by it all.  In fact, she was nearly in tears by the end unfortunately.  I think the Chinese speaking didn't help, as that also takes a lot of concentration for her.  So, we won't be trying it again on her for some time. It's also not great if the child has a hand position issue or needs help learning to read the music '.. . it is predominantly voice-only guidance, for practising playing and rhythm.

• Teachers could be varied ' just like any school or organisation which relies on different individuals (in this case, hundreds of teachers), I'm sure they won't all be great and there can be some personality clashes.  We were lucky to have a great trial class, and have kept the same teacher, who is easy going and motivating.  We've heard of another family (whose child was actually a very advanced violinist) who had a bad experience whereby the trial teacher effectively said the child wasn't as good as their mother thought they were, and it was a less-than-professional discussion which evolved where the teacher stated to question the mother about why she was Chinese but couldn't speak Chinese.  Not a great advertisement.   They do say on the website that over 80% of the business is from word of mouth, so it cannot all be so bad!

Other alternatives for online piano classes

Online apps:  For online practice we also purchased the Joy Tunes app, with Piano Maestro and Simply Piano.  These are fun and being in English, we can make more use of the apps.  They provided video lessons and an intuitive gamification function where it listens to the piano music being played, and gives a rating.  We've used them for over a year now ' however, I see this as more fun than learning support or practising.  Unless the child has excellent concentration and ability to not give up, it's easy for a child to become slack with these apps.  Also, they miss the interpersonal connection! 

Other online lessons: We've seen a couple advertised, such as Fireworks Music School based in London, but doing a heavy sell into Singapore.  Fireworks Music School offers 'Online Live Music Lessons with London's Best Music Professors' through Zoom.  From the look of the website, the iPad needs to be placed beside the keyboard so as for the teacher to view the playing technique, so it might be a bit of a logistic exercise depending on the layout of your room (we certainly don't have a bookshelf sideways next to our piano!).  A good thing about this is that lessons are paid one-by-one (2 days beforehand via TransferWise), so there's not the commitment risk which Peilian has.  However, their rates are SG$45 for 30 minutes, of SG$70 for one hour' so it's like five times the price of VIP Peilian. I know which one I'd choose!! 

How about you?

What great apps or techniques do you use to assist your children with their music practice? I'd love to know!

Meanwhile, if you are interested to try out VIP Pielian, and if they ask you for a referral code, I'm happy to share ours. Likewise, we signed up after a referral from a friend, and it was much appreciated.

If you've arrived at the end and are still looking for more classes, perhaps there are other posts on my blog which might help you go down some more rabbit holes to find the ideal class:

• Teaching Kids Chinese in a monolingual home ' where to start?
• Our favourite online Chinese learning platforms ' update after 2 years
• Review of GenieBook Chinese
• Comparison of online math classes taught in Chinese
• Non-academic and CCA classes taught in Chinese

Book Review: Elephant and Piggie series in Chinese '''''''''

Name: Elephant and Piggie series in Chinese (Set of 17) ''''''''
Author: Mo Willems, ''' (translator)  
Country of original publication: US 
Language: Simplified Chinese
Pages per book: 57
Lines per page: 0-3
Books in the series: 17
Pinyin: No
Audio available:  Luka compatible and plenty of Ximalaya readings
Available in SIngapore NLB libraries: Yes

What is the Elephant and Piggie series in Chinese?

This is one hilarious book set!  Originally written in English, and translated into Chinese.

Mo Willems' Elephant and Piggie series is a modern children's classic, filled with hilarious storyline and plenty of simple, repetitive sentences overflowing with high frequency words.  For us, it was love at first read.     Every book in the series is ultimately about the everlasting friendship between Gerald the Elephant and Piggie the pig, and the humorous situations they find themselves in.

Gerald is a caring and careful elephant. Piggie is a joyful but not-so-careful pig. Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald often has a bad time. Gerald worries a lot, which means that Piggie does not have to. They are best friends.

Mo Willems is a New York Times #1 best-selling author and illustrator who started his career on Sesame Street, where he garnered six Emmy Awards for his writing.  So he's well positioned to be writing early childhood literature, which is based on sound educational pedagogy.   Willems said his primary goal in writing the books was to create stories that were as funny and exciting as possible, despite their being early readers.

In my opinion, Willems has captured everything an early reader book should be: simple words, short sentences, lots of repetition, clear illustrations with plenty of clues'. and no other distractions.

In terms of content, I would say they're close to perfect:  perfect length, perfect level of humour, and perfect depiction of the world and people within it.  Having over 50+ pages for a kids book sounds long, but the pages are short and the time flies!

Who is this series for?

The Elephant and Piggie series in Chinese is best suited for ages 4 to 8, for children with basic Chinese listening fluency. The books are conversational, first-person style writing, with only a few words on each page, most of which are repeated several times.  

Each book is a 'mini drama' between the Elephant and Piggie, which are fun to read out and role play as a family (as an aside: there are some amazing free Ximalaya recordings of this book, done between a father and daughter which do just that!) Then, there are a range of supporting characters that make cameo appearances, like flies, snakes, rhinos, squirrels and that pigeon.  

They're pretty good for the whole family ' my pre-schooler can read large parts of these books on her own, which cannot be said for many other book series (for example, even Mo Willem's other famous book set ''''' The Pigeon, doesn't provide the ease of reading which Elephant and Piggie does).  Even just knowing ~300 Chinese characters (i.e. hasn't finished Sage book series yet), it's possible for her to read most of the 57-pages in these books, and feel a great sense of accomplishment in doing so.  Meanwhile, the stories are entertaining enough that my 8 year old also requests these to be read on regular rotation. The stories are fun.  And funny!

The entire Elephant and Piggie series is intertwined with the very subtle message that, despite all of their differences (species, personalities, genders, size), Gerald and Piggie can get along.  I appreciate literature like that.

I see the personas of the two main protagonists reflected in my own children too ' perhaps you might see it in your kids or their friends?   The elder being a joyful child who overflows with enthusiasm and optimism, and occasionally gets over hyped. The second being the more cautious sister, who is practical, kind, gentle, and just a little anxious at times, although seemingly with wisdom beyond her years. 

As an overall 'feeling', I don't find the Elephant and Piggie books to be quite as charming as many of Mo Willems' books which are oozing with joy (in this series, the drawings are simpler, the storylines are less bizarre).  However, these books are deliberately very simple to read and give a nascent reader confidence, and in fact, they've been a great bridge for my eldest daughter to go on and read other more complex Mo Willems books (like Knuffle Bunny, or Leonardo The Terrible Monster).

What's especially good?

We especially like:

• The text is really large and simple dialogue ' and it changes size depending on whether we should be YELLING or whispering the words.  This makes for highly fun and dynamic reading experience, with enough cues that the children get it too.

• Lots of repetition and high frequency words: most of the words are very simple, but occasionally a 'big' word slips in when it's needed

• It's perfect for reading aloud ' and it's laugh-out-loud funny for kids

• It's Luka compatible ' in both Chinese and English (although there are other free Ximalaya audio recordings in Chinese which we much prefer to the Luka audio)

• Simple drawings ' enables the reader to focus on the words, and the body language of the characters. 

• The books contain life lessons for kids in a covert way ' each story creates room for conversations about values, differences, and problem resolution.

As an example of the life lessons, picture this:  Piggie finds a ball, only to have someone (aka 'Big Guy') come and take it away.  This causes Gerald to want to get the ball back. However, along the way, Piggie learns that the 'Big Guy' owns the ball and was just trying to play with her, not be mean ' see what I mean about having a nice lesson hidden in the subtext?  

Lessons aside, giggles will abound!

Titles in the 17 Book Elephant and Piggie series in Chinese:

1. ''''''  Today I Will Fly!
2. ''''''' My Friend Is Sad
3. ''''''''I Am Invited To A Party
4. ''''''' There Is A Bird On Your Head
5. '''''I Will Surprise My Friend!
6. ''''''Watch Me Throw The Ball
7. '''''''Elephant Cannot Dance 
8. '''''I Am Going
9. ''''''? Can I Play Too?
10. ''''''''We Are In A Book
11. '''''''''Should I Share My Ice Cream? 
12. '''''' Listen To My Trumpet 
13. ''''''Let's Go For A Drive!
14. '''''''''A Big Guy Took My Ball!
15. '''''''I'm a Frog!
16. '''''''My New Friend Is So Fun!
17. '''''''Waiting Is Not Easy!
    
    

Short synopsis of each book:

These books come in a set of 5 and a set of 17.  Boy am I glad that I chose to buy the set of 17!  My kids tore through this entire series so fast:

• ''''''  Today I Will Fly! :  Piggie is determined to fly, but Gerald sensibly suggests this is impossible.  Piggie refuses to give up, and gives it her best shot, 'I will try, I will try'.

• ''''''' My Friend Is Sad:  Gerald is having a sad day.  Piggie desperately tries to cheer him up, by dressing up a cowboy, a clown, and a robot. But what will turn his frown into a smile again?.

• ''''''''I Am Invited To A Party:  Piggie receives her first ever invitation to a party, and asks Gerald to join her.  But, what will they wear?  Gerald thinks he has expert advice to give.

• ''''''' There Is A Bird On Your Head: Piggie tells Gerald that a bird has landed on his head, and Gerald really isn't happy.   He slowly learns that it's not so bad, in fact, it's better than having two birds on your head.  This book was the winner of the Theodor Suess Geisel Medal in .  Gosh, the book series is really that old?

• '''''I Will Surprise My Friend! Piggie and Gerald agree to surprise each other.  But things don't work out as planned, which surprises both of them.

• ''''''Watch Me Throw The Ball: Piggie wants to throw the ball, but Gerald wants to put more thought into it.

• '''''''Elephant Cannot Dance: Piggie attempts to teach Gerald how to dance, but it's not as easy as she hoped. In the process, Gerald teaches Piggie something much more important.

• '''''I Am Going:  Piggie decides she is going, and Gerald is distraught because he doesn't want his friend to go away for good.  Why does Piggie want to go?

• ''''''? Can I Play Too?:  Piggie and Gerald are trying to play ball, when a snake asks to join.  The snake cannot catch the ball, so the trio need to adapt their game to be snake-friendly.

• ''''''''We Are In A Book: Gerald and Piggie discover the joy of reading about themselves.  But how will the story end?

• '''''''''Should I Share My Ice Cream? Gerald has a big decision to make ' but will he make it in time.  This story is about the challenges of doing the right thing, and making things right.

• '''''' Listen To My Trumpet:  Piggie hopes to wow Gerald with her new trumpet. Gerald listen, but winces. Gerald, being a great friend, conscientiously decides he should tell her the truth ' albeit as gently as possible.

• ''''''Let's Go For A Drive!: This is another Geisel Award winning title.  The two friends are preparing to go for a drive and trying to remember what to pack.  The only problem is that they have forgotten they don't have a car!

• '''''''''A Big Guy Took My Ball! : Piggie's ball is taken, and Gerald helps her to retrieve it from the alleged perpetrator.  But they learn along the way that there's always a different point of view.

• '''''''I'm a Frog!: Piggie has some ribbiting news!   Can Gerald accept Piggie's new identity? Piggie explains the art of using one's imagination, how to 'pretend' just for fun and giggles.

• '''''''My New Friend Is So Fun!:  Piggie makes a new friend and has a lot of fun with her.  But it leaves Gerald (and the snake) feeling jealous and lonely.  Do they have something to worry about?  This is one of the few books in which there are four different voices ' so it's a favourite in our family.

• '''''''Waiting Is Not Easy!: Piggie has a surprise for Gerald, but he has to wait for it.  Gerald learns a truth familiar to every preschooler: that waiting indeed is not easy, but it's usually worth it!. We've certainly used the lessons in this book with our daughters.

Translation from English to Chinese:

It's worth noting that I have heard from others that they don't feel the Elephant and Piggie series was translated particularly well from the English into Chinese.   There have been several different translators for different versions, so maybe that makes a difference.    In the 17-book which we purchased, it's been translated by ''' . I think it's been excellently written in such a way that it keeps the charm, but still preserves the essence of Mo Willems' mission, which was to enable the books to be read and enjoyed by a nascent reader.   

I'm aware that there is another 5-book set translated by '' , which we haven't read.  Some desk-based research on the differences between the sets indicates that in our 17 book set, the name 'Gerald' is translated phonetically into a Chinese name '''' (jié lā '.. using two common characters ' jié = excellent and ' lā = pull). In contrast, the 5-book set translates 'Gerald' into ''''(xiǎo xiàng = little elephant).    I've also heard from a friend in Taiwan that the traditional Chinese translation is totally different again!

Having not read the original English version,  it's hard to comment beyond that fact that we enjoy reading the Simplified Chinese version which we have, and we also enjoy listening to the English audio, which according to the children, it not that different from the Chinese.

Where to buy in Singapore?

You can borrow all these titles from the local libraries in Singapore (NLB), which lies excellent news!

We purchased our set in Singapore from the online Children's Chinese bookstore called My Story Treasury . I'm excited to share that My Story Treasury has also kindly extended a discount code to all readers of my blog. Use 'lahlahbanana10' on check-out to receive 10% off any title that you purchase through their store.

If outside of Singapore, other options to try could be Deziremi (UK), Jo Jo Learning (US), China Sprout (US) or Taobao or EZBuy (rest of Asia), with a search based on the story titles indicated above.

Other tips

I'm sharing a helpful link which My Story Treasury introduced me to which has teaching resources (in English) about how to use Elephant & Piggie books in the classroom with extended activities.  It has some interesting ideas, especially for value-based themes, but it also includes art, PE, creative writing and more for the classroom.

Luka compatible

The whole 17 book set can be read on Luka, in both English and Chinese. 

Luka reads all 17 books in Chinese, and also can read 8 books in this set in English (just tap Luka's head twice to switch languages).   We sometimes do a page in Chinese and then repeat it in English.   The 8 books that Luka reads in both languages are:   

'''''I Will Surprise My Friend!
''''''''I Am Invited To A Party
''''''Watch Me Throw The Ball
''''''  Today I Will Fly!
''''''' There Is A Bird On Your Head
'''''''''A Big Guy Took My Ball!
''''''Let's Go For A Drive!:
'''''''My New Friend Is So Fun!

Actually, we don't really need the Chinese audio, as my children can fully read most of these books, and they just fill in the gaps using Luka 'point and read' mode.   However, we do like to listen to the English audio (it has great sound effects and musical background), so usually I let the children read in Chinese and then we listen to Luka read in English, where its available. 

Luka is a fantastic reading companion, which I've written about previously if you would like to find out more about this amazing little robot.

What are other similar books to Elephant & Piggie series in Chinese?

• Books by the same author: Mo Willems has written several excellent books (in English), many of which are translated into Chinese too. These include '''' (Pigeon series); '''', '''! (Time to sleep, sleep the sleep!); '''', '''? (What's your sound, hound the hound?); '''', '''? (Cat the cat, who is that?), ''''''  (Leonardo, the terrible monster),; '''''''! (The thank you book), and many many more.  Do you have any favourites to recommend to us?
• Books at a similar level of Chinese reading: For other similar level Chinese books, listed by complexity of characters, please see my earlier post on Chinese bridging books.
• Picture books which also can be narrated by Luka: See my list of Luka compatible books at this link, sorted by age group.

Bilingual craft ideas: Le Le Reading Challenge

We recently finished the 14 Day Le Le Reading Challenge, and we have a plethora of beautiful new art and craft to show for it.

Le Le are a wonderful series of graded Chinese readers which aim to teach children how to read in Chinese, without using pinyin, and with interesting short stories which create a love for literature.  If you're unaware what the Le Le Chinese Character Learning ''''series is, see my review here.

The 14 Day Challenge was organised by Le Le Culture in July , to encourage daily book reading.  We paired each book with a short craft activity, using items we already had in the cupboards, most of which were recycled.  In fact, all the craft I'm about to share in this post only uses cardboard boxes, paper plates, toilet paper rolls, disposable cups, paperclips, yarn, rice, disposable chopsticks, feathers and food dye (and of course paint, glue, scissors, and craft knife). 

We love Le Le because, well, it's just so easy to craft to!  The craft we do at home is usually very low preparation, low cost, so hopefully from these pictures you'll see it's easy for you to do the same.  If there are any specific requests for more instructions on how we made it, let me know, and happy to put more detail in.  I think most of it is so simply, it's self explanatory.  

Chinese Literary Craft activities for preschoolers

The activities covered include themes for:

• Animals: Butterflies, Birds, Elephants, Monkeys, Fish, Dogs

• Foods: Watermelon, food trucks

• Weather & Seasons: Clothing, Winter, Cherry Blossom, Rainbows

• Geography: World map puzzle, State map puzzle, Planets

• Others:  Monsters, Robots, Primary Colours

Le Le 14 Day Challenge Craft

Day 1 ' Watermelon  (Le Le Red Book 47)

Paper plate and Ikea acrylic paint!

Day 2 ' Singapore Map  (Le Le Yellow Book 10)

Inspired by some other participants in The Challenge, I took out my craft knife from school days, and we made a puzzle of Singapore. Singapore had a General Election the day prior, so we made it to show the electoral regions and coloured by outcomes. It created some great conversations with kids about civics and democracy too.

Day 3 ' Rainbow Rice Butterfly  (Le Le Red Book 96)

We followed the Le Le book using food dye to blend the colour, and then added them into ziplock bags with rice and a spoonful of vinegar to make the rainbow rice.  Thankfully no toilet paper shortage post-Circuit Breaker, and we had plenty to decorate the butterfly wings with.

Day 4 ' Giant Feet & Footprints (Le Le Yellow Book 23)

Using cardboard boxes and egg carton toes, we made giant feet, and learnt the character ''' (as in foot print). We made the character in the bottom of the shoe using aluminium foil, and stamped around painting it on the ground. It was fun from start to toe! It was a great activity because it involved kids from 2 to 7 during their own unique piece, all had a part to play in the process.

Note if you're attempting this one: the flatter cereal box was much easier for the children to walk in, rather than the fatter tissue box.

Day 5 ' Clothing (Le Le Red Books 53, 98 and 100)

Initially we drew and coloured clothing.  However, with National Day approaching, we then re-purposed the clothing to become washing poles (using chopsticks), which we decorated an HDB block with.

Day 6 ' The Bird Hotel (Le Le Red Book 86)

We imagined the 15 birds in the tree were enjoying it as a hotel, and drew what it would be like to the birds in their tall tree.

Day 7 ' A Talking Parrot (Le Le Red Book 52)

We read the book then drew our own scene, to encourage sentence writing (something we need a bit of help at!).

Day 8 ' Sharing a Feather (Le Le Green Book 71)

Continuing the bird theme, we did feather craft about a peacock who shared their feathers with other birds, and they all became colourful. We used acryllic Ikea paint for the hand prints

Day 9 ' Elephant with a curious trunk (Le Le Red Book 69)

Really simple' just use one paper plate, scissors and paint.

Day 10 ' Monkey business (Le Le Red Book 15)

A super quick craft before Church using again using hand printing with Ikea acrylic paint.

Day 11 ' Cherry trees and blossom (Le Le Red Book 78)

My 3 year old and I had a fun morning scrunching paper (good for fine motor skills!) and eating cherries!

Day 12 ' Fishing for words (Le Le Red Book 49)

We arranged the characters from the Le Le Book 49 story on hanging paper clips to make a sentence.

Day 13 ' Aquarium (Le Le Red Book 54)

Our fish theme continued today ' making paper cup and plate fish. Our aquarium was a little too small!

Day 14 ' Walking Water Rainbow (Le Le Yellow Book 70)

Last Day of the Challenge! Hooray! We tried a science experiment to create a 'walking water' rainbow. And yes, there was a pot of gold (chocolate) at the end of the rainbow!

The Le Le 14 Day Challenge was a great opportunity to focus on literacy, and meet other like-minded Le Le reading families.  Everyone shared really interesting ideas ' including reading ideas.  We learnt a lot about how we can read our Le Le sets (backwards, forwards, fast, slow, indoors, outdoors, etc). It was a fun 14 days!

We've also done some other fun Le Le craft outside of the Challenge, including:

Knitted dog clothes (Le Le Red Book 4) ' using a 'knitting nancy' the dog was made ready for winter.

World Map  (Yellow Book 69 & Red Book 83)' we converted our Singapore map into three layer puzzle, starting with a whole world map, then South East Asia, and finally Singapore underneath.

Snowflakes (Red Book 1 and 19)  ' more toilet paper craft & paper cutting

Coloured Elephants (Red Book 15)  ' using old milk bottles and crepe paper

Planets (Red Book 100) ' we studied outer space in a few different forms, including using PVA glue with food colouring to make planets which we could stick on the window. We also drew our own solar system to scale on recycled cardboard.

Food Truck (Red 72) ' a watercolour and pencil sketch

Robots (Red Book 5) ' not much literacy in this one, but it was fun to build a large robot using magnetic squares.

Origami (Yellow Book 31) ' Dog & Cranes, simply following the instructions in the book.

Cardboard Colour Puzzles (Red Book 100) ' for colour blending and fine motor skills.  This was actually a piece of work fully designed and executed by the big sister, for her littlest sister.

See how easy peasy it is? What fun craft have you done related to Le Le? I would love to know!

And pssssst, let me tell you a secret. One of the rewards for finishing the Le Le 14 Day Reading Challenge is a free online art class from Language Art Fun, and it's well worth it. Below are some pictures from our Zoom classes we've done as prizes for completing the challenge.

Co-Curricular Classes for Kids Taught in Chinese available online and in Singapore

Have you considered any CCAs (aka co-curricular or extracurricular activities') which are taught in Mandarin Chinese, to give your children more language exposure?  This can be a much cheaper alternative to formal Chinese tuition, and it might be a lot more fun for the child too. 

We've never in our house faced an 'I-hate-Mandarin' attitude (touch wood), but I like to think that predominantly my kids only use the language for activities which they feel are fun, and not pressurised or stressful. We've opted for taking classes like piano, cooking or sport with Mandarin coaches to let them absorb the language in every day situations outside of the formal school classroom. There's a lovely post by Hands on Fun Chinese, which is an 'Immersion Parent Guide to Supporting Chinese', and it recommends extracurricular activities as a top strategy, and I agree it's powerful (and fun).

Our family has engaged in several great Chinese taught non-academic classes over the years we have lived in Singapore ' and now in a post-COVID world, we've even had the opportunity to explore some special online classes too which are offered globally.  Here's a hit list of a few ideas to get your creative juices going.

Art classes taught in Chinese

In Singapore: again, the local Community Club's often have classes in Chinese Calligraphy for children, which are taught fully in Chinese.  Check out OnePA for course listings and locations.   Another great option which my elder daughter has done is Hokkien Huay Kuan Arts and Cultural Troupe, who have recently branched out into offering Calligraphy
& Chinese Painting  classes too, in addition to the amazing suite of drama classes.

Another one to consider (which we haven't tried) is Moyuan Culture Education Centre which offers Chinese Calligraphy, Chinese Painting and Creative Art classes.

Online: Bilin Academy is our go-to option here, as they have a wide range of online art classes taught solely in Mandarin.  Whilst it's a US-based service, they have plenty of classes available for Singapore timezones. Topics range from learning about fashion design from top New York Fashion Designers (who speak fluent Mandarin), through to drawing Disney Princesses, or doing a watercolour class on painting Classical Chinese poetry.  Classes are affordable at ~US$15-20 per hour, with max 5 students in a class.  We have enjoyed every course we've done through Bilin Academy, and hope to do many more.

Another great option we've enjoyed online is Language Art Fun, which is more suitable for kindergarten age children, as it a similar price to Bilin Academy. The focus is more on crafts and simpler drawing, which always includes a literary element too.

Dance Classes taught in Chinese

In Singapore: Singapore Chinese Dance Theatre offers ballet and contemporary dance classes for children of all ages, taught in Mandarin.  Don't be fooled by their website address ' whilst this is also hosted at the Hokkien Huay Kuan Association building, it's totally separate from the Hokkien Huay Kuan Arts and Cultural Troupe, and their waiting list isn't quite as long (thankfully!).  Classes include western ballet, but also Wushi, Chinese Classical Dance and Chinese Ethnic Dance.  At the end of each year, students have the opportunity to perform in the Theatre's annual dance showcase, which for many (parents included) is the highlight of the year!

Online: Chiwawa Fun have online classes for hip hop and tap dance. They have ongoing classes, and if you don't see one advertised which fits your schedule, ask them to start one. They're based in Hong Kong, so it's a great fit timezone wise for families Singapore. We know one family who even thought about having a hip hop class as a birthday party event, it's that fun! Lots of choreography to develop your child's dance abilities, all the while learning Mandarin. Lah Lah Banana readers can benefit from a 10% promo discount at checkout using LAHLAHBCHIWW10.

Drama Classes taught in Chinese

In Singapore: It took us 1 year on a waiting list to finally get a slot at SingaporeHokkien Huay Kuan Arts and Cultural Troupe! Their weekly enrichment classes focus on speech and drama, and also broadcasting courses for older children, and it's not an overstatement to say they're wildly popular.  For children who are particularly keen and talented, there is an opportunity to join their Cultural Troupe for live performances at various venues.

Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) also offer a Bilingual Chinese Drama Class, which again is usually oversubscribed. We haven't tried this one, but we've heard it's also good.

Online: We did a Speech and Drama class through Bilin Academy which was excellent. Bilin is a small school based in US, and they really vet their teachers and providers well, so you can be sure to be paying for quality whatever you take through them. This is also where we've taken several terms of art classes, which have been beautiful.

Music classes taught in Mandarin

In Singapore:  most of the local Community Clubs have Chinese Children's Orchestra and Choirs, many of which are free to sign up to, provided the child has an existing musical background (eg if they can already read music or play another instrument, then they may be able to learn some of the Chinese instruments like Guzheng '' or Erhu '').  Enquire at your local Community Club, or look online at OnePA . Note that often not all the options are listed online, so you are better to talk to the Club / Centre in person. One great thing about these groups is that they often have multiple performance opportunities at local community events, such as Chinese New Year dinners, or Hawker Centre openings, etc.

For more specific musical instruments with one-to-one classes, consider websites like the Happy Pianist or Piano Hub, which match students with private tutors. You can input as one of your requirements that the tutor speaks predominantly in Mandarin. We found two great tutors through there.

Online:  we use VIP Pielian for online practice sessions bi-weekly for my daughters to support their regular piano classes.  It's an intriguing service based in mainland China, and good way for a child to clock up the practice, whilst chatting in Chinese.  I've done a more detailed post about how VIP Pielian service works.  Classes are about US$6 per 30 minutes, for one-to-one classes, and multiple instruments are offered.

Sports Classes taught in Chinese

In Singapore:  We found out about gymnastics in Chinese by accident!  SGActive provides cost competitive Gymnastics classes (for both girls and boys, which is rare and great!) at the Bishan Sports Hall, which coincidentally was run by mainland Chinese speaking coaches.   Since then, we've discovered that many other ActiveSG courses (such as basketball, athletics) run island wide have Chinese-speaking coaches.  You might even be able to find a private one-on-one swimming classes with Chinese coaches, etc. 

If gymnastics is your thing, we've also heard that at The Junior Gymnastics Training Centre there are also Chinese speaking coaches for gymnastics and wushu, which could be another good alternative for those living around Bukit Timah.

Coding Classes taught in Mandarin

Online: Without doubt, coding classes in Mandarin have been our favourite of all online classes. It's just a class type which lends itself so naturally to doing it via the screen, especially since computers needs to be involved anyway. Chiwawa, in collaboration with First Code Academy, offer classes in Scratch, Roblox, and Minecraft from beginner through to intermediate. Last school holidays, we arranged a class daily for my daughter every morning, and it was incredible to see the progress she made.

Chiwawa have ongoing classes, otherwise all it takes is 3 students for them to start a new class (max class size is 4 students). Lah Lah Banana readers can benefit from a 10% promo discount at checkout using LAHLAHBCHIWW10. There's also a free class for your first time trial.

Chess Classes taught in Chinese

In Singapore:  There are so many children's chess groups in Singapore, for both Western/European Chess, and Chinese Chess (Xiangqi / Weiqi) options. Did you even know there was a difference in rules between European and Chinese chess?

For Western Chess, whilst they're not explicitly touted as 'Mandarin speaking' groups, from our experience, most of the children in the chess clubs are CHinese, and moreover, they're from Chinese speaking homes. The main Singapore Chess Federation is based at Bishan, and they have weekly classes/competitions and also intensive holiday camps; there are plenty of small teams and academies across the island.

For Chinese chess, Xiangqi Mind Train Academy is a good option (update: Jan I heard they have stopped with Covid), and classes are conducted explicitly in Chinese and are available either in group settings or private lessons. A lot of the Community Centres and Community Clubs also have groups, so be on the look-out, and you might be surprised and what exists nearby to you.

Online: Again, Bilin Academy have classes in Go! and Weiqi. Well priced for both individual and group classes.

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Math and Problem Solving Classes taught in Chinese

Online: Online classes in China have seen exponential growth in recent years, and math classes have been a key area of this. Hence there are at least six providers of math classes taught in Chinese, and we've done trials with most of these. Some follow Mainland Chinese Math, others follow Singapore Math syllabus, and others still follow Math Olympiad or other problem solving methods. We found one particular problem solving course (eg Suduko, Rubiks Cube, other puzzles) we enjoy called Pea Math, which has 2 x 45 minutes of lessons per week in a group of 4. It's been excellent. Initially, when we signed up, I thought the primary intention of the course would assist with speaking /listening skills in Mandarin in a different setting (which is does) but there has also been a lot of reading too, which is a real bonus. For more details, see my post where I compare six different online math class options.

Themed Conversational Classes Taught in Chinese

Yes, there are lots of 'one off' classes around the place if you keep your eyes peeled, which focus on conversational Mandarin for children. One helpful source is a Facebook group called 'Classes for Kids in Chinese and Spanish', where group members share their favourite classes.

Honestly, Outshool is a mixed bag, but you can see the parents reviews and all the classes are about US$10/hour, and you will find some gems. Our particular favourites have been a series of classes through Outschool about Pokemon, where a Pokemon theme is used throughout to discuss various concepts from colours and numbers, through to more advanced levels with idioms and shopping lists. Outschool offers $20 free credit for first time users (no strings attached!) which is usually enough for 2 Chinese classes. Riley Lu is a great teacher to look out for.

There's also an amazing Outschool science class in Mandarin by Jill Laoshi.

Here's a referral link to get the credit (for full transparency, this also gives me US$20 credit '.. so if you have friends already using the service, do ask them for their codes, as you'll be doing them a favour using it).

Chinese Church Services and Sunday Schools

This isn't really a class, but I'm just adding add this onto the list, in case others out there also attend a church which has both English and Chinese congregations.  We had been attending English service regularly for years at a particular church, when one day we accidentally arrive a little earlier to discover an amazing Sunday School led fully in Mandarin.  We've been attending church early ever since then!   

Chinese Reading Circles and Debating

In Singapore:  We've been part of several different 'book club' circles with friends, either in person or more recently online, where the children have all read a similar book (or series of books like Le Le Chinese) and then met weekly to take it in turns reading, and playing games / answering questions related to the books.  These have always been fun, but really require the dedication of a parent (or teacher) who can fluently speak the language and passionately share it with the children.  It's certainly an interesting option if you can find a great person to lead it!

Online:  We've done a series of Chinse debate online classes through Bilin Academy ' they have classes for intermediate and beginners, including lower primary. They feature a new topic in each class and assist the child to construct their thinking framework. I feel it's a super way for a child to learn about public speaking and argument formation, and doing classes in Chinese is much cheaper than the equivalent English alternatives!

There's another online debating option that we haven't tried which is for upper primary school and secondary children that looks interesting looking called Children's debating group in the US run by the inspirational bilingual blogger Oliver Tu. 

Summer Camps and Holiday Camps in Chinese

Another really fun idea is holiday camps in Chinese during the School holidays ' where kids go on excursions, cook, do sports and play games and generally have loads of fun, fully in Chinese.  There are usually so many to choose from! I'm really hoping that the virus situation will improve enough to make Summer and Winter Camps (ironic words I know given it's in Singapore where there's only one season!) an option for our family again soon. 

If you've come here hoping to find more conventional or conversational Chinese class options online, we've also done this through the COVID lockdown, and I've compared a few options for online Chinese classes for children at in earlier post here.

For those not in Singapore, look at this list by Betty Choi of CHALK Academy of other non-academic classes for children online and in USA.

I'm always looking for more way to slip fun Chinese into our day-to-day routines!  What classes have your family tried and enjoyed?

By the way, if you got to the end of this post and are still reading, perhaps you might be interested in some other posts I have written about learning Chinese, such as:

• Surviving P1 Chinese in a local Singapore school
• Great beginning Chinese readers of preschoolers
• Comparison of online Chinese tution classes for children

How to teach a child to read Chinese (when you can't speak it yourself)

Teaching a child to read Chinese as a parent who cannot

Teaching a child to read Chinese is not an impossible to task, but it requires concerted effort, and if don't speak the language (which I don't) then you'll need to leverage lots of external resources to aid the journey. This post is to offer suggestions, and things which I wish someone had shared earlier with us. I am not a trained language teacher ' only a parent trying hard ' so it's not exhaustive by any means, and there are many great ways for teaching a child to read Chinese. They key thing is that you give it a try if you need to!

Reading is SO SO very important on the journey to becoming bilingual in Chinese, even if your ultimate aim for your child is only to speak the language fluently. I have another post about ho2 extensive reading has been key to learning Chinese.

My eldest child was able to read ~ characters at about ~8 years of age, which is nothing impressive for a Chinese heritage family, but to me was quite a milestone, as we started on the reading journey quite late, and achieved most of this within about a 2.5 year period since starting school, most of which the school wad closed due to COVID. It was quite a effort on all fronts at home. After this experience with my eldest, I started much earlier to teach my young children to read in Chinese (when they were aged 2 and 4 respectively), and in fact, Chinese was the first language which they could read. A year later, it is still their strongest language to read in. 

As parents, we can neither speak nor read Chinese, so this post it to encourage you and say it is possible to actively help your children despite your situation. Obviously all children are different, with different interests and aptitudes. Mine are great readers, which helps.  By systematically and deliberately putting small doses of Chinese reading into our daily routines, we've made the language acquisition happen little-by-little. It's certainly a marathon not a sprint, and involves some journey pre-planning too.

I saw an Instagram tag #mandarinagainstallodds by one my favourite bookstores in Singapore, and I thought, yep that's us.  It could be you too.   Even though as parents we cannot speak Chinese, we realised that to go to primary school in Singapore, it would be essential for our children to learn the language, and it's a good life skill to have. So we made it happen.  And yes, we are absolutely proud of the achievement. 

That's partially why I started this blog, as a resource to show it is possible (note, I didn't say easy) to raise happy, bilingual children as monolingual parents.  More importantly, I wanted to support others in their magnanimous language journeys.  There are surprisingly lots of parents doing similar things to us, and it can be your story too. Our family isn't amazing; far from it. But there are amazing resources out there to help you.

Our family situation

Parents: English speaking; relocated to Singapore as adults

Both my husband and I grew up in countries where learning a second language is not emphasised, and our parents only spoke English to us.  My husband is an avid foodie, and impressively as an adult he has managed to self-learn French and conversational Bahasa, but Chinese has alluded him.  My husband, being ethnically Chinese, has coped with so many 'Ah, how come you don't speak Mandarin, mah?' questions that he's totally avoided entering Chinatown for the last decade.  In Singapore, where all ethnically Chinese people must learn their mother tongue at school without exception, it's somewhat of an absurd novelty, especially to the older generation, that a Chinese person may exist who cannot understand even a teeny-weeny bit of the language (although usually his next move is to respond to them in Bahasa and watch their eyes bulge! It work especially well at the hawker centre, as usually the Malay stall owners next door have a huge belly laugh too).

When we moved to Singapore, in hindsight I wish I'd gotten my act together and started to learn one of the official languages here: 15 years later and I still don't even know enough to confidently share a greeting or nicety. It's not without trying though ' I once tried wishing Happy New Year a to a highly auspicious auntie, and got my  'Gōng Xǐ Fā Cái' mixed up with my and 'Gung Hei Fatt Choy' and it rolled off my tongue fluently as something like 'Gung Hei Xi Fatt' '.. which was wishing the the dear old lady a prosperous time in the bathroom over the coming year. She didn't see the funny side, alas.

I remember applying to MBA school, and feeling frustrated that the particular school I was most interested in required applicants to speak not only a second language, but a third as well!  I promised myself that I would try to give my children this opportunity to properly learn a language if we could.  With three children born in Asia, at least something was on our side!

The initial pipe dream that I had for the children was to employ a Chinese nanny '.. seven years later I still have no clue how to go about that, but I want to show you that just because you don't speak the language nor have any other Chinese speaker available in the house, it shouldn't stop you from supporting bilingual language learning, especially if you're living in a country which is conducive to it.

Child One:  the wake-up call

• Attended a preschool from age 2 to 6 years old, which supposedly had Chinese/English bilingual focus (thought most schools in Singapore will say this)
• Learnt to read English at 4 years old; never did any reading / speaking of Chinese outside of school, and never read it that well
• Upon entering primary school, her spoken Chinese was excellent but reading lagged her peers; she could read/write barely 200 characters.  Within first 6 months of primary school, her speaking had regressed too almost nothing.
• This was when I made 'the intervention' (which I'll discuss below)
• By Primary 2, after 'the intervention', she had reading, writing, and speaking of Chinese at a similar level to her English abilities, and is much more confident learner (+ characters).  She finished catching up using Le Le book series, and moved onto read bridging books and other more age-appropriate literature.

Child Two : essentially bilingual from the start

• Currently attends a local preschool
• Able to read short Chinese stories as a four year old (~200 characters); Chinese reading and writing level is well ahead of her equivalent English reading/writing level
• We read short stories together each evening, and working through Sage Set 3 and Red Le Le books
• Other parents and school teachers are most surprised to realise that no adult in the house speaks Chinese!

Child Three: only reads in Chinese

• Is homeschooled, and attends a part-day kindergarten which is non bilingual
• Able to read very short Chinese sentences as a two year old (~30 characters and counting!); still unable to read in English; unable to write in any language! She's barely three, of course I don't expect her to read or write English either, I just highlight for comparison purposes.
• We read short stories together each evening, and working through Sage Set 1, because she was interested to start.
• School teachers have no idea she can read Chinese, as reading isn't tsaught in school.

How I helped the children to read in Chinese without knowing the language

I'm not a tiger mum, and we're not a tiger family. My kids have simple (and what I hope are happy) lifestyles ' they play outdoors, they get messy, they laugh.  This in itself appears to be a rarity in Singapore.  Many kids join tuition centres for multiple subjects between ages 3 ' 4, and by primary school, mums and maids often have a full-time programme chauffeuring their kids between 2 to 3 enrichment classes each evening, and perhaps 5 classes on a weekend'' nope, that's not us.  Gosh it's exhausting just to type about it.  I have a push bike with three kids' seats attached to it ' we ride it to school, we ride it to the park and the library.  They kids are in their pajamas before 8pm, which is about the time their friends are often starting up a tuition class!  Alas, I diverge.

My kids aren't geniuses either.  Their Chinese language skills are nothing extraordinary, relative to other children.  However, they do love the language, and all three are able to keep up with local Singaporean peers, which for me, is extraordinary enough.

I see a lot of chatter in the primary school class groups (from Chinese mother-tongue families)  commenting 'tingxie (spelling list) this week is too hard' etc.  Well, I wouldn't know because I have nothing to compare it to myself ' but I do know my elder child has never mentioned it being a challenge, which I'm glad about, because I don't want language learning to become a chore. She knows she needs to put in effort, and she sees that I'm right beside her putting in effort too (entering the spelling lists into Skritter app, chopping up homemade flash cards, using Google translate to work out how to order books from Taobao, listening to audio stories on Luka, etc). Together we make progress and celebrate. I would make an observation that rote learning characters is dead boring ' it's much better to teach a child to read Chinese using real literature.

The 'Intervention' to really teach my child to read Chinese

In the middle of my daughter's first year of primary school (P1), I realised that we needed to change the way she was learning Chinese.  It couldn't just be confined to one passive hour a day in the classroom.

I knew her marks in Chinese had never been great, and I'd turned a blind eye to it, thinking 'as long as she's happy and learning something, then I'm happy'.  But the epiphany came when, I found some of her old Chinese worksheets from her kindergarten days, and asked her to read it.  She couldn't ' and we were both dumbfounded.  I resolved to change this.  You can read my earlier post here on the background of why this occurred.  Let's just say, the local primary school environment in Singapore has great curriculum and book learning, but an hour a day of Chinese means the learning cannot be left only for the school classroom. So unless both speaking and reading (and ultimately writing too) is reinforced outside of the classroom, it's a tough battle.

The main change which followed was my mindset. I needed to go from being a backseat passenger, to being highly embedded and engaged in the language journey.  I realised I needed to be more than just my daughter's support crew and cheerleader, but to be actively mapping the lay of the land, and reinforcing her understanding of what we were seeing, and where we were going. We need to bring Chinese into our home lives too. And that's when I really started teaching all my children to read in Chinese.

Everyone is at a different place, with different needs.  For us, as a non-Chinese speaking family, the way this played out was that we decided to:

1. ensure that with each child, we spent at least 10 minutes daily with the child reading to an adult an appropriate levelled  Chinese readers/book. I've made a list of our favourite Chinese levelled readers.
2. add in at least one Chinese bedtime story into the evening mix (usually about 10 minutes too). If you cannot tell the stories yourself, then check out Luka Reading Robot. Or if you can read a little, try an AI Dictionary scanning pen to support you.
3. allow some iPad screen time, and let the children play two Chinese literacy app games each weekend, and for my eldest, to complete at least 5 minutes of character writing practice each day in another app with words aligned to her school studies.
4. If budget allows, rope in the assistance of online conversations with Chinese speakers once or twice a week (plenty of fun and low cost options to enable short 15 ' 25 minutes chats). LingoAce is great for MOE syllabus, and GoEast is awesome for something tailored. We did a review and comparison of many online Chinese classes we've tried here. If you don't want to overload on straight Chinese classes, you can try a fun CCA class taught in Chinese. We've tried to a few.

Small changes; big difference.  Think about it, by doing the first three activities, you sneak in an extra 20+ minutes of (fun & free) Chinese each day, and across a week that's well over 2 hours of additional Chinese exposure.   

It's also changed the way the kids think ' we've shown them now that we're making consistent and deliberate time for Chinese, and space on our bookshelves for it too.  This demonstrates to them we're serious about it, and it's one of our priorities.  We've been really regular at having this feature in our evening routine ' we sometimes forget to use our points chart, and have been known to forget bedtime prayers, but I don't think in the past year that we've ever forgotten to do our Chinese reading! 

But how did you teach your child to read Chinese without speaking the language?

First thing to note, before teaching your child to read Chinese, your child must really grasp basic spoken Mandarin. Is this isn't your family, check out a different post about how monolingual families can start the language journey. If your children they do already understand basic spoken Chinese instructions and are ready to read, there are some really great tools out there.   There are also some great communities too. The one thing I wouldn't bother doing is attempting to speak/learn Chinese myself, as that wouldn't be conducive learning.

My logic has always been that as I cannot speak the language, I need to leverage on the best tools which exist.  I have spent (and continue to spend!) a lot of time researching how and what to buy, and I'm very confident that what we have landed with are an excellent collection, which provide a systematic approach to learning characters, supporting the school syllabus, and embedding a love of the language through literacy.  Although, learning and innovation never stops, so I'm always keen to hear new suggestions if you have any!

I've mentioned these above, but I'll expand here. The Chinese literacy games like iHuman and Wukong Literacy (both reviewed here) are perfect for a child who understand Chinese, even if ther parent doesn't not ' what's more, they're super fun. The character writing is Skritter (my review is here) and whilst it's not fun, it is a way that a parent can upload all the tingxie words for a child to learn independently. I have no affiliation to any of these apps or companies, and no referral / discounts either, but I'm sharing because they really are excellent for families in our situation. That said, for Skritter, there is generally a massive group buy for families in Singapore annually, where price is reduced from US$12/month, to US$12 per YEAR. If interested in this, join the FB group Ni Hao SG Primary School Learning, and join the conversations.

The Luka Reading Companion (reviewed here) is what we use to read the Chinese picture books, and the books we've found most useful to start out with the children are Sage 500 Books (reviewed here) and Le Le Chinese Reading System (reviewed here).  Again, no affiliation, but I can say that for Luka, Sage and Le Le there are amazing online communities of other parents using these resources, and sharing how they use them (mainly through FB groups), and for that, I'm forever grateful.  Also, each of the distributors of these products have good support for their customers, including free printables, crafts and other online resources to aid families.

If your child has graduated beyond simple Chinese readers, then Chinese bridging books combined with an optical reading pen make is possible for a child to read independently. The Youdao Dictionary pen (reviewed here) or the very similar iFlytek Alpha Egg (reviewed here) have been other great tools for my eldest daughter to translate harder Chinese characters in the novels she now reads, and lets her confidently understand a book, despite perhaps only knowing 85% of the characters contained.

I have actually written some other blog posts which might be helpful if you're reading this as a parent who cannot speak the language and wondering what might work for you:

1. Should I opt for Chinese as my child's mother tongue at primary school?
2. Is your child achieving fluency a realistic goal for a non-Chinese speaking family?
3. Reading Pens and Robots to aid in Chinese learning
4. Surviving P1 Chinese for the clueless parent
5. Best Chinese levelled readers for learning with your child
6. Building a Chinese home library for children

Things to consider when thinking about how your child is acquiring the Chinese language

• Your attitude: Don't stress. Enjoy the journey. Make it a priority yes, but make it an enjoyable part of life, not a chore.

• Reading comprehension is important too:  Until primary school started, I thought that prioritising listening/speaking would be more than enough (and it's certainly the first and most important step).  But particularly in the way that Chinese language is taught in Singaporean local schools, reading and writing need to be in close lockstep to the speaking.  Chinese in Singapore is taught as a subject during the day, not as a second language or immersion style, in large class sizes (40 kids) with limited opportunity for to one-on-one interactions.

• Every child is different:  comparing your child to the others in the class (or other siblings) is not necessarily helpful.  Every child is different, and learns at a different pace.  English and Chinese may also be taken to differently.   It might be encouraging to know though that my experience of having two pre-schoolers who can read Chinese more easily than English is not unique.  Research shows that pictorial language can be acquired faster than alphabet-based language in early stages.  Betty from Chalk Academy has written a nice explanation on her blog, around how learning Chinese characters are like word puzzles which provide instant gratification. 

• Every household situation is different:  we're in a unique situation living in Singapore ' there is plenty of spoken Chinese in the community, books freely available at the library, cheap resources in bookstores, and plenty of children learning the language in school. So for us, the key challenge/solution was finding ways to integrate these resources better into our everyday lives for reinforcing the learning.  For others overseas (or moving back home after a stint in Singapore), the challenges to continue language learning could be far far greater, with more limited access to resources and teaching. 

• Integrate the language into everyday life where possible: If you want the kids to be bilingual, then treat it as part of life. For example, Singapore has shop signs in Chinese, shopping centre announcements in Chinese.  If we see/hear, I ask my children out of curiosity what is being said.  We can learn together.   We started attending a Chinese-based Church, with a great Sunday School.  More recently during Covid, we have realised that we can even do online piano classes in Chinese (from mainland China), take interactive Chinese art and calligraphy classes (from US), and participate in live Chinese storytime sessions from libraries in Taiwan. It all counts, and none of it is that hard to arrange.
  
• Everyone has a different way of being right: just because something worked for my children, doesn't mean it will work for yours. I co-authored a post with Maggie from PandaMama about the difference in approach between her family (Chinese-heritage, but in a non-Chinese country) and our approach (as non-Chinese speakers in a Chinese speaking country). Read up, talk to people, and understand what others have done. There is another really interesting post on CHALK Academy about how an inspiring Chinese-heritage mother was able to effectively homeschool her daughter in a non-Chinese country, with limited resources. You'll see her approach is totally different from our family's given the different cultural and family context. But the result is impressive ' with effectively bilingual and biliterate children.

I've learnt a lot through supportive online communities like the Face Book Group Ni Hao Sg Primary School Learning, and other bloggers like GrowingHearts123 and Guavarama Finally, there are tonnes of interesting bilingual Instagramming families to live vicariously through if you're on Instagram (if you're looking for starting points try @blackgoldfish, @dailymusingofj, @thedreamwhale, @jaslearningwithkids or @ourjoyoflearning, or even my own humble account @lahlahbanana).

I would love to hear how what is working (or not working) for your family too, as life is always easier when it's shared with like-minded folk. Please drop a comment or reach out if you have further questions or things to teach me!

Luka Compatible Books

[Note ' Aug : I have made a new post updating this, containing a list of + Luka compatible books in Chinese'.. please see here for updated post with many more new books]

This post lists out all the Luka compatible books which we have enjoyed reading through our wonderful Luka Reading robots. Whether you have Original Luka, Hero, or a Mini, they will all read the same book collection (although Luka Hero offers a few more different narrations to choose from for particular books).

This post covers:

1. Checking if a book is compatible with Luka
2. Luka compatible books for 2 ' 3 Year olds
3. Luka compatible books for 4 ' 6 Year olds
4. Luka compatible books for 7 ' 10 Year olds

(If reading this, and you're not aware what Luka Reading Companion or Luka Hero is, you can see my previous review outlining this little reading robot which narrates physical picture books page-by-page, and Luka Hero model can even read individual characters by pointing to them).

How to check whether a book is compatible with Luka or Luka Hero

With the Luka app, it's easy peasy to check whether a book is compatible,  because you can just scan the barcode/ISBN code on your , and it will tell you if Luka has a narration of the book.  I used to always do this when browsing book at the library.   Admittedly, with the COVID situation and lack of physical book browsing, it's harder:  online shopping would be a lot easier (more dangerous!') with a Luka shopping list.

We read every evening with Luka and have reasd thousands of books, so I'll limit this to the main ones which we've enjoyed, and only the Chinese titles (because Luka also reads in other languages too).  I'll slowly link this up with reviews I write in future for some of these sets. 

I've also written a separate post for those in Singapore looking to borrow Luka compatible books from the National Library Board libraries, with some extra tips and tricks, including our favourite authors.

Our Favourite Luka Compatible Books for Toddlers (2 ' 3 year olds)

Apolline's Little World 14-Book Set ''''''' ' by Didier Dufresne

• '''''''-''' Getting Dressed
• '''''''-''' Bedtime
• '''''''-'' Brushing Teeth
• '''''''-'' Bathing
• '''''''-'''' Don't Want To Nap
• '''''''-''' Around The House
• '''''''-''' Using the Bathroom
• '''''''-''' In the Garden
• '''''''-''' Making a Snowman
• '''''''-''' The Little Doctor
• '''''''-'''' The Christmas Gift
• '''''''-'''' Happy Birthday
• '''''''-''' Driving A Car
• '''''''-''' At the Beach

Dear Zoo '''''' ' by Rod Campbell

Dots ''' ' by Herve Tullet (also ''' Change Change and ''' Little Yellow Dot).

Good night, Gorilla '''''' ' Peggy Rathmann

Llama Llama 8-Book Set ' by Anna Dewdney

• '''''' Llama Llama Red Pajama
• '''''''  Llama Llama Mad at Mama
• '''''  Llama Llama Misses Mama
• ''''''  Llama Llama Holiday Drama
• '''''''  Llama Llama Home with Mama
• '''''''  Llama Llama Time to Share
• ''''''  Llama Llama and the Bully Goat
• ''''''' Llama Llama Grandma and Grandpa

The Little Bear & The Best Daddy: '''''''' (set of 7 books)

My First Nature Encyclopedia ''''''''''

• ' Faces
• '' Sleeping
• '' Eating
• ''''' Where Do You Stay?
• ''''' What Are You Doing?
• '''''' What is Underground?
• ''''' Guess Who I Am
• '''''' All Kinds of Eggs
• ''' Little Hamster
• ''''' Happy Dogs
• '' Birds
• ''''' Little Hermit Crabs
• ''' Rhinoceros Beetle
• ''''' Fun Insects
• '''''' Colours of Beetles
• ''''''' Stick Insects Playing Hide and Seek
• ''''' Are You an Insect?
• ''''' Interesting Fruit
• ''''' Amazing Seeds
• ''''' Rivers Flow

Mr Panda's Good Manners '''' series ' by Steve Antony

• ''''''''Thank You, Mr. Panda
• '''''''''I'll Wait, Mr. Panda
• '''''''Goodnight, Mr. Panda
• ''''''''Please, Mr. Panda

Peppa Pig: 1st Bilingual Board Book Series '''' series (see blog entry here)

• ''' My Mummy
• ''' My Daddy
• ''' My Grandpa
• ''' My Granny

Peppa Pig: 2nd Bilingual Board Book Series '''' series

• ''''' Peppa's Big Race
• ''''' Peppa Plays Basketball
• ''' Peppa's Gym Class
• ''''' Peppa Goes Ice Skating
• '''' Daddy Pig's Fun Run

Rosie's Walk ''''''' ' Patricia Hutchins

10 Fingers and 10 Toes ''''  ' by Mem Fox

The Taste of Home (Set of 7) '''' ' by Todd Parr (short review here)

• ''' The Family Book
• ''' The Mommy Book
• ''' The Daddy Book
• ''' The Grandma Book
• ''' The Grandpa Book
• ''' The I Love You Book
• '''''''  We Belong Together

Todd's World series ''''''' ' by Todd Parr. See blog entry here.

• '''''''It's Okay to Be Different 
• '''The Okay Book 
• '''The Feelings Book
• ''''The Feel Good Book
• ''''The I'm Not Scared Book
• '''The Earth Book
• '''The Peace Book (see a a short review here)
• ''''Reading Makes You Feel Good

The Hungry Caterpillar ''''''  ' by Eric Carle

You're All My Favourite '''''''' ' by Sam McBratney

Our Favourite Luka Books for Little Children (4 ' 6 year olds)

Note ' these books may also be a good level for an older child to independently read, and then use Luka to 'check back' on their understanding.

The Angry Prince '''' ' by Lai Ma

Brave Little Train ''''' ' by Lai Ma

Disney: I Will Read Level 1-Level 4 (Set of 24) '''''''''1'-'4'''''24''. See my detailed review for more information.

Farmer Duck' by Martin Waddell [we have the English version, but Luka will read in Chinese]

Giraffes Can't Dance ''''''' by Giles Andreae

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs ' by Mo Willems

Guess How Much I Love You ''''''' ' by Sam McBratney

Harry the Dirty Dog  ''''' ' by Gene Zion

I am a fire breathing dragon ''''''''' ' by Lai Ma

Meg & Mog series ' by Helen Nicoll [we have the English version, but Luka will read in Chinese]

My Feelings ' '''' Bilingual (Set of 8) ' by Cornelia Maude Spelman,  [Luka reads both Chinese and English] See blog entry here with review.

• '''' When I Feel Scared
• '''' When I Feel Sad
• ''''''' When I Feel Good About Myself
• '''''' When I Care for Others (see a brief review with a few pictures here)
• '''' When I Feel Jealous
• '''' When I Feel Angry
• '''' When I Miss You
• '''' When I Feel Worried

My Magic Toilet '''''' ' Noritake Suzuki

My Amazing Bath '''''' ' Noritake Suzuki

Odonata Chinese Levelled Reading Series: see detailed review here

Paw Patrol ''' Series 1 (see blog entry here)

• '''-'''''' Pups Save a Train
• '''-''''' Pups Save the Cruise Ship
• '''-'''''' Pup Pup Goose
• '''-'''''' Pups Save the Space Alien
• '''-'''''' Pups Pit Crew
• '''-'''''' Pups Save Christmas
• '''-''''' Flying Adventure
• '''-'''''' Pups Save a Kitten

Paw Patrol ''' Series 2 (see blog entry here)

• '''-''''' Pups' Snowy Mountain Rescue
• '''-'''''' Pups Explore an Island
• '''-''''' Pups' Sky Adventure 
• '''-''''' Pups Save Robo-Dog
• '''-'''''' Pups Turn on the Lights
• '''-'''''''  Pups Save a Water Tower
• '''-''''' Pups Fight Fire
• '''-''''  Pups and Taekwondo
• '''-'''''  Pup Pup and Away
• '''-'''''  Pups Save a Train

Rosie's Walk ''''''' ' By Pat Hutchins

Stone Soup ''' ' by Jon J Muth

Tyrannosaurus series ' by Tatsuya Miyanishi, translated from Japanese) (see blog entry here)

• ''''''''' You Look Yummy
• '''You Are My Best Friend
•  ''', ''  I Want That Love
•  ''''''I Will Love You Forever
• ''' I Am A Tyrannosaurus
• ''' I Really Love You
• ''', '' I Am Dad's Favourite 

Berenstain Bears ''' series by Jan & Mike Berenstain [these are good, but not great, as the Chinese text is tiny, and whilst the English rhymes, the Chinese translation doesn't]

• '''-''''''  At The Aquarium
• '''-''' Wishing Star
• '''-''''' Seashore Treasure
• '''-''''' Down on the Farm
• '''-''''' New Pup
• '''-''''' Class Trip
• '''-'''''' Sleepover
• '''-''''' New Kitten
• '''-''''' All Aboard 
• '''-'''''''' Baby Chipmunk 
• ''''-''''''The Berenstain Bears, Out West
• ''''-'''''''The Berenstain Bears, Shaggy Little Pony 

Elephant and Piggie ''''''''' Set ' by Mo Willems (see review here)

• ''''''Today I Will Fly!
• '''''''Waiting Is Not Easy!
• '''''''My Friend Is Sad
• ''''''''I Am Invited To A Party
• '''''''There Is A Bird On Your Head
• '''''I Will Surprise My Friend
• ''''''Watch Me Throw The Ball
• '''''''Elephant Cannot Dance 
• '''''I am Going!
• '''''''Can I Play Too?
• ''''''''We Are in a Book
• '''''''''Should I Share My Ice Cream? 
• ''''''Listen To My Trumpet 
• ''''''Let's Go For A Drive!
• '''''''''A Big Guy Took My Ball!
• '''''''I'm a Frog!
• '''''''My New Friend Is So Fun!

Curious George Curious Series '''''''  ' by Margret Rey & H.A. Rey (various books including ones listed below)

• ''''''''' Curious George and The Yellow Hat
• '''''''' Curious George watching the procession
• '''''''' Curious George goes to the Beach
• ''''''''' Curious George and the Dumper Truck
• '''''''' Curious George goes Camping
• '''''''' Curious George in his Dreams
• '''''''' Curious George and the Puppy
• ''''''''''' Curious George visits the Chocolate Factory
• ''''''''' Curious George visits the Toy Store

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus set by Mo Willems  [Note ' Luka will read the Chinese books in English only; but it's a nice way for a child to check on their understanding of the written Chinese]

• ''''''''Don't Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus!
• '''''''''The Pigeon Finds A Hot Dog! (see a short review in this post)
• ''''''''The Pigeon Needs A Both!
• ''''''''Don't Let The Pigeon Stay Up Late!
• ''''''''The Pigeon Wants A Puppy!
• ''''''''''The Duckling Gets A Cookie!?

Elmer the Elephant (various books from the library in Chinese) ' by David McKee

• Elmer's Colours
• Elmer's Weather
• Elmer's Race
• Elmer and the Monster
• Elmer and the Race

Guess How Much I Love You ''''''' ' by Sam McBratney

Grumpy Day for Badger ''''''''  by Mortiz Petz and Amelia Jackowski [published in English under the title ' The Bad Mood Book]

Good Night, Moon ''''' ' by Margaret Wise Brown

Grace Says '' set  by Emma Henderson

• Grace''' Grace Said Focus
• Grace''' Grace Said Patience 
• Grace''' Grace Said Persistence [not in Luka yet] 

The Giving Tree ''' by Shel Silverstein (very short review in this post)

How full is your bucket? ''''''' ' by Tom Rath

Have you filled a bucket today '''''''''' by Carol McCloud 

Madeline ''' series by Ludwig Bemelmans

• ''' Madeline
• ''''''' Madeline and the Bad Hat
• '''''''Madeline's Rescue
• '''''' Madeline in London
• ''''''' Madeline's Christmas
• '''''''' Madeline and the Gypsies

Magic school bus bridge books '''''''  (''') (set of 22)

My Favourite Grandma '''''' (aka Grandma Dearest) ' by Dr. Shigeaki Hinohara (review here)

Officer Buckle and Gloria '''''''''''

Odonata Chinese Levelled Reading Series: see detailed review here

Taro Gomi Collection ' by Taro Gomi

You're All My Favourite '''''''' ' by Sam McBratney

Our Favourite Luka Compatible Books for Primary age children (7 ' 10 year olds)

Butt Detective '''' (translated from Japanese) (see detailed review here)

Camphor Tree Apartments '''' series by Etsuko Bushika and Shigeki Suezaki (translated from Japanese)

• 10''''''The 10 Story Tree Apartments 
• '''''The New Neighbour 
• '''''' The Rainy Day
• ''''' Mr. Mole's Summer Vacation 
• ''''' The Autumn Festival 
• ''''' The Concert 
• ''''''  The Secret of A Snowy Day

Crow Bakery (Set of 5) ''''' ' by '''' Satoshi Kako (see my book review here)

• ''''' Crow Bakery
• ''''' Crow Pastry Shop
• '''''' Crow Tempura Shop
• ''''' Crow Fruit and Veggie Shop
• '''''' Crow Soba Noodle Shop

Disney: I will read Level 5-Level 8 by myself (Set of 24) '''''''''5'-'8''24''''

Insects's Diary Series ( Set of 4 ) '''''''''4''- by Doreen Cronin

• ''''' (Diary of a Fly) 
• '''''  (Diary Of A Worm)
•  ''''' (Diary of a Spider 1 & 2)

Frog and Toad 4-Book Set ''''' ' by Arnold Lobel (See detailed review here)

• ''' Frog and Toad Are Friends
• ''' Frog and Toad Together
• '''' Days with Frog and Toad
• '''' Frog and Toad All Year 

How full is your bucket? ''''''' ' by Tom Rath

Have you filled a bucket today '''''''''' by Carol McCloud 

House of 100 Stories 100'''' 3 book set ' by Toshio Iwai (see my book review here)

• 100'''' House of 100 Stories 
• ''100'''' House of 100 Stories ' Undersea 
• ''100'''' House of 100  Stories ' Underground

Idioms Smart Flashcards ''''''' (see blog post here with review)

Laura's Star Series ''''' (12 books, translated from German)

L'Ptites Poules '''''''  set by Christian Jolibois (translated from French)

• '''''''-'''''  I Want to See the Ocean
• '''''''-''''''  I Want to Have a Star
• '''''''-'''''' I Want A Brother
• '''''''-'''''' I Will Get The Sun Back
• '''''''-'''''  I Love The Black Kitten 
• '''''''-''''''  I Can Defeat the Monster
• '''''''-''''''  I Must Find Lang Lang 
• '''''''-''''''  I Must Not Be Eaten 
• '''''''-'''''  I Really Like Her
• '''''''-'''''''  I Must Rescue Beiliao
• '''''''-'''''' I Am Not Scared
• '''''''-'''''  I Love the Pan

Magic Schoolbus '''' series by Joanna Cole (see blog post here)

• ''''''''''' Inside the Earth 
• '''''''''' The Climate Challenges
• ''''''''''' The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses
• '''''''''' The Electric Field Trip
• '''''''''' Inside a Beehive 
• ''''''''' Inside a Hurricane 
• ''''''''' In the Time of the Dinosaurs 
• ''''''''' On the Ocean Floor 
• ''''''''''' Lost in the Solar System 
• ''''''''''' Inside the Human Body 
• ''''''''' At the Waterworks 
• '''''''''' The Science Fair Expedition

Martine Story Books ( Set of 60 ) '''''''''' '''60''- by Gilbert Delahaye

Mi Xiao Quan School Diaries '''''' (see blog post here)

•  '''''''''  First Year of School (only Books 1 & 2 on Luka)

Octonauts series (see blog post here)

• '''''' The Hungry Pilot Fish
• '''' The Giant Squid 
• ''' The Narwhal
• '''' The Lost Sea Star
• '''' The Walrus Chief
• '''' The Seahorse Tale
• ''''' The Blobfish Brothers
• '''' The Undersea Storm
• '''' Monster Map
• ''' The Baby Dolphin

Super Wings

• ''''''' Drawing Pictures in Peru Arts 
• '''' The Opera in Athens
• ''''''' The Soccer Match in Argentina
• ''''' Bhutan's Giant Snowman
• ''''''' The Piggy in Bahamas
• '''''''' Journey to the Alaskan Iceberg
• '''''''' Alps Train Rescue
• ''''''' Battling the Monster in Hong Kong

Titchy Witch ''''' (12-Book Set) ' by Rose Impey

• '''' Titchy Witch and the Birthday Broomstick
• ''''' Titchy Witch and the Disappearing Baby
• '''' Titchy Witch and the Frog Fiasco
• '''' Titchy Witch and the Stray Dragon
• '''''' Titchy Witch and the Bully-Boggarts
• ''''' Titchy Witch and the Wobbly Fang
• ''''''' Titchy Witch and the Get-Better Spell
• '''' Titchy Witch and the Magic Party
• ''''' Titchy Witch and the Scary Haircut
• ''''''''' Titchy Witch and the Teacher-Charming Spell
• ''''''''''' Titchy Witch and the Babysitting Spell
• ''''' Titchy Witch and the Forbidden Forest

Wilma the Elephant ''''' (4 book set) ' by Erwin Moser (a few photos here)

• '''''' Wilma Is Lost
• ''''''' Wilma's New Friend
• ''''''' Wilma's Adventure
• ''''''Wilma Is Home

101'''''  101 Tadpoles ' by Satoshi Kako

Where to buy Luka compatible books

Our preferred option in peacetimes is to borrow from the library.  We always check the Singapore NLB catalogue online for availability, and it's even possible to request a book prior to going to the library.  I've written a detailed post about the secret to finding great Luka books in the NLB library collection, as I appreciate it's not always easy,

However for Luka compatible book buying options:

In Singapore: Most of the titles listed in this post are available from My Story Treasury (online) if you're looking for a one-stop solution. My Story Treasury is a lovingly curated collection of Chinese picture story books for kids, and as we know from experience that anything in their collection will be excellent!.  My blog readers have a 10% discount if you use 'LahLahBanana10' at checkout from their store. There are several other fantastic children's bookstores in Singapore too who stock some of these books.  Buying local is totally the best. 

In Australia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Malaysia & New Zealand:  Most of the titles are available through Luka Reads (online).  Luka Reads is the official retailer of Luka the Reading Robot in Australia, and they also stock great books which are Luka compatible.  If you use 'LahLah20Off', you'll receive a $20 discount. Thank you Luka Reads for the kindness of blessing my readers!

In United Kingdom / Europe:  De Ziremi is a new online bookstore for Chinese literature for children.  Their collection is growing daily, and they're hoping to stock some of the titles in this post.  If you quote 'LAHLAHSPECIAL' on checkout, my blog reader will receive 10% off. This is a really kind gesture from the four sister team behind De Ziremi.

On Taobao ' if you really must do this option, look at the end of my Taobao post for recommended bookstores through Taobao's TMall.  For specific titles, I also occasionally bundle them up together and order from Taobao / EZ Buy, although have been sometimes disappointed by the quality or by the books having different covers from what Luka can recognise.  On the contrary, we've never been disappointed by My Story Treasury. They have an amazing selection of books, with great reviews about each one in their curation.

In United States ' Jojo Learning stocks many titles, as does JD.

Where to buy Luka Reading Companion

In Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Australia & New Zealand:  Luka Reads is official distributor through this website: www.lukareads.com. They provide local shipping, local warranty and local support. There are varied retailers around the world, although Luka Reads does ship globally to other countries too, if international shipping fee is paid. Luka Reads have kindly provided a $20 off discount code to readers of my blog, using promo code 'Lahlah20off'.

In America / Other countries: I've heard from readers that the best price option is likely through the online Chinese store JD.com. The official retailer in US is Jojo Learning. Note: not all of the official authorised global retailers sellers sell the same models, and some of the Lukas don't have Chinese as an audio option (e.g. the European Luka speaks Germans and English).

Which great Luka Compatible books are we missing?

We've come across these books by trial and error, and reading the reviews of others. There are also some good Instagram handles with reviews of Luka compatible books, such as @littlekidreads, or the lists on Luka Reads and Jojo Learning websites.

Which books have your family enjoyed reading through Luka? Feel free to leave any comments or questions.  I'd love to learn more about your experiences with Luka, and your favourite books to read with it. 

Singaporean Children's Picture Books about Singapore!

Books to read for Singapore National Day

National Day is just around the corner ' and for most of us, this year it is likely to be a quiet weekend at home.  So, perhaps you may consider celebrating with some books by Singaporean authors on topics which make our Singapore unique.

Growing up outside of Singapore means that I'm largely unfamiliar with the local 'book scene' here, and also many of the pieces of history which have made Singapore what it is today.  We don't have relatives here who can pass down the stories, so finding beautiful picture books which are locally written about traditional Singapore is a delight ' as it means our whole family can learn together.   This past week we've been busy reading about the coolies, majies and the Samui women of the not-so-distance past, along with festive foods.

In the country where I grew up, the National Children's Book Council used to bring children and books together each year for a Book Week Celebration.  This annual event is now well into its 75th year of existence, whereby all primary schools and libraries spend one glorious week celebrating local children's authors and illustrators.   Classroom teachers, librarians and bookshops would create colourful displays, run competitions, and tell stories to highlight all the new local books which had been published in that year, and students would have parades dressed as characters from their favourite books.   I wish National Children's Book Week existed in Singapore.   In its absence, we've had our own mini celebration of local authors in the lead up to Singapore's National Day, and done some cooking related to these fascinating locally authored Singaporean picture books.

This blog piece will cover three series which were recommended to us by Lin Xin from My Story Treasury ' one of our favourite independent bookstores in Singapore specialising in Chinese titles for Children.  Reading these books was a big endeavour for our family ' being locally produced, none of the books were Luka compliant (meaning we had no audio listening option) and all of the books were fully in Chinese without English translation.  But, the joy of learning about yesteryears and traditions of Singapore made this a fully worthwhile exercise.

The three series of book covered in this review are:

Set One: '''''''' ' on heritage occupations

Set Two: ''''''''' ' on heritage dishes

Set Three: ''''' ' on local festivals in Singapore

Set One:  ''''''''
(Lion City Past Story Series)

Author/Illustrator:  Patrick Yee
Country of original publication:  Singapore
Language: Simplified Chinese
~ Pages per book: 30 ' 40
~ Lines per page: 2 ' 7

~ Books in series: 3
~Pinyin: Yes
~ Audio available: No
~Available in Singapore NLB: Yes
Target age range: 5 ' 12

These three books truly give an insight into Singapore of yesteryears and pay tribute to those who enabled Singapore to be what it is today ' with a look at heritage occupations of coolies, red headscarves, and majies.  Such jobs formed the backbone of Singapore's labour force for most of last century.   Each book tells a story of diligence, loyalty and perseverance.

Patrick Yee has written/illustrated more than 100 books!  Gosh I think I'm falling in love with his gorgeous illustrations.  How great it would be to have one framed on our wall.  The rich bright colours and intricate attention to detail reminds me a lot of the mural art done around Singapore by Yip Yew Chong, seen at Tiong Bahru Markets and the Botanical Gardens, among other places.  Suffice to say, this set of books recommended to us by My Story Treasury are visually beautiful.

''''''''' Majie and Her Goldfish lantern

Although our society no longer has '' (majies = sister mothers), most children will know that foreign domestic workers are very much part of our society today.  This book tells the story of a Chinese maid who travelled across the oceans to work in Singapore as a 'majie' for wealthy families.

This tale follows a young Chinese girl who boards a ship bound for Singapore, in the hope of a better life.  She is placed to work at a grand house in Joo Chiat Road, Katong.  One of the opening pages has a lovely colourful scene when she alights from the boat, and her first sight is a group of ethnically diverse people at a market and she comments 'So this is Nanyang'.  She looks after a young boy from diapers until he is old enough to go to the UK for further studies, upon which she returns back to China.  Her heart is torn, and she doesn't know where she belongs anymore.  Her village had changed so much; it's unrecognisable.

I had previously heard about 'sister mas' from some work colleagues, as they were common in Singapore from World War II through to s.  I never knew though that these women have to take a vow to neither marry nor have their own children. We coincidentally read this book on the same day which we finished watching the original 'Sound of Music' musical DVD, so one of my children asked if these nannies were the same as the nuns.  The black-and-white uniform of the majies helped play into this step of logic.  I had to say to my daughter that yes, both nuns and these traditional nannies were women who often give up everything ' including their own families ' and put all their heart into work they do for others.  In a way, so do many domestic workers today. 

The detail within the illustrations in this book are something to marvel at ' the tiles in the house; marble coffee tables; a baby bouncer.  All gorgeous!  

''''''''The Story of Red Headscarf

Red Headscarves ('hong tou jin')  is a reference to the Samsui women who came to Singapore from peasant families to work as unskilled construction workers from early s to s.   Most of them wore iconic headdresses, folded from red cloth, which protected them from the tropical sun, and apparently also kept them safer in the workplace (being a busy construction site). 

The story tells the tale of a farmer's daughter from Guangdong, who lived in hardship with her family of seven.  One year when the harvest was particularly bad, and her father was unable to marry her to a rich man in the local village, she is sent to Singapore on a crowded boat to work.   With neither money nor clothes, she lives in a shabby Chinatown shophouse, and becomes a construction worker.  It's painful back-breaking work:  carrying cements, bricks, water, and sand, to earn money to send to her family back home.   But before she can begin, she learns to fold her red headscarf, which is hoped to drive away evil spirits.

The pictures are bright and beautiful, with the painted brush stroked evident in many of them.  Reading about the challenging lives of the red headscarves, creates another good conversation piece to discuss the migrant construction builders of today.   We can see that the things which we may take for granted ' like our homes and sidewalks ' were all built literally through the sweat and blood of these migrants.   It also sends a message that construction is not just a job for males, which is another question my girls repeatedly ask whenever we go past a construction site.

''''''''''The Story of Coolie

92 year old Uncle Lee recounts to his grandson his journey from Fujian province to Singapore, inspired by a photo on the wall.  This old man, like many others, had come to Singapore as a young lad to escape the poverty of China.

The reader is taken back in time, as the old man describes the Singapore he grew up in:  a crowded shared dormitory, long days spent at the wharfs doing manual labour, little sleep or food, and earning a pittance.  His only belongings were red bed sheets and clothing.  These foreign labourers, known as coolies, kept spirits high ' despite missing their hometown and family.  Again, one may find some parallels here to Singapore's current foreign labourers, which at least in our house has been another common topic over the last few months.

From working as a coolie, Uncle Lee ends up marrying a local bride and having 7 kids of his own and moving into an HDB.   Perhaps this is also the untold story of many of the old uncles we walk past every day on the way to school? 

Set Two:  ''''''''' (Singapore Chinese Traditional Food)

Author:  Lin Wenpei
Country of original publication:  Singapore
Language: Simplified Chinese
~ Pages per book: 20
~ Lines per page: 5-9

~ Books in series: 8
~Pinyin: Yes
~ Audio available: No
~Available in Singapore NLB: Yes
Target age range: 4 ' 8

Singaporean author Lin Wenpei has written a series of eight cute picture books about food in local Chinese celebrations.   The main characters of the picture books are a courageous sister and a playful brother, who attempt to help their families to prepare festive foods. 

Through cartoon style pictures, each book introduces a new food ' you sheng (fish sashimi salad), zongzi (rice dumplings), moon cakes, glutinous rice balls, egg rolls, wanton dumplings, steamed rice cakes and fried spring rolls.  Each of these being iconic Chinese foods, traditionally prepared at home to celebrate particular festivals. Being authored in Singapore, the traditions referenced in this book are those that are celebrated in Singapore (and Malaysia) ' for example, lou hei is very specific to South East Asia, and is unheard in mainland China!  The illustrations are equally local, and easy to relate to ' certainly no one dressed up in warm wintery clothes for Chinese New Year!

In each of the books, the playful sibling duo learn about the different traditions through preparing ingredients, and make some cute blunders along the way, (like the younger brother's attempt to wash the dumpling leaves with soap and water when making zongzi!).  There are also some Chinese puns, like with the sister says '' (jiangsi/ginger slices) but the brother mishears '' (jiangshi/zombie).    

My kids love all 8 of these books.  We've previously borrowed a few of them from the library (and I even reviewed one for Dragon Boat Festival).  When I learnt that My Story Treasury were adding these into their list of books, I was sure this was something we'd want to have permanently in our collection.

We enjoyed learning that the first step in making spring rolls it to pour mung beans into the teapot.  It was equally eye-opening to learn that spring rolls are called that, because, well, they're eaten traditionally at the start of Spring! We also enjoy the fact that the characters share plenty of laughs and ear-to-ear smiles through their family cooking adventures.

If I had one complaint ' I wish they had a simple kids' recipe at the back!  They do have some photographs of the steps, but a real recipe would be wonderful! 

Read the book, and then give it a try yourself as a family.  As the author says in her forward, 'I hope that every child can enjoy a childhood filled with memories of making traditional dishes'. 

Books in the series:

'  (''''''''''Today we prepare fish sashimi salad
''''''''''''Today we make rice dumplings
''''''''''''Today we make mooncakes
''''''''''''Today we make rice balls
'''''''''''''Today we make egg rolls
''''''''''''Today we make dumplings
''''''''''''Today we steam rice cakes
''''''''''''Today we fry spring rolls

Set Three: ''''' (Let's Celebrate ' Singaporean Festivals and Customs)

Author:  Fu Chong
Country of original publication:  Singapore
Language: Simplified Chinese
~ Pages per book: 42 ' 80
~ Lines per page: 7- 21

~ Books in series: 3
~Pinyin: No
~ Audio available: No
~Available in NLB: No
Target age range: Upwards of 5 (with an adult)

A locally produced series of books details traditional festival and customs celebrated by the different ethnic groups in Singapore.  The set of three ''''' books have been lovingly authored and illustrated by Frank Fu, who is both a talented artist and curious school teacher, making the perfect combination for a series like this. 

The books detail traditional festival and customs celebrated by the different ethnic groups in Singapore ' the first (and longest) volume covers Chinese, the second Malay, and the third volume Indian.  They celebrate the rich cultural heritage of Singapore and explain the traditions and festivals in a relatively simple matter-of-fact manner.  It is a lot text ' they're more of a 'reference book' pe se but peppered with detailed illustrations which are easy to relate to. 

''''' manages to answer a list of questions which my kids have asked me ' like why do we hold two oranges at Chinese New Year? Why do our Malay neighbours all wear matching colour clothes during Eid al-Fitr? Why is Little India decorated with peacocks?

The books have simple pictures and explanations to cover most aspects of festivals celebrated in Singapore.    I feel this series is a wonderful way for a child (and their family) to better understand the three main ethnicities which make up Singapore, as we lead up to National Day Celebrations.

Each book is cleverly put together, with aspects that would really appeal to a child who likes their facts and figures ' for example, the Table of Contents looks like a Calendar, and there is a glossary at the back.  Each illustration is dated, so a child who enjoys numbers may like flipping through to understand which was the earliest picture drawn, and it gives an insight into how long it took the author to create all the doodles across the sets.

I've done a more detailed review of the second book '''''' 2'''''''''''''' , which covers Malay traditions previously, which you can find here.

Books in the series:

'''''' 1' '''''''''''' Let's Celebrate! Singaporean Chinese Festivals and Customs

'''''' 2'''''''''''''' Let's Celebrate! Singaporean Malay Festivals and Customs

'''''' 3'''''''''''''' Let's Celebrate! Singaporean Indian Festivals and Customs

Where to buy in Singapore?

Each of these titles was generously given to us by My Story Treasury, and are stocked on their website.   Remember to use my discount code 'lahlahbanana10' at check-out to receive 10% price reduction!

Contact us to discuss your requirements of 180 degree pipe elbow. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.