Ming's Adventure with the Terracotta Army: A Story in English and Chinese

Ming's Adventures

by Li Jian

This beautifully illustrated multicultural children's book tells a story about China's most famous archealogiclal site—the terracotta soldiers of Xi'an.

When a special exhibition of terracotta warriors comes to town, Ming and his mother goes to see them at the museum. To remember this exciting event, Ming's mother buys him a little figurine of a General to keep in his room at home. But at midnight, Ming wakes up and finds the General figurine is alive and he has a copper carriage ready to take Ming to his home in Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Tomb in Xi'an, China. In this mysterious underground world over 2,000 year old, Ming meets the General's army of terracotta warriors.

Read and find out more about Ming's adventures with his new friends!

Genres: Picture Books, History, Childrens, China, Cultural

42 pages, Hardcover

First published September 17, 2013

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps it's the translation. Perhaps it's a bad fit, mixing a story with history in this manner. But I do like that there is lots of information on the story pages, so even families who skip author's notes will see this, the most valuable part of the book. I was fascinated to learn that each soldier is individual, and lots of other accessories have been found, and even dancers, not just different kinds of soldiers, have been found.

China has such a rich ancient history. They were first to so many things... they just weren't empire builders spreading their ideas around like Europeans did so we don't realize.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely illustration work here. The storyline feels a bit perfunctory, in that it is simply a pretext for explaining about the Terracotta Army. As a non-fiction book, I would have perhaps found it more satisfying because the information is interesting and the illustration is great. Makes me want to go and pick up my Chinese paint brush immediately.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whether you're looking for a book to read with your child before visiting the museum or just wanting to discover interesting facts about the Terracotta Army, this book is sure to do the trick!

After visiting the museum, Ming falls asleep that night and in his dream has an adventure with a Terracotta General.

Ages: 4 - 9

#geography #asia #china

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[Ben Truong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ming's Adventure with the Terracotta Army is a children's picture book written and illustrated by Li Jian and translated by Yijin Wert, which tells a story about a boy named Ming and his fantastic adventure with the terracotta army in Xi'an, China. It is the first book in the Ming's Adventure series.

The text is simplistic and straightforward. It tells a story about a boy named Ming and his adventure with the Terracotta Army. It is an imaginative story, a tad shallow, but written or translated rather well. There are myriad facts in fainter print about life in ancient China. The illustrations are simply wonderful and capture the text rather well.

The premise of the book is rather straightforward. A boy named Ming visits the Terracotta Army exhibit at their local museum. Ming gets a Terracotta General as a souvenir to remember his day at the museum. At night, his souvenir comes alive and takes him on an adventure to his home in Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Tomb in Xi'an, China where Ming meets the General's army.

All in all, Ming's Adventure with the Terracotta Army is a wonderfully written children's book that delves into the amazing archaeological find of the Terracotta Army in Xi'an, China and a boy's wonderful dream about them.

[Rae]

Museum. Dreams. Qin Shihuang. Picture book. Translated from Chinese.