What do you think?
Rate this book
Squirrel Round and Round: A Bilingual Book of Seasons
In English and Mandarin Chinese, Belle Yang’s bilingual board books celebrate the natural world with simple concepts and beautiful, bold illustrations.
Squirrel is busy all year long, from one season into the next and back again. Birds feed their babies in spring, fireflies wink on a summer night, yellow leaves flutter in fall, and squirrel makes fresh tracks in winter’s snow. Look for an explanation of tonal marks at the end of the story, along with a pinyin translation of the Chinese characters.
Squirrel is busy all year long, from one season into the next and back again. Birds feed their babies in spring, fireflies wink on a summer night, yellow leaves flutter in fall, and squirrel makes fresh tracks in winter’s snow. Look for an explanation of tonal marks at the end of the story, along with a pinyin translation of the Chinese characters.
24 pages, Board Book
First published January 6, 2015
7 people want to read
About the author
Belle Yang
20 books16 followers"My Chinese name is Xuan, or "Forget-All-Sorrow." It is also Chinese for "lily of a day," notes Belle Yang. "If life spans a mere day, why spend it in worry?" Indeed, the author-illustrator of HANNAH IS MY NAME recalls a seemingly worry-free childhood in Taiwan and Japan, where she "doodled and fiddled around with words and discovered they were her life."
Now an author and painter, Belle Yang has developed a remarkable style that draws on her rich cultural background, influenced not only by childhood memories of Taiwan and Japan and her experience of immigrating to the United States at age seven, but also by her studies in Scotland and China. It was Belle Yang's homecoming from China to the U.S. after the Tiananmen Massacre that precipitated a new dedication to her art. "I returned with gratitude in my heart for the freedom of expression given me in America," she says. "I returned convinced that I would firmly grasp this gift with both hands." And since officially becoming an artist "sometime in the early nineties," Belle Yang's work has consistently garnered widespread acclaim for its vividness and authenticity. Notes Amy Tan, author of THE JOY LUCK CLUB, "Belle Yang is an American writer who writes in English and thinks in Chinese. Her writing feels Chinese. . . . It is as though we, the readers of English, can now miraculously read Chinese."
Belle Yang's latest book perfectly captures the essence of this Chinese-American fusion. HANNAH IS MY NAME is an immigrant story especially close to the author's own: "HANNAH IS MY NAME is based on our first years in San Francisco," she says. "I missed my old friends and teacher, but it was not a miserable yearning. It was a great privilege to come to the United States, and we didn't look back." Like the author, Hannah and her family move from Taiwan to San Francisco, where she takes a new name, begins a new school, learns a new language, and starts to adjust to a new way of life. Illuminated by Chinese-influenced paintings in jewel-like colors, Belle Yang's immigration tale represents one of the many facets of the American dream.
Belle Yang has written and illustrated four books and has participated in solo museum shows. She lives in California.
Now an author and painter, Belle Yang has developed a remarkable style that draws on her rich cultural background, influenced not only by childhood memories of Taiwan and Japan and her experience of immigrating to the United States at age seven, but also by her studies in Scotland and China. It was Belle Yang's homecoming from China to the U.S. after the Tiananmen Massacre that precipitated a new dedication to her art. "I returned with gratitude in my heart for the freedom of expression given me in America," she says. "I returned convinced that I would firmly grasp this gift with both hands." And since officially becoming an artist "sometime in the early nineties," Belle Yang's work has consistently garnered widespread acclaim for its vividness and authenticity. Notes Amy Tan, author of THE JOY LUCK CLUB, "Belle Yang is an American writer who writes in English and thinks in Chinese. Her writing feels Chinese. . . . It is as though we, the readers of English, can now miraculously read Chinese."
Belle Yang's latest book perfectly captures the essence of this Chinese-American fusion. HANNAH IS MY NAME is an immigrant story especially close to the author's own: "HANNAH IS MY NAME is based on our first years in San Francisco," she says. "I missed my old friends and teacher, but it was not a miserable yearning. It was a great privilege to come to the United States, and we didn't look back." Like the author, Hannah and her family move from Taiwan to San Francisco, where she takes a new name, begins a new school, learns a new language, and starts to adjust to a new way of life. Illuminated by Chinese-influenced paintings in jewel-like colors, Belle Yang's immigration tale represents one of the many facets of the American dream.
Belle Yang has written and illustrated four books and has participated in solo museum shows. She lives in California.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 2, 2018
A fun bilingual book of a busy squirrel. What is it doing through out the year. There are very simple concepts so that children can easily get the meaning of the Chinese characters.
I wish there is more such books in the future. The only thing I would like to point out is that the pronunciation of 黄叶飘飘 in this book. Not sure if the author actually learnt Chinese in a systematic way or she grew up in America and speaks Mandrin. I don't know anyone from China who would pronounce piao(1)piao(0)... It should be piao(1)piao(1) instead.
I wish there is more such books in the future. The only thing I would like to point out is that the pronunciation of 黄叶飘飘 in this book. Not sure if the author actually learnt Chinese in a systematic way or she grew up in America and speaks Mandrin. I don't know anyone from China who would pronounce piao(1)piao(0)... It should be piao(1)piao(1) instead.
August 8, 2018
A Mandarin/English tour through the seasons from the perspective of a squirrel.
I like that the author provided a pronunciation guide in the back of the book and pinyin translations of the characters so you can actually learn some Mandarin from reading this. I also liked the Chinese view of the seasons with things like persimmons in fall and yellow watermelon in summer. A cute and culturally rich little picture book.
I like that the author provided a pronunciation guide in the back of the book and pinyin translations of the characters so you can actually learn some Mandarin from reading this. I also liked the Chinese view of the seasons with things like persimmons in fall and yellow watermelon in summer. A cute and culturally rich little picture book.
August 25, 2018
Would be great in a storytime about seasons. The illustrations are easy to see on the white background.
February 14, 2015
This board book features enticing gouache illustrations that follow a busy squirrel throughout the seasons. The left side of the book contains Chinese characters while the right side tells the story in English. There is even a chart in the back of the book with the pinyin pronunciations for the Chinese characters. What a cool way to learn another language! Youngsters who speak Mandarin Chinese will feel supported as they learn English, and English speakers might enjoy using this book as a starting point for dipping their toes into Chinese. Plus, youngsters are learning a little bit about a squirrel's habits during each season.
June 11, 2015
Featuring both Mandarin Chinese and English, the text is simple and reflects what is happening in the illustrations. The gouache illustrations are colorful and depict various plants and animals in addition to the main character, a squirrel, but are set on a white background, making it easy for babies and toddlers to view the illustrations. The squirrel’s actions and expressions are endearing. The last pages of the book give some instruction on reading and pronouncing Mandarin Chinese. Even for those who cannot understand both languages, this is an enjoyable and informative selection.
August 18, 2016
Listed in CCBC Choices 2016 under Picture Books for Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers. This bilingual board book (Mandarin Chinese and English) exposes young children to seasons and new nature words (persimmons, cicadas, etc.). Only thing to make this better would be a CD of the tonal sounds of the Chinese language. Sweet spot: Toddlers-Kindergarten
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews