CeeCee

by Mao Xiao, Chunmiao Li (Illustrations), Yanhong Zhang (Illustrations)

Many children are playing around, while CeeCee sits all alone on the bench. Everybody notices that CeeCee is exceptionally quiet and calm today but no one knows why. What are you doing, CeeCee?

This is in the original Chinese text, with Pin Yin (Pronunciation) over every single word. Appended is English translation.

Genres: Picture Books

40 pages, Hardcover

Published March 1, 2017

Reviews

[Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

CeeCee is a picture book published by Candied Plums, a new imprint of bilingual picture books for Mandarin learners as well as picture book lovers. I was first attracted by its cover and didn't feel so excited after the first reading although the illustrations are fabulous depicting SO MANY kids' activities in one single book vividly. To be honest, I was even a little confused about the CeeCee's portrait at the end and why the young man said "Thank you, CeeCee." It was after second reading that I came to understand that CeeCee sits on the bench all alone without being distracted by all surrounding environment and her peers' activities to let the young man draw a portrait of her. That's the reason why she didn't move a little bit during the whole process. By reading the book, you'll also get to know all popular activities played by Chinese young kids, food to eat and clothes to wear. Please also read the little note after the end of the story where the author or the editor invites you to find CeeCee's best friend Lily on every page. Trust me, this is no easy task. But my daughter enjoyed it so much. I also encouraged her to find more kids that show up on more than one page. Guess what we found? I'd love to call it a combination of picture book and game book where you will explore so much fun with your children.

[Julie Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

This work is like the lens of a camera that eloquently tells us “what's happening” with the shift of long shots, distant shots and medium shots. The author subtly uses succinct words to position CeeCee in the middle of all the overlapping stories, therefore an exact focus in the whole story. The illustrator, on the other hand, brings readers to involve in the ongoing activities during the same period of time with CeeCee's friend (the other girl). The detailed description of every child's activities in pictures further strengthens the relationship between text and image, and exemplifies childhood imagination and humor.