If You Were Me and Lived in... Ancient China: The Han Dynasty - An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time

If You Were Me and Lived in… historical series

by Carole P. Roman, Mateya Arakova (Illustrator)

Join Carole P. Roman and travel through time to visit the most interesting civilizations throughout history in her exciting new series.

Learn what kind of food you might eat in Ancient China, what colors could only be worn by royalty, what kind of names parents picked, and what children in the Han Dynasty children did for fun.

If You Were Me and Lived in... does for history what her other award-winning series did for culture.

So get onboard this time-travel machine and discover the world through the eyes of a young person just like you.

Genres: Childrens, Nonfiction, Picture Books, History

78 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 26, 2016

About the author

Carole P. Roman is the award-winning author of over fifty children's books. Whether it's pirates, princesses, or discovering the world around us, her books have enchanted educators, parents, and her diverse audience of children. She hosts a blog radio program called Indie Authors Roundtable and is one of the founders of the magazine, Indie Author's Monthly. She's been interviewed twice by Forbes Magazine. Carole has co-authored two self-help books. Navigating Indieworld: A Beginners Guide to Self-Publishing and Marketing with Julie A. Gerber, and Marketing Indieworld with both Julie A. Gerber and Angela Hausman. She published Mindfulness for Kids with J. Robin Albertson-Wren and a new joke book called The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids: 800+ Jokes!
She writes adult fiction under the name Brit Lunden and is currently helping to create an anthology with her mythical town of Bulwark, Georgia with a group of indie authors. She lives on Long Island near her children and grandchildren.

Her series includes:
Captain No Beard
If You Were Me and Lived in- Cultural
If You Were Me and Lived in- Historical
Nursery series
Oh Susannah- Early Reader and coloring book
Mindfulness for Kids with co-author J. Robin Albertson-Wren
The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids; 800 plus Jokes!
Navigating Indieworld- with co-author Julie A. Gerber
Marketing Indieworld- with co-authors Angela Hausman and Julie A. Gerber
Adult Fiction under the pen name Brit Lunden
Bulwark
The Knowing- A Bulwark Anthology

Reviews

[Miranda Reads (back from hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you were ever curious about what life was like in the year 150 AD in Ancient China...and back then things were really, really different!

Inside your home was an area partitioned off for sleeping.

There was no spot devoted to meals.

But that's not all- even the little things (like what you called your siblings) is definitely different back then.

...you didn't call each other by name. Your sisters called you "Older brother," and you called them "First sister" and "Second sister."

Though, there were some things that were the same!

People liked bright colors no matter if they were rich or poor.

Yellow was for only the emperor, red was for good luck and white for funerals. Farmers liked blues and greys to hide dirt.

I absolutely loved learning the little quirky bits about Ancient China - like the cool career paths.

You loved watching the noodle maker create long strings of dough that stretched for miles...

I'm honestly LIVING for this series. So cute and I'm learning so much!

I'm also really LOVING these illustrations - absolutely gorgeous!

This one had a lot of details in it and really helped breath a different era. Such an exciting and unique series!

With thanks to the author for a free copy in exchange for an honest review

YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads

[Vera Godley · Rating 5 out of 5]

In her new Social Studies series featuring ancient cultures and history, the author expands the amount of information to roughtly 70 pages in each book. In her book on Ancient China: The Han Dynasty there are 76 pages of information gently presented to the young child so they can delve into a time and culture that is perhaps quite foreign to them.

Softly illustrated by Mateya Arkova, the pages tell the story of how life was during the Han Dynasty of China. Did you know that only the Emperor could wear yellow? The Emperor also decreed that families raise chickens so they could have them at meals. Also, there was a special nook in the kitchen for the kitchen god.

I previously reviewed the following books in this Time Travel History Series. You can read my reviews on Chat With Vera: Renaissance Italy, Ancient Greece, Elizabethan England, The Middle Ages, The American West,

GIVEAWAY - Begins January 2, 2017 & ENDS January 23, 2017 @ 12:01 a.m. EST: Open to USA addresses only http://chatwithvera.blogspot.com/2017...

DISCLOSURE: I was provided a complimentary copy by the author to facilitate this review of my honest opinions for which I was not compensated. Winner's prize copy is provided by and sent directly to the winner by the author.

[Chris The Story Reading Ape · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is a goldmine of easy to understand information for kids (and adults) to absorb.
The facts are well researched and the charming illustrations help reinforce and clarify them.
As well as the particular timeframe discussed, there are other, useful to know, main historical characters and events listed at the end of the book.
I learned a lot thanks to this book.

See my review also at:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/You-Were-Liv...

https://www.amazon.com/You-Were-Lived...

https://www.amazon.ca/You-Were-Lived-...

https://www.amazon.com.au/You-Were-Li...

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

If You Were Me and Lived in...Ancient China: The Han Dynasty by Carole P. Roman is a children's book but let's get real, all of these books are so informative that adults learn from them too! The tell what is was like for kids to live in that time period. What the child would be named, eat, wear, the furniture, how their hair would be, celebrations and more. Very information in a fun and relatable read. The images are cute and enhance the info. All of these books are wonderful. I received this book for a honest review and it in no way effected my review or rating.

[Penny Minding Mom · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 2006 and again in 2008 my husband and I were fortunate enough to travel to Okinawa, Japan. It was an amazing experience that I want to someday share with my children. Okinawa has a heavy Chinese influence and the book “If You Were Me and Lived…Ancient China” reminded me of several of my experiences that I had while I was there.

“If You Were Me and Lived In…Ancient China” lets you and your child travel back in time and explore Ancient China during the Han dynasty through the eyes of a child.

The book follows a similar pattern to her other books in the “If You Were Me and Lived In…” series, only this book focuses on the History of the region. This book is much longer than the previous books I have read, covering 76 pages. This book is heavy in text, I love that the author has chosen a simple and easily read font for this book. I do wish that the book wasn’t done with “full justification” and that words weren’t broken up. This is a personal choice, based on my children’s reading abilities. My children have only learned to read in French and are learning to read English on their own, so having new words like “experimented” broken up with a hyphen makes it difficult for them to sound out.

There is a tremendous amount of information to be absorbed and learned in this book. There is something of interest to every child. My children loved to learn about the silkworms and how their silk was used to make fabric. They were surprised to learn how important colours. My daughter was surprised to learn that women wore red to their wedding instead of the traditional white of our culture.

Something special in the book is a saying of Confucius, “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you don’t stop.” This gave me pause for thought. My daughter has always found school easy, but due to a virus and a vacation she has missed quite a few days of school and is struggling with a new math concept. Her friend is quick to complete his work and she gets frustrated that she can’t work as fast. This saying made her realize that it’s not the speed but the determination to finish that is important!


The Illustrations are soft and have a friendly and familiar feel. I do feel that they are missing the rich colours that I associate with the Chinese culture, but again that’s just a personal choice. Each illustrations helps you and your little one visualize just what life in Ancient China would be like.

The author, Carole P Roman, has included a list of words and definitions at the back of the book. I love that she has also included in brackets the pronunciation of new words in the text as well. This is an amazing resource for new (and not so new) readers. I often stumble across words I don’t know and this allows me to read aloud with a confidence that I sometimes don’t feel.

“If You Were Me and Lived In…Ancient China” is an amazing trip back in time to the Han Dynasty in Ancient China.

Get social with the author! Visit her Website, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, or purchase her book on Amazon! Or check out my reviews on her other books in the “If You Were Me And Lived In…” series of books.


*Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of “If You Were Me and Lived In…Ancient China” in exchange for my review. All opinions are 100% my own.

[Autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://kachildrensbookreviews.blogspo...

We received this book to give an honest review.

I am so glad the author is doing books like this. As they seem to be filled with a lot more information than her other books of If you were me and lived in.... I feel like when I read this to K he is learning a bit about history but in an easier and fun way to learn. In this book we are taken back to Ancient China and we learn about the social status of the people to what they wore, what certain colors meant, to even the teachings that were passed down. I learned things myself that I didn't know before. Such as white is what you wore to a funeral which I didn't know that was Chinese tradition and I found that to be pretty neat.
I think this book and series is perfect for kids that want to learn about history from different places but in a fun way and not the boring way.
K really thought it was neat how silk was made and we got insight on how that started in this book.
I can not wait to read more to K as I am sure he is going to love the other books.

Questions and Answers with K

1. Did you like learning about Ancient China?
"I did."

2. Did anything stand out to you in this book?
"I liked the silkworms. Though I thought that the worms would turn into moths"

3. Would you recommend this book to your school library or maybe your teacher?
"I would. I think other kids might like learning."

[Jalynn Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

About the Book:

Join Carole P. Roman and travel through time to visit the most interesting civilizations throughout history in the first four books of her new series. Learn what kind of food you might eat in Ancient Greece, the clothes you wore in 15th century Renaissance Italy, what your name could be in Viking Europe, and what children in the Han Dynasty children did for fun. If You Were Me and Lived in...does for history what her other award-winning series did for culture. So get on-board this time-travel machine and discover the world through the eyes of a young person just like you.



My Review:

This time Carole P. Roman takes us to Ancient China in her latest entitled, If You Were Me and Lived in...Ancient China. In a land that is simply gorgeous. That has rolling hills and beautiful landscapes comes this awesome book of the best of facts that you could possibly learn from.


Carole takes her time and provides us with the best virtual field trip in many faraway lands that we would never be blessed enough to get to visit. So this amazing author takes us their and provides us a day in the life of a citizen of that land and it is really interesting.


**Disclosure**This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from the author.

[Anne Rightler · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you were me and live in...Ancient China by Carole P. Roman is another marvelous book in her newest series about Civilizations Throughout Time. Her first series introduced culture and customs to elementary age and younger children and with this series, she brings history to life for older students. With muted colors, Mateya Arkova has drawn beautiful illustrations to show what life in Ancient China would have looked like in the year 150 AD. The author takes the reader briefly through a discussion of the Han Dynasty, living in the capital city, and the all-important trade route called the Silk Road. With enchanting pictures and easy-to-read text, readers learn about homes lived in and clothes (usually silk tunics over pants) worn by the Chinese. Education was free for the boys; girls stayed home to learn how to be good wives and mothers. Occasional questions throughout the book encourage reflection and discussion. Included at the end is a glossary of words, with pronunciations, and also a section on important people of Ancient China. This is a wonderfully informative book that is sure to capture a child's interest and imagination.

[Jennifer Lara · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you were me and lived in… series has opened the world to children about countries they may never visit and now she has included history lessons about eras long ago. If you were me and lived in...Ancient China focused on the era of the Han Dynasty (206 BC until 220 AD), the longest dynasty and known as the Golden Age of Ancient China. The importance of the Silk Road was discussed as an important trade route to China. In addition to discussion about the food, the homes and the family dynamics, the importance of the colors in which clothes were made are discussed. Red indicates joy and happiness while white was a color of mourning. And yellow was reserved for the emperor only. Religions, important holidays and lucky (and unlucky) numbers in Ancient Chinese cultural were discussed as well. Ms. Roman has brilliantly made a series of book which presents information in a fun and entertaining manner. The information is simply presented but grabs the attention of the readers. These books are great additions to any school or family libraries as children begin to explore history and the world. I highly recommend these titles and other titles in the If you were me and lived in… series!

[Gail Hollingsworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

You are never too old to learn and I'm learning lots of new things through these books written by Carole P. Roman. If you were born in ancient China you would have been born in the year 150 AD, almost 1900 years ago. The book gives a little history of this time period and what was going on in the country. There were three different religions. The classes were divided according to wealth. What I found interesting was the fact that no matter where you lived, what time period, or how much money you had, all had dirt floors. Another interesting fact was that the emperor was the only one allowed to wear yellow, white was for mourning and funerals, farmers wore dark blue and grays to hide dirt and red was the color of joy and happiness. Maybe that's why even today the women wear red wedding gowns. The grandparents always lived with the family and each home contained a shrine for their ancestors.
Children will learn what they would have worn, eaten, where they would have slept, and family interactions for this time period and location. A very interesting lesson in history.
I received this book from a contest and was not required to write a review, positive or otherwise.

[Stacie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ancient China goes back almost two thousand years to the year 150 AD. From 206 BC to 220 AD, the Han Dynasty ruled over China organizing the government and establishing one of the longest dynasties in its culture. During this time, poetry and literature were encouraged and porcelain was created.

Everyone in the family had an important role to play and the father was the head of the household. Other family members would also live in the house with you and your grandparents would hold a very respectful role in your family.

Arkova's illustrations show the beautiful silk kimonos worn by the women on ancient China as well as the furnishings in the home. Girls education was much different from the boys as girls were thought to not need an opinion and only need to know how to be a good wife and mother.

Religion and culture were very important to the Chinese and the back of the book includes a list of important people during ancient China as well as a glossary of terms. I think children will be fascinated by the extreme differences from the ancient China culture and today.

[Wanda Maynard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I just visited Ancient China. What a great book! It is filled with lots of wonderful information. There are so many things that are different about Ancient China and China today. Their style of clothing, their homes, types of furniture, and streets. And, under the old Han Dynasty, people were encouraged to write poetry and literature. And I love both. You will learn about the silk road and how it brought wealth to China. You will also learn about a space that was set up for a shrine in the home to honor the ancestors of the family that lived there before, and about chopsticks. This wonderful book, IF YOU WERE ME AND LIVED IN...ANCIENT CHINA, by Carole P. Roman, will lead you on a great journey. You will probably have many questions concerning Ancient China, which this book should be able to answer for you. A very educational read. I loved it. Children and adults from all over will have a great time reading this wonderful masterpiece.

[Margaret Chadwick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to thank the author for sending me a copy of this book. After reading this book I passed it on to a neighbour for her young son. This book, along with the rest of the series, is really interesting and educational for children. In my opinion all young children should have copies of Carole P. Roman's educational books in their home. This book contains a lot of information about what Ancient China would have been like. The books in the "If You were Me .." series are an easy and interesting way for children to learn about other places from around the world and other periods of time that have already past. These books are a good set for children who are just starting out with reading. I would highly recommend these books to any who works with or has young children as they would be a real asset to any children's book collection.

[Melanie Adkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are you ready for a new adventure? Let's travel back in time. We can start with Ancient China. It means we'll have to travel a long way back in time. We can compare China then and now. We'd be visiting during the Han Dynasty. During this time, many offices were created that we use today. There is so much to learn here.

I am a huge fan of this newest series. It gives older children a chance to learn about places in the past. As always, Ms. Roman tells such a wonderful tale. It gets children excited about learning. This is another to add to your child's growing library. You'll probably learn a thing or two as well.

I found no issues.

I gave this one 5 cheers out of 5 because it's so fascinating. ~Copy of book provided by author in exchange for a fair review~

[Bonnie Rediske- · Rating 5 out of 5]

We were given this book in exchange for an honest review from the author. Ancient China was one that really surprised my kids. They were shocked to learn how education here is so different than education in China back then. It was also surprising for them to learn how the families were not just mom dad and kids but grandmas grandpas aunts uncles cousins that all lived together. It was a great trip to ancient China but I would also called this one is almost a chapter book due to the length. This is not a bad thing, or negative in anyway it just means that you may have to break it up in segments to keep the attention of the kids.

[Rabid Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fun and educational story would be great for an elementary school class or home project. It presents information on the progressive nature of the Han Dynasty and life in ancient China in a way that is appealing to kids but still manages to impart great information. The water colour type illustrations are colourful and appealing, with just the right amount of detail to capture a child's imagination. I wish these types of books would have been around when my kids were little, it would have made projects so much easier

[Chris Meads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really cute book on Ancient China. Done in the same way the Country books are done makes it interesting for children to compare things of today versus things of yesterday. The pictures are cute and there is a lot to learn of the culture, history, and language of China. There is even a section of Who's Who in Ancient China at the end of the book.

The pictures are colorful and cute. One thing I noticed is that there were misspellings and missing or added words which I have not found in any of the other books that Carole has written. But all is all a wonderful historic book.

[Ruth B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Traveling through time is not possible yet, so we have to learn History by reading books. And what better way to do it than with a book aimed at kids but enjoyable by all of us.

With beautiful and colorful illustrations we discover one of the oldest civilizations. Ancient China is the cradle of many inventions and I'm sure many of us will learn a lot from this book.

I loved the illustrations, they were sweet and perfect for the book.

*** I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. ***

[Sandra Stiles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book for kids to learn about the story of Ancient China. The reader learns about the different classes and how life differed between them. You learn what they ate and why. The author has included information about the three religions. This is a great book to put on my shelves as a resource for my students.
I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carole’s books are truly a charming way to learn what life was like years ago in other countries. As you learn about the past, it also helps to understand how and why those people live as they do today --- it’s fun learning while reading! The illustrations are always lovely and I like how she actually asks questions as your reading – thus increasing your learning!

[Julia Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book! As a preschool/elementary teacher and mom this is a gem. Great multicultural book with loads of accurate information. Fun to read and keeps the readers attention. Great for discussions as well as a read alone read and perfect for Homeschooling curriculum. Wish every library had the whole series!

[Glenda Bixler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Visiting Ancient China today with author of wonderful series... Check it out with pics, music, and excerpts...

http://gabixlerreviews-bookreadershea...

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Journey to ancient China in this book of the series. As always full of information children will enjoy about this country so different from our on. And don't forget the glossary in the back of the book for extra help.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great series and I loved the pictures. It was very informative about the Han Dynasty. It has a glossary at the end which is great for kids.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Carole just keeps expanding on her ideas for her "If You Were Me"series - both in modern countries around the world, and now also in historical periods. The book on Ancient China covers the time of the Han Dynasty, almost 2,000 years ago. Young readers will enjoy hearing tidbits about the Chinese zodiac and agreeing that they would not want to be born in the Year of the Rat. Other things like the difference in the diets of people from different regions will probably surprise them. In our time, there is usually a McDonald's to be found, no matter where you travel. The idea that people only consumed the items that were available in their immediate area will probably seem very limited. Another idea that will generate some discussion is that of having the same job as their parents and grandparents and not really getting any choice in the matter.

While the text shares information about aspects of life during the time of Han Dynasty, the illustrations show the clothing, the houses, and other visual details of the period. Children will probably remark on the way the corners of the roofs curl up or the fact that no one is wearing shoes in the indoor scenes. Points like rich boys having a private tutor, or the public school having over 30,000 students will be a surprise. There are biographical sketches of famous people from the period in the back matter, such as Cai Lun, Sun Tzu, and Genghis Khan. There is also a lengthy glossary of terms such as calligraphy, caravan, and dynasty. This book is sure to be a conversation starter and may begin some youngster's love affair with history as he or she becomes fascinated with all the differences between life then and now.

I received a copy from the author for review purposes.

[R.J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book from the author for the purpose of this review. All comments and opinions are entirely my own.

Another accurate, well written and very well illustrated (illustrations done by Mateya Arkova) book by Carole Roman for kids of all ages. If You Were Me and Lived in…Ancient China obviously goes over the history and activities in ancient China in easy to read sentences and some interactive questions.

Though this book is easy to read, it does contain many vocabulary words as well as some Chinese words and phrases to be learned. The glossary in the back of the book makes these vocabulary words and foreign words easy to define for both the teacher and the kids.

The pages do tend to get a little long, making it very possible to lose the kids’ attention, but it isn’t so long to need to be picked on. All in all, If You Were Me and Lived in…Ancient China is a great addition to the “…Ancient Times” series and would be great for schools. I give it 4 out 5 stars.

This review was originally published on Literature Approved (http://literatureapproved.wordpress.com)

[Charissa Wilkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for a fair review.

Overview: We’re going real far back on this trip. Up ahead…Han Dynasty China.

Likes: Some of the situations were funny in this book.

Dislikes: Be a merchant in this country at your own risk. Some people were more equal than others.

Conclusion: I think these books work better as a spring-board to other studies. Do your research, and let your time-travelers join you in the studies.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these books. each one is beautifully written and illustrated. it's not a boring book of facts. it takes the facts and spins them into a story staring you. I can't recommend them enough

[MaryAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book. The illustrations are terrific and the information is educational and interesting.

[N.N. Heaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get ready to travel back in time to Ancient China and the Han Dynasty in this latest installment of Carole P. Roman’s Civilization series. Like in previous books, Roman starts by introducing the reader to the Han Dynasty and then takes us through all facets of this time period.



I remember studying the Han Dynasty in school but it was never this exciting. For me, the beautiful illustrations compliment the wording perfectly and as a reader, I’m allowed to let my imagination go wild. Each page showcases a different lesson about Ancient China: from family traditions to religious beliefs to even inventions we take for granted today (paper, silk, etc.).



I found myself learning so many things about life in the Han Dynasty and could identify how Ancient China influenced the world, even to this very day. I learned that honoring one’s ancestors was paramount to families and there was a strict delineation between classes. I learned that instead of wearing black while mourning, people wear white. I also learned the Emperor was the only one who could wear the color yellow. Fascinating!



This book is a treasure-trove of Ancient China history and I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read it. Several teachers and educators have stated online how it’s a complete lesson-plan in a fun, interactive way. I don’t disagree but I also would like to point out that adults, too, would find value in reading this. Another superb book from Roman and one I highly recommend!



My Rating: 5+ stars



This review first appeared: https://princessofthelight.wordpress.com