Review: First Words - Mandarin by Lonely Planet Kids

First Words

MANDARIN

by Lonely Planet Kids

Illustrated by Andy Mansfield and Sebastian Iwohn

Children's Non-Fiction / Children's Language / Travel

208 pages

ages 6 to 8

Bring the Mandarin language to life with this beautifully illustrated children's book from Lonely Planet Kids, an imprint of Lonely Planet, the world's leading travel guide and phrasebook publisher. Perfect for the whole family, First Words Mandarin features 100 words to use while travelling, from food and transport, to animals and weather.

Each word is accompanied with a bold illustration and a simple pronunciation guide to make the vocabulary fun and easy to learn. Plus, its small size makes it a handy addition to any trip to China or Taiwan.

Also included is a free audio pronunciation guide. Scan the QR code on the back cover or visit our First Words website to hear each word spoken by a native child.

Also available:

First Words French First Words Spanish First Words English First Words Italian First Words Japanese

About Lonely Planet Kids: Come explore! Let's start an adventure. Lonely Planet Kids excites and educates children about the amazing world around them. Combining astonishing facts, quirky humour and eye-catching imagery, we ignite their curiosity and encourage them to discover more about our planet. Every book draws on our huge team of global experts to help share our continual fascination with what makes the world such a diverse and magnificent place - inspiring children at home and in school.

Note: The digital edition of this book is missing some of the images found in the physical edition

Or get this one directly from Lonely Planet Kids here

which. . .btw. . .

is currently running a buy 2 get 1 free sale!

MY TIDBITS

With 100 different words, this is a great way for kids to get a first glimpse into this Asian language.

With a sturdy and easy to clean cover, this is a book ready to travel the world and beyond. There are 100 words to learn, starting on the first page with a hello and ending with goodbye. In between, there is everything from chopsticks to map to cat and so much more.

Each word is presented on a two-page spread. First, comes the word in bold type in English, under it the word written in Mandarin, next the Mandarin word written with English characters, and last but not least, a pronunciation. The other side of the spread offers a simple, unmistakable, and very brightly colored illustration of the word. In some illustrations, there's even another term in Mandarin which might be closely related to the main word. For example, the main word is computer and on the illustration the term for mouse is added.

My daughter dove onto this book the second in was brought into the house and ran away with it into her bedroom to immediately learn a few words. The easy read print and simple layout keep it inviting and make it look simple. And it is. She's been throwing the words into our daily conversations ever since. As an extra bonus, there's a website where kids can hear the audio version of each word and work on their pronunciations. The only thing missing from this book is an index, something which the intended age group (8 to 12) could easily use.

This is a wonderful, easy way for kids to pick up a few words in Mandarin and get a first feel for the language, while keeping it light and easy.