Learn Chinese for Kids

小雞過生日: 5 Minute Book Review


Title: 小雞過生日 (xiao3 ji guo4 sheng ri4)/Baby Chicks’ Birthday

ISBN: 9789862113486

Authors/Illustrations: Noriko Kudo (translated from Japanese) 文、圖/工藤紀子,翻譯/劉握瑜

Publisher: 小魯文化事業股份有限公司 (Xiao Lu Wen Hua/Tsai Fong Books)

Published: 2012

Level: Beginning Reader, Zhuyin, Picture Book, Fiction

Pages: 36

Summary: The five little chicks go with their mother to the bakery, the grocery store, and a toy store to buy food and presents for their birthday. When they get home, they eat yummy food and open their present. 

Sample Pages:





Rating: 5/5 stars

5 Minute Review: As I have mentioned before, Gamera (5.5) LOVES the 小雞 (xiao3 ji)/Baby Chick series. She particularly loves Kudo’s cute illustrations of the chicks. 

Gamera’s favorite part in this particular book is when the chicks say, 「真討厭 (zhen tao3 yan4)/how disagreeable !」She finds it SO CUTE and always reads it in a baby chick voice. 

Again, Gamera has read this book close to 10 million times (actual number) and shows no sign of losing interest. It’s been at least 2-3 years since she first heard them at her Chinese preschool. 

The storyline is simple, the illustrations are detailed, and there are a few non-zhuyin characters that Gamera loves to read as well. But mostly, she just likes to talk in a baby chick voice. 

Highly recommend.

Here’s a video of Gamera reading an excerpt. 

Author

Virginia Duan is the entertainment editor for "Mochi Magazine," a freelance writer, and an Asian American author who writes stories full of rage and grief with biting humor and glimpses of grace. She spends most of her days plotting her next book or article, shuttling her children about, participating in more group chats than humanly possible, and daydreaming about BTS a totally normal amount.

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